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July
2003
Volume 7
Welcome to the Wilderness Guardian, a monthly online digest
dedicated to providing up-to-date news and information concerning
Wilderness protection and stewardship nationwide. A service of Wilderness
Watch, the Guardian was created to help Wilderness advocates keep
abreast of breaking news, as well as providing contact information
to facilitate public participation.
Interesting Tidbits & Wilderness Quotes:
Correction – The May 2003 Wilderness Guardian
reported that Secretary Gale Norton "issued an administrative
order removing 200 million acres of wilderness study land managed
by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from further wilderness review
in the American West and Alaska." It is important to note that
Secretary Norton did not remove already established wilderness study
areas (WSA) from protection (something only Congress could do).
Instead, Norton’s order precludes BLM from establishing any
new WSAs in the Lower 48.
(Note: Please send your comments/corrections to hwood@wildernesswatch.org.
Your help always appreciated!)
Commercial Trapping in Wilderness? – The Humane
Society of the United States and Public Employees For Environmental
Responsibility (PEER) are concerned that commercial trapping might
be occurring in newly designated Wilderness in the Lake Mead National
Recreation Area, Nevada. In January 2003, the Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals found that commercial trapping constitutes a "commercial
enterprise", and is therefore prohibited in Wilderness.
Quote:
"Without enough wilderness America will change. Democracy,
with its myriad personalities and increasing sophistication, must
be fired and vitalized by the regular contact with outdoor growths
-- animals, trees, sun warmth, and free skies -- or it will dwindle
and pale." --Walt Whitman
Contents:
Wilderness News Briefs provide short issue summaries and contact
information. Action Alerts are full-length, time-sensitive postings.
Wilderness News Briefs:
1. Family bulldozes 13-mail trail through Wrangell – St. Elias
Nat’l Park, AK
2. BLM moves to put wildlife "guzzler" in the Sheephole
Valley Wilderness, CA
3. Helicopters to be used for goat collaring in Wilderness (WA)
4. Forest Service to remove bridge from Frank Church – River
of No Return Wilderness, ID
Action Alerts:
1. National Park Service moves to bypass minimum requirement
analysis (CA). Send your letters today!
*Wilderness News Briefs*
1. Family bulldozes 13-mile trail through Wrangell – St. Elias
Nat’l Park, AK
In 2002, a remote 420-acre mining claim in Wrangell – St.
Elias National Park was purchased by the Pilgrims, a 17-member family
"sent" northward by God. Though they were initially content
to access the inholding by snowmachine and bush plane, last fall
they took matters into their own hands and bulldozed a 13-mile trail
across Wilderness lands and privately owned parcels. The new trail
roughly follows an old mining road that is largely obscured by vegetation
and wash-outs. The family stated that it was unaware its conduct
was illegal, and is now justifying its actions under Revised Statute
2477, an obscure section of the Mining Act of 1866 which was repealed
almost 40 years ago but has recently experienced a resurgence.
For More information:
Anchorage Daily News:
http://www.adn.com/front/story/3320852p-3351741c.html
2. BLM moves to put wildlife "guzzler" in the Sheephole
Valley Wilderness, CA
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently granted permission
to the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) to construct
a permanent artificial game drinker (guzzler) inside the Sheephole
Wilderness. The construction will consist of a 50-foot wide low
concrete diversion dam, the excavation and installation of a 30-foot
long 10,000 gallon water storage tank, a 16-foot wide 2,500 gallon
"drinker" tank, a concrete wildlife "drinker"
apron and numerous plastic pipelines. The operation and maintenance
of the guzzler will be accomplished with motor vehicles using a
newly constructed route through the Wilderness.
Wilderness Watch, the California Wilderness Coalition, the Center
for Biological Diversity, Desert Survivors, and the Natural Resource
Defense Council has petitioned BLM for an immediate stay to the
installation, operation, and maintenance of the new guzzler, which
will result in irreparable harm to the Sheephole Valley Wilderness.
