June 21, 2007
Dear friends of CalUWild
--
There are a few urgent Action Items this month, especially Items 4 and 1.
Please take a few minutes to contact the appropriate officials. All the information
you need is here. If you feel you need more information, please don't hesitate
to get in touch by email or phone:
415-752-3911
Without further ado,
we'll get right to things.
Thanks for your efforts
and support!
Mike
IN UTAH
1. Town of Escalante Seeks Off
Highway Vehicle Grant
Letters Needed
DEADLINE:
June 29
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Utah Wilderness Slide Show in
Stockton
Monday,
June 25
3. Sequoia National Forest
a. No Appeal On Monument Plan Ruling
b. Vehicle Travel Plan Preparation
Comments
Needed
Meetings
Scheduled
DEADLINE:
July 14
(ACTION
ITEM)
IN GENERAL
4. Amendment on R.S. 2477
Rights-of-Way
Letters, Calls
& Emails Needed
EXTRA URGENT
(ACTION ITEM)
IN NEVADA
5. Wilderness Volunteer Trips with
Friends of Nevada
Wilderness
IN
WASHINGTON, DC
6. Convicted Ex-Deputy Interior
Secretary
Seeks Sentencing
Leniency from Judge
JOB
ANNOUNCEMENT
7. California Wild Heritage Campaign
Coordinator
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. Town of Escalante Seeks Off
Highway Vehicle Grant
Letters Needed
DEADLINE:
June 29
(ACTION ITEM)
Steve Allen, long-time friend of
Utah's wilderness, canyoneering guidebook author, historian, and member of
CalUWild's Advisory Board, sent out the following letter. If you've spent time
in the Escalante region, you know what a special place it is. It's the last
place where off-road vehicle use should be encouraged. Please write as
suggested. Thanks!
Dear fellow canyoneers,
One of our worst
nightmares may come to pass, unless we get your help! We have all hiked in and
around the Escalante area of Utah for many years. It has been a quiet oasis in
the midst of an onslaught by Off-road vehicles (ORVs) in other favorite areas.
Unfortunately, while the town has been making money off us backpackers,
canyoneers, mountain bikers, bird watchers, fishermen, river runners, rock art
hunters, and horsepackers for years, they now want to change course and make
the town of Escalante into the ORV capital of Utah.
Their immediate goal is
to get a $50,000+ grant from the State of Utah to turn the downtown park into a
formalized ORV staging area. This will then become the focal point for ORV
rallies much like we now see with the Jeep Jamboree in Moab, with thousands of
participants tearing up the terrain.
What would it mean to us,
the quiet recreationists? We've lost the San Rafael Swell, Tenmile Country,
much of Lake Country, the Upper Paria and many other areas to the ORV crowd.
The Escalante has truly been the last bastion of quiet Wilderness in the State.
If Escalante does become an ORV oasis, the peaceful ambience of the area will
be gone; ORVs will dominate the landscape, with their noise, pollution, and of
course, their endless trails and tracks that go absolutely everywhere.
What can you do?
Right now sit down and
write a short letter to the contact person below. In one or two paragraphs tell
about your experiences in the Escalante as a backpacker or canyoneer. Tell Mary
Tullius that you do NOT want the Escalante area to become just another area
trashed and ruined by the ORV crowd. Tell Mary Tullius that you spend a lot of
money while in the area and that the quiet recreationists will not come back to
the area if it is over-run by ORVs. Tell Mary Tullius that you object to the
state granting the $50,000 to the town of Escalante for the ORV staging area.
The letter should be
short and concise and to the point. The letters need to be to Mary Tullius by
June 29, so write now. This is very important and time is of the essence.
Please write:
Ms.
Mary Tullius – Director
Utah
State Parks and Recreation
1594
W. North Temple, Suite 116
Salt
Lake City, UT 84114-6001
Phone: 801-538-7362
Fax: 801-538-7378
Email: marytullius@utah.gov
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Utah Wilderness Slide Show in
Stockton
Monday,
June 25
7 P.M.
Bob Brister, the
Interregional Outreach Coordinator for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
will be presenting the recently revised "Wild Utah: America's Redrock
Wilderness slide show at a meeting of the Sierra Club Delta-Sierra Group.
CalUWild Coordinator Mike Painter will be joining him to speak briefly about
CalUWild and the role Californians play in protecting wildlands in Utah and
across the West.
Please join us if you
can.
Monday,
June 25, 2007, 7 pm.
Central
United Methodist Church
3700
Pacific Ave., Stockton
The
Fireside Room
3.
