HELP US END U.S.D.A. FOREST SERVICE DE-FACTO WILDERNESS POLICY IN MONTANA ( and across the country )

BlueRibbon Coalition ^ | January 4, 2007 | Brian Hawthorne

[george76]

Millions of acres of prime recreational opportunities in Montana are threatened with closure. Your action could mean the difference between a "closed" sign and a "trail open" sign. Please take a moment to read the information below and act on the action items.

the U.S. Forest Service is planning a de-facto Wilderness management regime on all "Recommended Wilderness Areas" (RWA).

Under normal circumstances, the "Recommended" Wilderness classification is just that: a recommendation. The decision of "whether Wilderness" is supposed to be left to Congress and the American People.

Sadly, the Northern Region of the U.S. Forest Service seems to think they, not Congress, have the authority to manage these lands -- as Wilderness! New Forest Plans state that RWAs will now become closed to all motorized use, including winter snowmobile use.

Why you should care:

The US Forest Service Region 1 (Northern Region) manages 25 million acres of public national forest and grasslands in Montana, North Dakota, northeast Washington, northern Idaho, and northwest South Dakota.

New Forest Plans, under the guidance of the Northern Region Forester, dictate that large areas will be classified as RWAs. Thousands of acres of prime recreational lands will be included as RWAs in these new Plans. The new plans direct that RWAs will now become closed to winter snowmobile use and all other forms of motorized recreation.

Only Congress has the authority to create designated Wilderness, but these RWAs are being treated as de-facto wilderness under the Region 1 Forester's direction as soon as they are created. This unlawful policy must be stopped immediately.

[george76]

If this federal employee can manage 'as if' Congress acted, then other federal employees near you will be able to manage 'as if' Congress acted in your county, too.

.

[george76]

the U.S. Forest Service is planning another de-facto Wilderness management regime ...

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[george76]

[george76]

the "Recommended" Wilderness classification is headed our way...

[raftguide]

Wilderness designation used to provide protection for the wilderness. As John Muir said, "Wilderness is a place where man visits, but doesn't remain." But now, Rangers remain to check for mandatory wilderness permits, inspect for fires that aren't permitted anymore, make sure one carries the requisite bear cannisters, and we now must pay for the privilege of using our own land. "Wilderness," due to the government remaining in it is now being destroyed. I know, I've been using California's wilderness areas for 45 years and I am furious at what the government is doing to them in the name of protection!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Congress required the FS to manage all areas that were studied as wilderness areas as if they were wilderness areas, lest they lose their wilderness qualities. I believe this was a Clinton era piece of legislation.

FWIW

[Myrddin]

Recommended? The Fish and Wildlife buttheads in Idaho take it to a completely different level. There was an access road to private property that followed a "forest" road. The queen bitch "ranger" had a tank trap excavated into the road to prevent the homeowner from taking the road to his private property. These bureaucrats think they are deity personified. Speak up or you'll encounter more of the same where you want to access "public" land.

[Myrddin]

I believe this was a Clinton era piece of legislation.

Leftist guttersnipe. His legacy will be screwing us for a very long time.

[oldenuff2no]

This is what happens when people tear up the country on ATV's and dirt bikes. The trails will not be closed but no mechanized vehicles will be allowed. No deer carriers, no bicycles.
I'm a packer, horses and mule type packer. I've learned to hate ATV's. I don't care where you go to hunt they always show up just after you get set up. The deer hate them and are spooked out of the country.
I have found them miles into designated wilderness areas where they aren't even allowed. I just make sure they are gone, pull the coil wire and head to the top of the nearest mountain to call the USFS with a GPS readings. Having one of them inside a wilderness area is a big fine. I've been having this discussion for years and I've consistently told ATV riders, "if you don't stay out of the back country they will make laws to keep you out." Now they want to scream because their bad habits of tearing up the country have been restricted. I don't know what part of Ca you are from but up north, (yolla bolly, trinity alps, carabou, and thousand lakes,) I'm in and out of the wilderness areas as I please when I please and I've never been restricted from having a campfire. In a National Forrest they will stop a lot of things that they don't in designated wilderness areas. If you want to ride an ATV fine, but I don't want to listen to it!!!!

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

It's for the glaciers.

[justrepublican]

First they came for the Jews..................................................................

[Jack Hammer]

Oh, come, come. Surely no one expects any more that our Masters in Government accept the quaint and antiquated notion that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Puh-leez! Their Imperial Highnesses can't be expected to function under those limitations.

[sergeantdave]

Prepare to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars getting this illegal rule rescinded in the courts.

We had an eco-fascist ranger on Isle Royale National park try to ban boaters from the park. The Marxist creep refused to maintain the public piers, as required when the park was established.

The federal natural resources departments have been completely infiltrated by communists and fascists who are illegally implementing the UN's Biodiversity Treaty (Agenda 21), which the senate rejected in 1994.

These filthy Marxists don't care what the congressional rules are or the legal mandates establishing these parks and will simply do what they want.

Need I say that they should be fired? If I had my way they would be in prison for sedition.

To get back to the island story, the boaters had to hire a lawyer, drag the congressman who wrote the legislation out of retirement to testify and raise a ton of money - $600,000.

The only good thing from this fiasco is that the goosestepping communist park superintendent is dead. His replacement is acting properly.

[george76]

The feds have closed hiking trails, horse trails as well as historic jeep roads that had existed since the 1800's...

There are so many city people who never get out into the woods....

Grrr

[george76]

As we get older ( me anyway ), we can not hike 30 miles per day to our favorite spots. We need help accessing our public lands.

These self appointed bureaucrats are now denying us our historical access.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

It's not going to get any better with the current crew in DC, either...

[righthand man]

bump

[george76]

It will be very expensive.

The lawyers will win their fees either way.

We have won some battles over the years.

Even if we do not totally win this, we need to fight the POS because they will just come back in the near future for more UN Biodiversity Treaty stuff...

[george76]

The US Fish and Wildlife people have been caught on private property in Wyoming dropping off Canadian wolves : F&WS agent Mike Jimenez and an assistant ...

This private land was the cattle birthing area for this rancher...