October 31, 2007
Dear CalUWild friends –
There are a few items of interest this month.
The most important, Item 1, requires a letter to the BLM in Utah asking it to take a much stronger protective stance in its Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Moab Field Office. This is critical, because the RMP will set the direction and policies for the next 10-15 years. The Moab RMP is just the first of six to be released over the coming months. Commenting on these will keep us Utahphiles busy, writing about why Utah is important to us and why BLM needs to protect the treasures under its management.
Six comments periods will be a lot to keep track of, but by working with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and other groups, we hope to make it manageable for you. Additionally, your own experiences on the ground give you a unique perspective to write about the various issues. That’s what makes citizen participation so important. Please do what you can to help.
As always, if you have any question, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact me at 415-752-3911 or at mike@caluwild.org
Thanks for all you do to keep our wildernesses and public lands protected for the enjoyment of our children and grandchildren.
All the best,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. Moab Draft Resource Management Plan
Comments Needed
DEADLINE: November 30, 2007
URGENT ACTION ITEM
2. Congress Sends a Letter to the Interior Secretary
Regarding ORV Management in Utah
Thank You Calls Needed
ACTION ITEM
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Two Wilderness Bills Introduced in Congress
Riverside County & Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park
Thank You Calls Needed
ACTION ITEM
IN GENERAL
4. Great Old Broads Annual Online Auction
A(U)CTION ITEM
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IN UTAH
1. Moab Draft Resource Management Plan
Comments Needed
DEADLINE: November 30, 2007
URGENT ACTION ITEM
In last month’s Update, we asked our members to write letters requesting an extension of the public comment periods for the six Utah BLM Resource Management Plans being released in the near future. If you haven’t written a letter, it’s not too late to do so. Information can be found here.
Many people have written, and even the Salt Lake Tribune editorialized in favor of a 180-day extension. So far, the BLM has not responded, and with the original official deadline of November 30 on the horizon, it’s time to get comments in.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance has sent out an alert, below. It contains full information on how to submit comments. Please read SUWA’s fact sheet for details and comment on those aspects that appeal most to you.
Friend of the Redrock,
The public comment period for the Moab area Resource Management Plan (RMP) is quickly coming to an end. By submitting your comments to the BLM, you can influence the way these magnificent lands are managed over the next 20 years. The public comment period for this plan ends Nov. 30th, 2007!
Under the BLM’s proposed plan, wilderness landscapes will, in large part, become sacrifice zones for off-road vehicles. BLM proposes to designate 2,642 miles of ORV routes, many on lands within America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, including many which the BLM previously recognized as wilderness-quality (i.e., largely free from human impact). Damage from ORV use will be widespread, and peace and quiet will be extremely difficult to find: BLM’s proposal will result in 84 percent of public lands near Moab (those south of I-70 which attract most of the area’s visitors) being within 1/2 mile of a designated ORV route (see proposed route map on our website). At the same time, BLM has done no site-specific studies to determine the impact of these routes on Native American cultural sites or other natural resources like riparian areas or wildlife habitat. Science to back up the ORV route designations does not exist in this document.
The plan also fails to protect world-renowned scenic places from oil and gas development, including Fisher Towers, Goldbar Rim, Labyrinth Canyon, and lands surrounding Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. In many other states, these areas would be protected as natural wonders; here, the BLM would turn them into oil fields and off-road vehicle sacrifice areas. The flaws in the proposed plan would profoundly impact the future of this magnificent area and reflect the Bush administration’s single-minded focus on roads and development.
Here’s what you can do:
In order for the BLM to make substantive changes to their proposed management plan, they need to hear substantive comments from the public on the RMP’s proposed management initiatives. If you’ve visited places like Labyrinth Canyon of the Green River on a canoe trip, or if you’ve hiked Hell Roaring or Tenmile Canyons, or if you’ve ever been disturbed at your favorite quiet spot by the roar of off-road vehicles, please write to the BLM and tell them about your experiences. Make your comments as specific as possible. Share with the BLM experiences you have had in specific places and explain how the Moab Draft RMP fails to adequately protect these places. Especially salient are reports of user conflicts such as the drone of motors disturbing the peace of a float in Labyrinth Canyon.
Visit our website for more background on the Moab RMP.
