They propose the withdrawal of an additional 1.7 million acres into national monument status. The proposed area currently provides recreational opportunities to millions of people who are physically unable to put on a backpack and hike miles and miles as well as those who could but chose not to. It is also an area where multiple-use management has resulted in a wildlife-rich, biologically diverse ecosystem.
Currently, only 23 percent of the land in Arizona remains classified as multiple-use. The rest has a variety of restrictions as to use and Arizona has the third-highest wilderness acreage in the nation.
The proponents of this plan to reduce even further our remaining multiple-use lands list six reasons for their latest scheme to limit your use of your land.
They want to end old-growth logging, yet, in their own words, "The Kaibab Plateau remains a rare example of a fundamentally intact, mature southwestern ponderosa pine forest retaining the highest density of ancient trees outside of protected areas." Funny, this multiple-use area has been managed just right by their own admission, yet they want to limit the ability of most Americans to enjoy it and limit the management options that they state have worked so well.
They want to protect cultural sites, yet there are already numerous federal and state laws that do just that, with felony penalties and fines up to $100,000 for violating these laws.
Managing native wildlife is another of the proponent's goals. The Kaibab is world-renowned for its wildlife, but the proponents still want to destroy the collaborative approaches used by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Arizona Game & Fish Department that have worked so well for the past 80 years. The real bottom line is they want to expand wolves to the North Rim, an area that historically had few, if any, wolves.
They want to put wolves on the North Rim because the current effort at wolf reintroduction in eastern Arizona has gone so poorly. This effort has gone poorly because of other wolf re-introductions across the country that have been embroiled in decades of lawsuits, despite the fact that the wolves in these areas are doing just fine and have exceeded all recovery goals. The environmental groups cannot afford to see state Game & Fish agencies succeed in wolf management because that success threatens the cash cow these groups have enjoyed by pleading to their donors that they need their money to "save the wolf" even after the wolf had already recovered in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and the Great Lake States. The Southwest is their latest "save the wolf" cash cow.
Reducing road density is another goal. Guess these groups have not looked at the Travel Management Plans all the forests have adopted. These plans close not only the forests to off-road travel but they close hundreds of miles of roads as well.
Another goal is to end livestock grazing. Over the years, the Forest Service has adopted more restrictive grazing standards. In addition, the current draft forest plan includes even more responsive grazing regulations and guidelines.
Their last goal is to stop uranium mining. What? We have to take 1.7 million acres away from the American public to stop uranium mining? Don't think so. One million acres in the area has already been withdrawn from new uranium mining for the next 20 years.
To the proponents of this ill-conceived, self-serving effort to eliminate multiple-use management and rob millions of people of recreational opportunities, I suggest you come back in 20 years and we can look at it. Until then, go take a hike in your 4.7 million acres and leave the rest of us alone to enjoy our 1.7 million acres.
No comments:
Post a Comment