The CDFG wishes to build this guzzler, and hundreds of others throughout
California’s desert Wildernesses, to augment populations of
bighorn sheep for sportsmen. Though there is no scientific evidence
that bighorn populations increase through the use of guzzlers, there
is plenty of evidence warning of the adverse impacts associated
with introducing a waterhole to a naturally waterless area.
For More Information: TinaMarie Ekker, Wilderness Watch, (406)
542-2048, tmekker@wildernesswatch.org
3. Helicopters to be used for goat collaring in Wilderness (WA)
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has proposed to use helicopters
in the Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, and Boulder River Wildernesses
to capture and collar 20 mountain goats. The research project is
a response to declining populations of mountain goats over past
decades due to unknown causes, though hunting bans have worked to
increase populations in some areas. Past attempts to use non-motorized
means to capture the goats have failed, so the Forest Service has
identified helicopters as the minimum tool for accomplishing the
project.
Wilderness Watch is concerned that the project is premature, as
the hunting moratorium was only recently issued and is already showing
positive results in some areas. Since the decrease in mountain goat
populations has been reported since the 1960s, it is unrealistic
to expect an immediate resurgence, though the situation should be
closely monitored through traditional means. Allowing the population
to rebound without undue manipulation respects the natural processes
of the Wilderness and keeps our primitive areas motor free.
For More Information: Don Gay, Forest Service, Mt Baker District:
(360) 856-5700, dgay@fs.fed.us
4. Forest Service to remove bridge from Frank Church – River
of No Return Wilderness, ID.
The Forest Service recently issued a proposal to remove an unsafe
bridge from the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness
and replace it with a ford. Following minimum requirement guidelines
(which require agencies to evaluate whether a project is the minimum
requirement for managing the Wilderness, and if so, to carry out
the project using the minimum tool) the Forest Service found that
a natural ford was better suited for Wilderness than a bridge. The
bridge will be dismantled, burnt, and removed using non-motorized
means.
Wilderness Watch applauds the Forest Service’s decision, which
respects the wilderness character of the Frank Church and saves
taxpayers thousands of dollars. Send a thank-you note to: District
Ranger, Red River Ranger District, PO Box 416, Elk City, ID 83525.
* Action Alerts*
1. National Park Service moves to skip minimum requirement analysis
(CA) Send your letters today!
The National Park Service (NPS) has adopted a series of so-called
"programmatic minimum requirement and minimum tool agreements"
for management of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness. The park
adopted the agreements to "function as a blanket "project
approval" for employing means and methods otherwise prohibited
by Section 4(c) of the Wilderness Act (banning the use of motorized
equipment except as necessary to meet the minimum requirements for
the administration of the area). The agreements violate both the
letter and spirit of the Wilderness Act, the National Environmental
Policy Act, and the Manual for the Department of the Interior, and
could result in irreparable harm to the Wilderness.
Along with a coalition of concerned conservation groups, Wilderness
Watch has called for the revocation of the agreements. To validly
employ the minimum requirement exception to the Wilderness Act’s
prohibitions, the NPS must demonstrate that they have rationally
and carefully considered the facts, circumstances and alternatives
of proposing to use prohibited means in Wilderness. Implementing
a blanket exception totally ignores these requirements and shows
a complete disregard for responsible Wilderness stewardship.
Angry? Disappointed? Send a letter to the NPS demanding that they
revoke these agreements. Comments can be sent to Jonathan Jarvis,
Regional Director, National Park Service, 1111 Jackson Street, Oakland,
CA 94607.
Since
its founding in 1989, Wilderness Watch has pursued its mission
as the citizen voice for Wilderness
stewardship, giving a voice to the wilderness and wild rivers of
our national preservation systems. We
seek to preserve our unique natural heritage - the public will articulated
by the Wilderness Act and Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act.
To join Wilderness
Watch please visit our website at www.wildernesswatch.org.
If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe from
this list, have any questions, or would like to post a news release,
please contact Hilary Wood at hwood@wildernesswatch.org.
If you prefer the post, please send your letters to:
Wilderness Watch
P.O. Box 9175
Missoula, MT 59807
Ph: (406) 542-2048
Fax: (406) 542-7714
http://www.wildernesswatch.org
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