Cumberland Island Wilderness, GA	Stop S. 1462! Tell Your Senator(s) to Keep the Cumberland Island Wilderness Wild! Georgia Senators Chambliss and Miller have introduced S. 1462, a bill that would seriously degrade the Cumberland Island Wilderness by undesignating the existing Wilderness, then "reestablishing" the Wilderness with corridors for motorized access and with large natural and historical areas open to development. Currently, only a handful of island residents with valid access rights, which phase out over time, are legally allowed to drive the primitive roads through the Wilderness and potential Wilderness, and all development is prohibited. S. 1462 eliminates these protections, and opens the Wilderness, in perpetuity, to government vehicles, commercial tours, and unmitigated development. This bill is unprecedented as it essentially guts an area protected within the National Wilderness Preservation System - a system created to preserve our last wild lands for future generations. Background: Cumberland is the largest undeveloped barrier island on the eastern seaboard. It offers tremendous opportunities for a rich natural and historical experience. An unspoiled beach of white sands stretches 17 miles along its eastern shore, giving way to rows of sand dunes, uplands of saw palmetto, forests of yellow pine and live oak, and flats of salt marsh and tidal creeks. The only primary road on the island is a primitive one-lane dirt road called the Main Road, which runs south-to-north with a few primitive spur routes. In 1972, Congress set aside the island as a national seashore, declaring that it "shall be permanently preserved in its primitive state." In 1982, Congress designated the northern area of the island as Wilderness and potential Wilderness. Congress knowingly included in that designation the northern portion of the Main Road and certain spur roads. The designation required the National Park Service (NPS) to keep the Wilderness and potential Wilderness free of motorized vehicles (excepting valid rights of private access), commercial activities, and development. Congress designated the Wilderness according to a deliberate design for the seashore. Sam Nunn (D-GA), a sponsor of the 1982 bill, stated that Congress intended to reserve the southern half of the island for those not seeking a Wilderness experience, and to have the island become increasingly wild as one moved to the north. Don Young (R-AK) stated that the goal of the 1982 bill was to reduce human activities in the Wilderness. The NPS found that the island’s "[h]istorical and cultural resources are within walking distance for most visitors," and that as visitors head north, "the island becomes less developed." Why S. 1462 is Bad for the Cumberland Island Wilderness: S. 1462 will undesignate hundreds of acres of Wilderness. This bill calls into question the nation’s commitment to the permanency of the National Wilderness Preservation System. In the Wilderness Act, Congress declared a public policy of preserving an "enduring resource of wilderness," a resource that was for "the permanent good of the whole people." Congress should not be in the business of undesignating the nation’s Wilderness. S. 1462 will split the Cumberland Island Wilderness into four pieces, inflicting impacts that will reach far beyond the corridors and areas that the bill seeks to undesignate. S. 1462 will carve motorized corridors through Wilderness. The Wilderness Act sought to prevent "growing mechanization" from occupying all American lands by banning the use of motorized vehicles in Wilderness. S. 1462 would cut a permanent motorized "loop" through the heart of the Wilderness. These cuts would make it virtually impossible for a visitor to get more than 1 mile from a vehicle route, or to escape the sights, sounds, and fumes of automobiles. S. 1462 will allow special interests to profit at the public’s expense. The Greyfield Inn, a commercial enterprise on Cumberland Island, takes guests paying $475 per night on motorized van tours through the Wilderness. The NPS has stated that the Inn’s vehicle use, "interferes markedly with the general public’s enjoyment of the island who experience the resources on foot," and that it "has the potential to damage seashore resources." On June 12, 2003, a federal court ordered the NPS to determine what rights, if any, the Inn has to drive in the Wilderness. Weeks later, S. 1462 appeared, removing from the Wilderness the exact routes that the Inn seeks to drive, and opening up the possibility for many other concessionaires. This is not Wilderness preservation for the "whole people." It is special interest legislation at the public’s expense. S. 1462 will result in the development of the north end. S. 1462 deceptively enlarges a historic district at the north end and then removes the entire area from its current designation as potential Wilderness. This district contains only two primitive roads and a small number of structures, while the rest remains in its natural condition. The preservation of Wilderness and historic sites is not incompatible, as dozens of Wildernesses nationwide contain such sites. Instead, the true intent of this bill is to open the north end to development. Rather than becoming increasingly wild to the north, the island will turn into an area of traffic, docks, and visitor’s centers. Urge your Senator(s) to oppose S. 1462! The public record is currently open concerning S. 1462. This is your chance to write your Senator(s) requesting that they vote "No" on this harmful legislation. You can visit http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm to find the contact information for your senator(s). Please be sure to forward additional copies to the two Senators listed below: Senator Craig Thomas, Chairman Subcommittee on National Parks U.S. Senate Dirksen, Room 307 Washington, DC 20510 Fax: (202) 228-0539 Web Form at: http://energy.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm Senator Jeff Bingaman Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee U.S. Senate Hart, Room 703 Washington, DC 20510 Fax: (202) 224-4340