Sequoia National Forest
a. No Appeal On Monument Plan Ruling
Last week the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Unites States Forest Service
had changed its mind and had decided not to appeal a federal court ruling
ordering it to prepare a new plan.
District Court Judge
Charles Breyer had ruled last year (see CalUWild's Sept. 06 Update)
that the management plan did comply with the Monument Proclamation, but he
found it contradictory in places and incomprehensible and ordered the Monument
to prepare a new one. A Monument spokesman said it has "decided to take a more
constructive and positive approach.
b. Vehicle Travel Plan Preparation
Comments
Needed
Meetings
Scheduled
DEADLINE:
July 14
(ACTION
ITEM)
On June 15, Sequoia National
Forest published a notice in the Federal Register, stating its intent to
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on 10 actions affecting
motorized vehicle use in the Monument.
Among the proposed
actions are:
1. The addition of approximately 71 miles of existing unauthorized routes to the National Forest System (NFS) of
motorized trails, open to wheeled motorized vehicle use by the public.
2. Opening approximately 21.8 miles of existing NFS roads, currently
closed to public wheeled motorized
vehicle use, to wheeled motorized vehicle use by the public, making them
primarily OHV trails.
3. Opening another approximately 23.2 miles of existing NFS
roads, currently closed
to public wheeled motorized vehicle use, to all wheeled motorized vehicle use by the public,
street legal vehicles as well as OHVs.
4. Changing approximately 5,500
acres of semi-primitive non-motorized (SPNM) to semi-primitive motorized (SPM), to conform to a proposal to allow
motorized vehicle use of the NFS trail north of Dry Meadow.
5. Closing approximately 19.5 miles of existing NFS roads,
currently open to wheeled motorized vehicle use by the public.
6. The prohibition of wheeled motorized vehicle travel off of
designated NFS roads, NFS
trails, and areas by the public, except as allowed by permit or other
authorization.
We have seen no details
on these proposed changes, and there is nothing listed on the Forest Service's
website. But in general, our national forests are already crisscrossed with
roads. It's good when the Forest Service closes existing roads or routes. We do
not generally support the opening of new routes, and we emphatically do not
support the legitimizing of unauthorized routes. All that does is reward
previous illegal vehicle use by now making it legal.
The Forest Service will
be holding five public meetings regarding the
Public Wheeled Motorized Travel Management Environmental Impact Statement. These meetings are to provide
additional information related to the proposed action and the project area.
This information may be helpful to you in identifying issues (a point of
disagreement, debate, or dispute), regarding the proposed action, which you may
submit for consideration to the Forest Service. Issues that are determined to
be significant will be used to formulate alternatives to the proposed
action.
WHEN AND WHERE
¥ Monday, June 25, 6 PM to 8 PM,
Veteran's Hall, 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd., Lake Isabella, CA
¥ Thursday, June 28, 6 PM to 8 PM, Council
Chambers, 100 W. California Avenue, Ridgecrest, CA
¥ Saturday, June 30, 10 AM to 12
PM, Doubletree Inn, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court, Bakersfield, CA
¥ Monday, July 9, 6 PM to 8 PM,
Tulare County Office of Education, 2637 West Burrel Avenue, Visalia, CA (west
of County Courthouse)
¥ Tuesday, July 10, 6 PM to 8 PM,
Supervisor's Office, 1839 South Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA
Completion of the draft
EIS is expected in September 2007, and the final EIS is expected in September
2008.
Send written comments to:
Chris
Sanders
Travel
Management
Sequoia
National Forest
1839
South Newcomb Street
Porterville,
CA 93257
For further information contact: Chris Sanders at 559-784-1500 or at the address
listed above.
IN
GENERAL
4. Amendment on R.S. 2477
Rights-of-Way
Letters, Calls
& Emails Needed
EXTRA URGENT
(ACTION ITEM)
R.S. 2477, the Civil War-Era
statue granting rights of way over public lands continues to be an issue around
the West. The administration has tried its hardest to make it easier for road
claims to be validated in many areas that people thought were protected, even
private property.
It's appropriations
season in Congress right now, and Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) has stated that he
will introduce an amendment on the floor of the House banning the use of any
funds to implement the administration's rules on rights-of-way. A vote could be
held as soon as early next week.
The following alert just
came from the California Wilderness Coalition. Please make a phone call to your
House representative right away. Contact information for most California House
offices may be found on the CalUWild website or you may use the
email link below. (Email is not always as effective as phone calls or faxes.)