Send Comments by Nov. 30 to:
Bureau of Land Management
Moab Field Office
RMP Comments
82 East Dogwood
Moab, UT 84532
Email: UT_Moab_Comments@blm.gov
Also, please send a copy of your comments to Scott Braden at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance so we know which places are getting adequate comment coverage. Email or call for more information. Thanks!
Email: braden@suwa.org
Phone: (435) 259-0276
2. Congress Sends a Letter to the Interior Secretary
Regarding ORV Management in Utah
Thank You Calls Needed
ACTION ITEM
Yesterday, 93 congressional representatives sent a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne asking him to protect Utah’s unique archaeological treasures from damage by off-road vehicles. The BLM’s proposed RMPs do nothing in this regard.
You can read the letter here.
Although the issue is non-partisan, of the 93 signers, only four were Republicans. This is unfortunate. However, 15 California Congressmen and -women signed on, and they deserve our thanks. If your representative is on the list, please make a quick call to his or her office expressing your appreciation.
Doris Okada Matsui (D-05) 202-225-7163
Lynn C. Woolsey (D-06) 202-225-5161
George Miller (D-07) 202-225-2095
Tom Lantos (D-12) 202-225-3531
Fortney Pete Stark (D-13) 202-225-5065
Anna G. Eshoo (D-14) 202-225-8104
Michael M. Honda (D-15) 202-225-2631
Zoe Lofgren (D-16) 202-225-3072
Sam Farr (D-17) 202-225-2861
Lois Capps (D-23) 202-225-3601
Howard L. Berman (D-28) 202-225-4695
Henry A. Waxman (D-30) 202-225-3976
Hilda L. Solis (D-32) 202-225-5464
Maxine Waters (D-35) 202-225-2201
Jane Harman (D-36) 202-225-8220
If you’re not from California, check the letter to see if your reps signed on and call their office if so.
Saying “thanks” is important – it expresses appreciation and at the same time lets your representatives know you’re paying attention to what they’re doing.
IN CALIFORNIA
3. Two Wilderness Bills Introduced in Congress
Riverside County & Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park
Thank You Calls Needed
ACTION ITEM
This month, California Rep. Mary Bono (R- 45) introduced the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act, H.R. 3682. Sen. Barbara Boxer introduced a companion bill in the Senate, S. 2109.
The bill would designate four new wilderness areas and add to six existing ones in Riverside County. In addition, it adds almost 32 miles to the National Wild and Scenic River System and enlarges the San Jacinto-Santa Rosa Mountains National Monument.
Both Congresswoman Bono and Senator Boxer deserve our thanks!
Rep. Bono’s office phone numbers are: 202-225-5330 in DC
or 760-320-1076 in Palm Springs
or 951-658-2312 in Hemet.
Sen. Boxer’s office phone numbers are: 202-224-3553 in DC
or 415-403-0100 in SF
or 213-894-0500 in LA.
Another wilderness bill for California was introduced during the summer without much fanfare. Rep. Jim Costa (D-20) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-21) are the sponsors of H.R. 3022, the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness Act of 2007. The bill would establish the 69,500-acre John Krebs Wilderness in the Mineral King area of the Park.
John Krebs was the congressman from Fresno who fought in the 1960s and 70s to keep Mineral King from being developed by the Walt Disney Productions as ski resort. Although Rep. Krebs prevailed in Congress in getting Mineral King transferred from the Forest Service to the Park Service, he was defeated at the polls by the voters in his district. Mineral King, however, was never developed, and this bill is a fitting tribute to him.
Sen. Boxer’s companion bill is S. 1774.
Rep. Costa’s office phone numbers are: 202-225-3341 in DC
or 559-495-1620 in Fresno
or 661-869-1620 in Bakersfield
Rep. Nunes’s office phone numbers are 202-225-2523 in DC
559-733-3861 in Visalia
559-323-5235 in Clovis
IN GENERAL
4. Great Old Broads Annual Online Auction
A(U)CTION ITEM
Every year, our sister organization, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, has an online fundraising auction. The Broads are a wonderful group of folks (mostly women, but they say: “Broadness is a state of mind”) who are effective in their work, but at the same time show us all how to have a good time.
It’s a great way to do some pre-holiday shopping and support wilderness at the same time. The auction just started this week and runs through November 18.
Click here to get started.