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WILDERNESS GUARDIAN *
February 2005
Volume 2
Wilderness Quote:
"For us the wilderness and human emptiness of this land is
not a source of fear but the greatest of its attractions. We would
guard and defend and save it as a place for all who wish to rediscover
the nearly lost pleasures of adventure, adventure not only in the
physical sense, but also mental, spiritual, moral, aesthetic and
intellectual adventure. It is a place for the free." - Edward
Abbey
Contents:
Wilderness News Briefs provide short issue summaries and contact
information. Action Alerts are full-length, time-sensitive postings.
Wilderness News Briefs:
1. Bill would exempt Homeland Security from conservation laws on
U.S.-Mexico border
2. Flathead Nat’l Forest confronts snowmobile trespass in Wilderness
(MT)
3. IMBA Announces Strategy for Wilderness and Mountain Biking
4. Company plans mine under Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, MT
Action Alerts:
1. Rule would give state agencies free rein to poison Wilderness
lakes
2. Keep road out of Steven Mather Wilderness, WA
3. Urge the NPS to protect the wilderness character of the Olympic
Wilderness, WA
*Wilderness News Briefs*
1. Bill would exempt Homeland Security from conservation laws
on U.S.-Mexico border
From Defenders of Wildlife:
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill that could endanger
both wildlife and people living near America's borders. H.R. 418,
The Real ID Act of 2005, would give the Homeland Security Department
sweeping and unprecedented exemptions from every federal environmental
protection law on the books when constructing roads, fences, walls,
and other barriers along America's nearly 7,500 miles of borders.
The exemptions would apply to all U.S. borders with both Mexico
and Canada, and threaten national parks, forests and monuments,
wildlife refuges, wilderness areas and other environmentally sensitive
areas. The bill also eliminates Americans' ability to know what
their federal government is doing and denies Americans the right
to seek redress in the courts for damage caused by the government's
borderland activities.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
The bill will now be introduced in the Senate. Please go to the
DEN Action Center http://www.denaction.org/ and send a free fax
to your representative in Congress urging him or her to oppose these
unnecessary and sweeping exemptions from the laws that protect our
air, water, land and wildlife. Urge him or her to vote NO on H.R.
418, The Real ID Act of 2005. Thank you for helping to send a message
to Congress that we can achieve national security while protecting
the American borderland environment.
2. Flathead Nat’l Forest confronts snowmobile trespass in Wilderness
(MT)
Associated Press
KALISPELL -- The Flathead National Forest is beefing up patrols
and getting tougher on snowmobilers who venture into areas where
they're not supposed to. Forest officials say snowmobile trespassing
into designated wildernesses and other areas where motor vehicles
are forbidden is becoming an increasing problem in the region.
"Last year, we had a significant amount of snowmobile trespass
in the Mission Mountain Wilderness and the Jewel Basin and some
other closure areas," said Steve Brady, ranger of the Flathead
forest's Swan Lake District. The problem appears to be continuing
this season and is one "that we need to address with more observation
and enforcement," he said.
Forest Service officers plan stepped up patrols from the ground
and by air to catch snowmobilers who cross boundaries, and there
will be stiffer punishment for those who are caught, Brady said.
The Forest Service will pursue mandatory court appearances, as opposed
to issuing citations at the scene, in most cases. Past fines have
averaged about $200, but Brady said the agency will seek higher
fines -- up to $500 -- and snowmobiles may be impounded until a
case is resolved or the fine is paid, Brady said…
More at: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2005/01/24/build/state/47-flathead-snowmo.inc
3. IMBA Announces Strategy for Wilderness and Mountain Biking
From IMBA:
The blanket ban on bicycling in Wilderness Areas and its effect
on future trail access continues to be a focus for the International
Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) in 2005. IMBA is pursuing
a four-part strategy to protect access for mountain bicycling while
preserving natural areas.
IMBA believes mountain biking, a low-impact, muscle-powered recreation,
is an appropriate use of trails on public lands and is consistent
with the values of Wilderness land protection which includes recreation
in natural landscapes.
