April 18, 2006
Dear friends and supporters of CalUWild—
It’s a very short Update this month. Only several items have come across my desk to pass along.
Item 1, the only ACTION ITEM this month has a very short deadline (tomorrow), so please attend it to it immediately. I apologize for that—it’s not the way we try to do things around here. The call for action from SUWA only came out late last week, and with the holiday weekend and Tax Day, it wasn’t possible to get the Update together any faster.
To make it easier, we are doing something we have never done before: including a link to a website where you can send an e-mail automatically to the offices in question. Please take the time to personalize the message there, using your own experiences in the Zion-Mojave area and the talking points included in Item 1.
Thanks for helping to preserve our wildlands in Utah and other places!
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. Write to protect the Zion-Mojave Wilderness
In Southwest Utah
URGENT!!
DEADLINE Wednesday April 19
(ACTION ITEM)
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Mark Your Calendars
California Wilderness Coalition Turns 30!
Celebrate April 28
3. Job Announcement
California Wilderness Coalition
Wilderness Trail Surveyor
DEADLINE: May 5
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IN UTAH
1. Write to protect the Zion-Mojave Wilderness
In Southwest Utah
URGENT!!
DEADLINE Wednesday, April 19
(ACTION ITEM)
Our friends at the Southern Utah Wilderness Coalition sent out the following alert.
Washington County Growth Bill Shortchanges Zion-Mojave Wilderness
Send Your Comments to Sen. Bennett and Rep. Matheson Today
A couple of weeks ago, Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) announced that he would be introducing legislation that would dramatically change the landscape of southern Utah. His so-called Washington County Growth and Conservation Act would sell off up to 25,000 acres of federal land to developers, while leaving unprotected tens of thousands of acres of wildlands that are part of America’s Redrock Wilderness.
If enacted without changes, this bill is bad news for the Zion-Mojave proposed wilderness, and bad news for all Americans who care about protecting it.
Senator Bennett and Representative Jim Matheson, whose district encompasses Washington County, have said they want to hear what people think of this proposal. We think they should too. Unfortunately, they have set an arbitrary deadline of April 19 to hear people’s comments.
Because this legislation affects land that belongs to ALL Americans, we are urging people throughout the country to email Senator Bennett and Representative Matheson, and let them know what they think of this proposal.
Please go to the following link and use it to send them an email TODAY. Go to:
http://capwiz.com/awc/issues/alert/?alertid=8679521&type=CU
You can use the sample letter on this link, and you can add your own comments about the proposal. Please do this TODAY—but no later than April 19. We want your voices to be heard!
For further information about this proposal go to www.zionmojavewilderness.org
THANK YOU!
Use the following talking points (also from SUWA) to personalize your message. Be aware that the American Wilderness Coalition/CapWiz site may hold onto your e-mail address and send you emails on issues unless you specifically ask them not to.
Senator Bennett’s bill is a huge loss for wilderness.
• The County Growth bill would undermine America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act by denying wilderness protection for almost 70% of the proposed BLM Zion-Mojave wilderness in Washington County, including lands that the BLM found to qualify as wilderness.
• It rolls back current protection for over fifteen square miles of Congressionally-protected Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs).
• The bill obscures the harmful effects it will have on open space, quality of life, and sprawl by designating wilderness in ZNP – lands that are already protected.
It will put St. George sprawl on steroids.
• The County Growth bill sells off 40 square miles of public land for private development.
• It gives water developers money from the sale of these public lands for the construction of water development pipelines and reservoirs.
• The sell-off of public lands will finance, among other things, sprawl inducing activities like roads, pipelines, and water development projects.
• It gives water developers free of charge approximately 14 square miles of public land for water development.
• The County Growth bill allows the damming of the free-flowing stream in the Beaver Dam Narrows.
• It permits a new bypass highway to be constructed through public land previously set aside to protect desert tortoises.
It will make Off Road Vehicle (ORV) problems worse for the Zion-Mojave wilderness.
• It mandates a new ORV trail system, paid for with money from the sale of public lands – drawing in significant new ORV use at the expense of taxpayers, while doing nothing to manage already uncontrolled ORV use in Washington County.
• The legislation would continue to favor ORV use above all others recreational uses. In Washington County, there are already over 435,000 acres of BLM land open to unmanaged or cross-country ORV use.
• It fails to address current shortfall in ORV management. The BLM is seven years overdue in fulfilling its duty to rein in off-road vehicle use by developing a comprehensive transportation and recreation plan.
Please write if you are able—it needn’t be a whole letter. It is important to show Sen. Bennett and Rep. Matheson that there are people outside Utah who value the public lands there.
IN CALIFORNIA
2. Mark Your Calendars
California Wilderness Coalition Turns 30!
Celebrate April 28
The California Wilderness Coalition invites you to join us for our 30th Anniversary Celebration
Honoring California State Assemblymember Lois Wolk and Senator Dianne Feinstein
Featuring the California Academy of Sciences’ exhibit HOTSPOT: California on the Edge and the Steinhart Aquarium
Friday, April 28th
6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
California Academy of Sciences
875 Howard Street in San Francisco
(Powell Street BART Station)
Wine and Buffet
$35 suggested donation; all contributions are welcome and tax-deductible.
Call 510-451-1450 for questions or to RSVP by April 21.
3. Job Announcement
California Wilderness Coalition
Wilderness Trail Surveyor
DEADLINE: May 5
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) seeks a motivated and detail-oriented Wilderness Trail Surveyor to conduct off-road vehicle route inventories on National Forests throughout California. CWC protects the landscapes that make California unique, providing clean air and water, a home to wildlife, and a place for recreation and spiritual renewal.
The coordinator will be responsible for documenting the environmental impacts of off-road vehicle routes in National Forests throughout California. The coordinator will personally conduct route inventories and train and manage volunteers to ensure that all problematic routes are inventoried in a timely manner. They will work with CWC staff to make sure that all data is meticulously compiled.
Position requirements include:
• Well organized and energetic individual dedicated to environmental protection
• Grassroots organizing and/or field surveying experience
• Ability to hike long distances and willingness to camp for multiple days in National Forests
• Ability to read trail maps and a compass
• Familiarity with or ability to learn global positioning systems
• Willingness to travel throughout California to remote forests
Candidates should be able to lead and inspire volunteers and interns. Ideally, candidates will have Wilderness First Responder certification or similar first aid training. A bachelors degree with scientific and/or environmental coursework is preferable.
Compensation: This is a contract position with a stipend of $2,700 a month, from 3 to 5 months depending on workload. There are no benefits. The position has flexible hours and a flexible base location. The position begins June 1.
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply please email a resume and short cover letter explaining your interest in the position and any relevant experience to jobs@calwild.org . Deadline to apply is May 5th, 2006. Please write “Wilderness Trail Surveyor” in the subject line of the email.