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Forest Service and ATVs;
Tongass update
(This Is THE Most Important Note I've Penned Yet:
EVERYONE that values property rights and access -- no matter whether
you are a farmer, fisherman, recreationist, timber harvester,
miner, rancher, or consumer -- EVERYONE should read this. The
implications are crystal clear. Consider that 'invasive species'
seeds, according to these organizations, may be carried into
'wilderness areas' by tire treads -- how much of a jump is that to
deciding that shoe soles/treads can do the same? Consider, please,
that birds are far better transfer agents of seeds when they
'answer Nature's call' and 'dump'! Blaming all humans for all
dispersal and creation of everything that is deemed 'a threat' to
'wildlife' is simply unrealistic -- BUT, many of your elected
officials have taken the bait, hook, line and sinker, because it has
masked the hook so well with language deception. Who doesn't want to
'protect' what is 'threatened'? Well, folks, we'd better be paying
attention to protecting our own future and our Republic (I did
NOT say 'democracy'), and we'd better be doing it ourselves
rather than blindly trusting others to 'protect' and 'manage' such
vital decisions for us. Loosing the fox in the hen house is what's
brought us to where we are today: standing on the precipice of
becoming a mere mention in what few 'history books' are left. Do we
want that? Do YOU want that? This is NOT a tirade; it is a plea
for each of you reading this to begin listening with a more practiced
ear to smooth sales pitches -- to begin reading smooth sales pitches
with a more learned eye and mind. If you think that floodlights and real
barriers on our borders will 'harm' 'endangered' species, just look at
the 'habitat' that all species have right now, at these photos: http://www.kriseggle.org/photos/borderpix1.htm and
http://www.kriseggle.org/photos/borderpix2.htm and
http://www.kriseggle.org/photos/borderpix3.htm and
http://www.kriseggle.org/photos/borderpix4.htm and http://www.civilhomelanddefense.us/photos_from_
the_border.htm
It's hard to deny that 'critical habitat' is anything more than a
sham, after viewing these photos. Is The Nature Conservancy,
Sierra Club, Audubon Society, and their ilk handing you a 'bum steer'
in order to attach your dollars -- and your freedom? How much do these
groups REALLY care about 'habitat' or 'endangered' species? How
much? If they were truly caring about 'habitat,' wouldn't they be
HELPING the Border Patrol STRENGTHEN and CLOSE our borders, except for
ports of entry? Consider, please -- consider! Then, please visit http://www.PropertyRightsResearch.org
and see for yourselves the verified information and Truth that is
there; listed alphabetically along the left side of the Home Page are
120+ buttons that can help you empower yourself to protect all that is
dear to you. Please, look at your families and consider what will be
left for them if you do not...) March 12, 2004
From: "The Wilderness Society" action@tws.org
In this issue:  Update:
Tongass roadless areas Forest
Service says it will move to manage ATVs after years of inactionWildAlert Subscribers Help Defend Tongass Roadless Areas
In late January, we asked WildAlert subscribers to urge their U.S.
Senators and Representatives to join Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) in letters to President Bush opposing his
decision to open roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest of
Alaska to logging. [NOTE: The agenda is to CLOSE ALL FORESTS
TO ALL LOGGING.] Thanks to a strong response, 22 senators and
83 members of the House signed on. To see whether your elected
representative is among them, go to:
http://www.wilderness.org/WhereWeWork/Alaska/TongassLetterList.cfm The Administration announced just before Christmas 2003 that it would exempt the Tongass, America’s largest national forest, from the protection of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. That action exposes 9.3 million acres in the 17-million-acre forest to potential development. Thanks for your quick action! When we hear how the Administration responds, we’ll let you know. For more information on the Tongass National Forest, go to: http://www.wilderness.org/WhereWeWork/Alaska/wilderness.cfm ]
For years, The Wilderness Society and our partners in the Natural
Trails and Waters Coalition have identified unmanaged use of dirt
bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road vehicles as one
of the greatest dangers to the integrity of America's public lands.