Congressman Jerry
McNerney (D-11), who replaced Rep. Richard Pombo, may be reached at:
In DC: 202-225-1947; 202-225-4060 (f)
In Pleasanton:
925-737-0727;
925-737-0734 (f)
In Stockton:
209-476-8552;
209-476-8587 (f)
Please personalize the
message and use your own words.
Act Now: Stop the
Public Lands Give-Away!
Ask your
representative today to protect America's national parks, wilderness and other
special places by voting in favor of the Udall R.S. 2477 amendment.
A little known 19th
century statute is threatening to crisscross your public lands with a spider
web of roads and development. Right now, some western states, counties, and
off-road vehicle groups are trying to crisscross our public lands with a spider
web of roads and development across our national parks, monuments, wilderness,
and refuges.
Congress may vote by
next week to stop this public lands give-away, when Congressman Mark Udall
(D-CO) offers a proposal that would close this dangerous and antiquated
loophole.
These states,
counties, and off-road vehicle groups have alleged that hiking trails, wash
bottoms, streambeds, dog sled trails, and little-used two-tracks are actually
constructed highways under a loophole in an 1866 law known as R.S. 2477 and
have tried to get the federal government to accept these claims and surrender
management, and some are trying to develop these trails and routes into paved
highways and/or allow off-road vehicle use. Some hope these new (so called)
highways will promote mining, timber, and oil and gas development.
These claims cut
through protected areas including some of California's most iconic landscapes,
such as Death Valley National Park and the Mojave National Preserve.
The Udall amendment
will use Congress's power of the purse to bar the administration from using tax
dollars to approve questionable highway claims. This is a last-minute
opportunity to protect vast areas of open space millions of Americans enjoy,
but we need your help to make sure it passes!
Please ask your
representative to support the Udall amendment today. Please mail or fax the
sample letter below to your representative:
Find and write your
representative: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Sample Letter:
Dear [Representative]:
Please support Rep.
Mark Udall's amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that will stop a
massive public lands give-away.
Our national parks,
monuments, and wildlife refuges protect abundant wildlife, pure water,
archeological treasures, and open space that millions of Americans enjoy.
But some western
states, counties, and off-road vehicle groups are trying to seize control of
tens of thousands of miles of hiking trails, cow paths, streambeds, and
little-used two-tracks across these lands and turn them into constructed
highways where no roads belong. In California, Death Valley National Park and
the Mojave National Preserve are at risk.
They rely on a Civil
War-era loophole known as R.S. 2477 that Congress repealed more than 40 years
ago.
What's worse, the
administration has adopted several policies that could give away these
little-used routes to states and counties who could then pave and bulldoze
roads through sensitive areas with little or no public review.
The Udall amendment
would prevent the administration from implementing these policies, and protect
America's special places from such harmful development.
America's public lands
should stay in public hands.
Please support the
Udall amendment to end the public lands give-away.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Full Address]
IN NEVADA
5. Wilderness Volunteer Trips with
Friends
of Nevada Wilderness
Friends of Nevada
Wilderness organizes volunteer restoration trips to help wild landscapes
recover from noxious weeds, illegal vehicle use and other impacts. You can explore scenic Nevada and help
keep it wild at the same time! Our trips are free, and the beautiful wild areas
you get to enjoy are priceless!
NOTE: Lots of other trips are scheduled
throughout the season. Please check the Friends website at http://www.nevadawilderness.org or
their blogspot at http://nevadawild.blogspot.com
for the entire schedule.
To sign up for a trip,
contact Friends of Nevada Wilderness at 775-324-7667 or info@nevadawilderness.org
IN WASHINGTON, DC
6. Convicted Ex-Deputy Interior
Secretary
Seeks Sentencing
Leniency from Judge
In the introduction to the March 07 Update,
we mentioned the conviction in Federal Court of J. Steven Griles, former Deputy
Secretary of the Interior, for making false statements to a Senate committee in
connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. The time for sentencing is
drawing near, and an organized campaign has sprung up among Mr. Griles's
friends and supporters, both in government and out, to seek a lenient sentence
for him. 91 letters have been submitted to the judge in the case from people
such as former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, under whom he served, and
Wyoming Rep. Barbara Cubin (R).
Reportedly, Griles could
receive a maximum sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine. The Justice
Department prosecutor recommended 10 months' imprisonment. Griles himself has
asked to receive a $15,000 fine, three months of house arrest, and 500 hours of
community service. Half of the community service hours would be with an
organization devoted to injured veterans of the Iraq War.