When proposed Wilderness Areas include significant mountain biking
opportunities, IMBA pursues boundary adjustments and alternative
landdesignations that protect natural areas while preserving bicycle
access. IMBA supports new Wilderness designations where they don't
close singletrack bicycling opportunities. IMBA members highly value
land conservation, clean water and clean air.
More at: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/02_05/02_10_wilderness.html
4. Company plans mine under Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, MT
Associated Press
HELENA - A Washington company has applied for the state permit necessary
to operate a copper and silver mine beneath Montana's Cabinet Mountains
Wilderness Area near the Idaho border.
Mines Management Inc. of Spokane, Wash., submitted an application
to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to move forward
with the Montanore Project. Noranda Inc. pursued the project but
withdrew in 2002 after making a major investment.
Mines Management said last summer that it is interested in Montanore,
expects to start the permit process early this year and hopes to
see it concluded in about two years. A plan for operations also
has been submitted to Kootenai National Forest officials.
The proposed mine is on national forest and private land 18 miles
south of Libby. The ore body is beneath the Cabinet wilderness in
Sanders County, but the mill and other facilities would be in Lincoln
County. All disturbance of the land's surface would occur outside
the wilderness boundary, DEQ said.
State and federal officials are reviewing the plan of Mines Management
for completeness. The next steps are preparation of an environmental
analysis and a draft environmental impact statement. Issues will
include effects on wildlife, including grizzly bears.
More: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/01/28/build/state/65-mine-plan.inc
*Action Alerts *
1. Rule would give state agencies free rein to poison Wilderness
lakes
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking comments on
a draft rule change that will exempt pesticides applied over or
on surface waters from the Clean Water Act's requirement that such
applications must obtain a National Pollutant Discharge elimination
System (NPDES) permit from state water quality control boards.
What's this got to do with Wilderness?
Under the rule, State Game & Fish agencies would not need approval
and an NPDES permit from state water quality control boards before
applying pesticides like rotenone and antimycin to wilderness streams
and lakes to remove unwanted non-native fish and restock with more
desirable species, sometimes natives, sometimes other non-natives.
This means one less avenue for public input and involvement in stream
poisoning projects.
Background:
Last year, some New Mexico activists, including medical doctors,
with some involvement by WW, provided substantial scientific evidence
that convinced the governor-appointed state Fish & Game Board
to ban all applications of rotenone and antimycin for fish management
projects in the state of New Mexico.
Last year many of the same activists, including a professor of macro-invertebrate
biology at UC-Davis, halted a proposed stream poisoning in the Carson-Iceberg
Wilderness (CA) by convincing the state water quality control board
not to issue the necessary NPDES permit.
An important point is that environmentalists did not stop these
projects, the data and evidence they provided convinced state boards
that oversee Fish & Game activities and water quality to halt
the projects. Now, certainly due to lobbying by state Fish &
Game agencies, EPA wants to sidestep such levels of scientific data
scrutiny and simply declare that poisons applied to surface waters
are not pollutants requiring formal scrutiny and oversight under
the Clean Water Act.
Comments Due April 4th -- must list Attention: Docket ID No. OW-2003-0063:
online comments: http:www.epa.gov/edocket (EPA's preferred comment
method, follow instructions)
e-mail: ow-docket@epa.gov
mail: Water Docket, ATTN: Docket ID No. OW-2003-0063
Environmental Protection Agency
Mailcode 4101T
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
Read about the proposal at:
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/regulations/pesticides_fr_notice.pdf
2. Keep road out of Steven Mather Wilderness, WA
North Cascades National Park is soliciting comments on what to do
with the 12-mile Stehekin Valley road, which was washed out by flooding
in 2003. The road dead-ends at the Steven Mather Wilderness boundary
at a trailhead that is popular with dayhikers. There is pressure
to re-open the road, and the most practical means, from an engineering
standpoint, would be to reroute the road from the river bottom up
onto the forested slope, which is within designated Wilderness.
The Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988 defines the wilderness
boundary as 50 feet either side of the centerline of the road as
it existed at the time of the bill's passage. By law, use of motorized
or mechanical conveyances is limited to this 100 foot corridor
The following alternatives are from the park's scoping notice:
1. Reopen the road as it was prior to the 2003 flood as far as Glory.
Because of the extensive damage and removal of the road bed in numerous
areas, large quantities of rock would have to be imported. The Federal
Highway Administration preliminary estimate to repair the road in
its location prior to the 2003 flood is approximately $6,600,000.
2. Reroute the road to avoid washed out areas and allow vehicles
to Cottonwood. From Car Wash Falls to Bridge Creek the road would
be moved to the Old Wagon Road Trail. Between Glory and Cottonwood
the road would be rerouted to get it out of the floodplain. Both
of these reroutes would move the road into designated Wilderness.
Federal legislation would be required to change the Wilderness boundary.
3. Permanently close the road just below Car Wash Falls approximately
12.8 miles from the Stehekin Landing. Pedestrian and stock use would
continue on the Old Wagon Road Trail, which is also the route of
the PCT. A turn around and parking would be provided at the road
end.
4. Close the road as in the above description but make improvements
to allow for bicycle use on the Stehekin Valley Road route as far
as Glory.
Wilderness Watch supports closing the road to motorized traffic,
while leaving it open to foot and horse traffic. This would extend
the hike into an over-night, while maintaining the integrity of
the Steven Mather Wilderness.
Please send your comments recommending issues to be considered
no later than March 8, 2005:
By mail to: Superintendent
North Cascades National Park Complex,
810 State Route 20,
Sedro-Woolley, Washington 98284-1239.
By e-mail to: NOCA_superintendent@nps.gov
By fax to: Superintendent at (360) 856-1934
If you have any further questions, please contact Dan Allen, Resource
Management Specialist, at (360) 856-5700 extension 367; e-mail dan_allen@nps.gov.
3. Urge the NPS to protect the wilderness character of the Olympic
Wilderness, WA
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking comments regarding the
long term strategy for managing the Enchanted Valley Chalet in the
Olympic Wilderness. The chalet was built in the 1930s and serves
as a backcountry ranger station and emergency shelter for visitors.
Reoccurring floods threaten the structure, and the NPS is currently
taking emergency steps to reinforce the stream banks and/or placing
logs and rock gabions. Though this action will be taken in the short
term to save the shelter, the agency is developing an Environmental
Assessment (EA) to evaluate long term strategies for the shelter.
Alternatives for the long term may include dismantling and later
re-assembling or re-using portions of the building, moving the building,
removing the building, limited manipulation of the river channel
and no action.
Wilderness Watch urges the NPS to protect the wilderness character
of the Olympic Wilderness. Wilderness is defined by the Wilderness
Act to be "an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its
primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements
or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve
it natural conditions." The chalet has faced continuous threats
of flooding and should be dismantled and moved outside the Wilderness
via non-motorized means. Once outside the boundary, the NPS can
rebuild the chalet in a more protected spot.
As Wilderness should appear to be "affected primarily by the
forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially
unnoticeable," the agency should not take steps to divert,
manipulate, or change any channel of the East Fork of the Quinault
River. Any manipulation is unlikely to prevent further flooding
and degrades the wilderness character of the area.
For more information about the project: http://www.nps.gov/olym/pphtml/newsdetail16118.html
Comments should be sent to the following address no later than March
10, 2005.
Superintendent – Enchanted Valley Scoping, Olympic National
Park, 600 East Park Avenue Port Angeles, WA 98362
Fax: 360-565-3015 Website: http://parkplanning.nps.gov Email: olym_ea@nps.gov
Comments may also be submitted on-line by visiting http://parkplanning.nps.gov,
the website for the National Park Service’s Planning Environment
and Public Comment system.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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 web site at www.wildernesswatch.org.
Wilderness Watch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations
are fully tax-deductible.
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
Phone: (406) 542-2048
Fax: (406) 542-7714
http://www.wildernesswatch.org
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