As the damage has grown, we've urged the Forest Service and
other public land management agencies to impose sensible
controls on dirt bikes and four-wheelers and WildAlert subscribers
have been an important part of that campaign.
The agency studiously ignored us. Now, Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth has identified unmanaged recreation, particularly off-road vehicle use, as one of the four great threats to our National Forests.
(The other three he cited are fire and excessive fuels, invasive
species and habitat fragmentation through land conversion.)
In that tardy assessment, Chief Bosworth joins his predecessor
Mike Dombeck who several years ago singled out ATVs as among the major
threats to America's forests and other public lands.
The Chief has announced an initiative to bring ATVs under some sort of common-sense regulation. In this case, late really is better than never and, to the extent the effort is a real one, we welcome it. He said the agency [Forest Service] will rewrite regulations governing the use of dirt bikes, ATVs and other off-road vehicles on National Forests and Grasslands. Draft Regulations Are Months Away
Though proposed regulations won't be available for public comment for
several months, it's a beginning and we can scarcely overstate
the need for reform. The toll on our Forest Service
lands from the agency's abject failure to effectively manage
high-impact ATV use is devastating:
- The ugly web of renegade ATV and dirt bike tracks spreads across many forests.
In April 2003, Chief Bosworth described the problem this way:
"For example, the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana has
more than a thousand unplanned roads and trails reaching for almost
650 miles. That's pretty typical for a lot of
national forests, and it's only going to get worse."
- Dirt bikes and ATVs cause erosion, clog streams with sediment and damage fisheries, critical wetlands and riparian areas. - Cross-country travel splinters valuable wildlife habitat; large mammals, such as elk and bear, suffer the greatest harm. [NOTE: What about the harm elk suffer at the teeth of WOLVES?] Uncontrolled off-road vehicle use adversely affects other users of National Forests, including ranchers, outfitters and guides, hikers, cross-country skiers, and hunters and anglers. We'll do everything we can to support the agency in a real reform effort. But it is realism, not cynicism, to temper our enthusiasm with reminders of Yellowstone National Park.
There, similar good intentions for ending snowmobile damage in
Yellowstone came to nothing under pressure from the well-funded,
well-organized off-road vehicle industry and from politicos inside the
Administration. That battle is now in the courts and far from
over.
Prohibit Cross-country Travel: Good -- but Only a Start
Information on the agency's website suggests the Forest
Service is likely to propose new rules to prohibit cross-country
motorized travel except under limited circumstances and
to restrict dirt bikes and ATVs to designated roads and
off-road vehicle routes.
Those changes would be helpful.
But if the agency stops there, they won't be nearly enough to
protect the land itself, wildlife and other recreation.
Here are the critical additional steps we will
advocate for during this process:
- Limiting off-road vehicle use to a manageable system of roads and specifically designed off-road vehicle routes. The Forest Service must not use this process to simply give the official stamp of approval to every renegade dirt bike or ATV track that now exists on the ground. - Establishing a clear, short-term and enforceable timeframe in which roads and routes must be designated for off-road vehicle use. Anything less will only perpetuate the problem. - Issuing a uniform national policy of marking roads and routes that are available for off-road vehicle use with signs stating they are open for such use. Under this approach, everything not marked "open" is closed. - Using sound science, site-specific analysis and balanced public participation as the bases [sic] for decisions about which routes are appropriate for off-road vehicle use. [NOTE: Look at their attitude toward ALL cross-country travel by humans and motorized vehicles, and consider just how little will be deemed 'appropriate'.] Important Role for WildAlert Subscribers!
If the Chief sincerely intends to bring explosive ATV use on our
National Forests under long-overdue, common sense management that
incorporates these four major steps, he will find us willing
partners.
If he intends less than that, he will find us enthusiastic critics.
We'll keep you posted! And as opportunities arise for you and other
WildAlert subscribers to weight in on proposals and alternatives, we
will let you know.
For more information, visit: http://www.naturaltrails.org |