It's the other half of his
proposed hours that raises eyebrows, however. Griles has requested that he be
allowed to work with "WOW - Wonderful Outdoor World." WOW is the
result of a 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of the
Interior, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Walt Disney Corporation, the
American Recreation Coalition (ARC), and others. The parties work "on issues of
common interest and to jointly plan and implement mutually beneficial programs
and activities," to quote from the MOU. Griles was Deputy Interior
Secretary at the time the MOU was signed.
ARC promotes "increased
access to public lands and is a strong supporter of snowmobile use in the
national parks. Much of its agenda would result in increased commercialization
and privatization of public resources, so if Mr. Griles were to work with WOW,
he would be simply returning to the policies he espoused while at the Interior
Department. That's hardly a punishment.
JOB
ANNOUNCEMENT
7. California Wild Heritage Campaign
Coordinator
THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY,
CALIFORNIA/NEVADA OFFICE
Position: California Wild Heritage
Campaign Coordinator
Location: Los
Angeles, California
Classification: Exempt/Grade
Reports To: Dan Smuts, Deputy Regional
Director, California/Nevada Office
Application Deadline: Open
until filled, Posted May 2007
Start Date: Immediately
General Description:
The Wilderness Society (TWS), a
national non-profit membership organization devoted to the conservation of
wilderness and public lands, seeks an experienced Campaign Coordinator to help
organize the California Wild Heritage Campaign - a legislative campaign to
designate new wilderness areas and wild and scenic rivers throughout
California.
The Campaign Coordinator
will serve as a central point person for the Wild Heritage Campaign helping to
coordinate multiple legislative campaigns and maintain communication among the
Campaign's many partner organizations and activists. This position will function as a communications and organizing
linchpin for this complex and fast-paced campaign. The Coordinator will be responsible for preparing and
distributing materials and information regarding ongoing campaigns; keeping
grassroots activists and partner organizations around the state engaged;
maintaining a grassroots database and website; assisting field organizers as
needed; and ensuring timely and appropriate responses to inquiries from the
media and others. In addition,
this position will be responsible for cultivating new legislative opportunities
for wilderness and wild & scenic river protection.
The ideal candidate has
significant experience in environmental advocacy, grassroots campaigns and
legislative work. In addition, the
Coordinator must have outstanding communication skills, the ability to work
well with diverse interests in a coalition setting, a proven track record of
leadership, and a love of wild landscapes. Experience working specifically on public land conservation
and/or wilderness issues is highly desirable, as is fluency in Spanish. A substantial amount of travel,
primarily within California, is required.
Responsibilities:
- Help develop outreach and educational materials for
the press, general public, community leaders and decision makers.
- Ensure effective communication
among campaign partners to maximize the effectiveness of a very large and
diverse coalition.
- Help coordinate outreach
activities of Campaign field organizers, contractors, and partner
organizations.
- Develop and implement
outreach strategies to cultivate wilderness proposals in new parts of the
state.
- Build and maintain
partnerships with select statewide constituency groups, including: conservation
groups; unions; businesses; and scientists.
- Organize advocacy trips to
Washington D.C. and Sacramento, as well as annual strategy meetings for
partners.
- Communicate with local
decision makers, federal agencies, and members of Congress.
- Serve as a point person
for inquiries from the media and others and ensure timely responses are
provided.
Qualifications:
- 3-5 years experience working in a senior role in a
grassroots advocacy campaign.
- Experience working with
grassroots volunteers in the environmental movement, political campaigns, or
similar efforts.
- Excellent communication
skills, including writing and editing as well as oral communications.
- Strong knowledge of the
federal legislative process.
- Familiarity with public
lands conservation issues and federal land management agencies.
- Leadership and diplomacy
skills to work effectively in a coalition setting with many different interests
and personalities.
- A strong sense of
initiative and the ability to work creatively and independently with limited
supervision.
- Experience working
successfully with the media to place stories, op-eds, Letters to the Editor,
and editorials.
- Dedication to the
preservation of California's public lands.
- Ability and willingness to
travel.
We offer a very
competitive salary and benefits package, including health and dental insurance
and a pension plan. The Wilderness
Society is an equal opportunity employer and actively works to ensure fair and
equal treatment of its employees and constituents regardless of differences
based on culture, socioeconomic status, race, marital or family situation,
gender, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, or sexual
orientation.
Submit resume, cover
letter, writing samples and references to:
The Wilderness Society
Attn:
California Wild Heritage Campaign Coordinator
Presidio
Building #1016
P.O.
Box 29241
San
Francisco, CA 94129
Fax: 415-561-6640
Email
to WildernessCoordinator@tws.org
No phone calls please.