balzaccom
Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2014
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My Friends at CSERC--Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center, have sent out the following. I find their recommendations consistently solid, based on science, and in line with my thinking about our national natural resources:
** ACTION ALERT **
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TODAY TO
PROTECT THE ROADLESS RULE
CSERC asks every member to PLEASE take action ASAP to oppose the rescinding of the Roadless Rule.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
For many decades, the U.S. Forest Service punched new roads every year into wild, unprotected roadless areas on national forest lands. Those roads opened up remote areas to the logging of old growth trees, off-road vehicle use, mining, and drilling for oil and gas development.
After many years of conservation efforts, in 2001 a “Roadless Rule” policy was enacted to prohibit new road construction or development within millions acres of national forest and BLM roadless areas. That Roadless Rule resulted from 1.6 million public comments and tens of thousands of people participating in hundreds of public meetings. The vast majority strongly supported protecting the 2% of America’s lands that qualify as wild, roadless areas.
Now, in order to favor the timber industry and oil and gas companies, the Trump Administration has launched a process to get rid of the Roadless Rule.
On August 29th, the Administration published a notice of intent to abolish the Roadless Rule. The public has only 21 days to submit comments on the proposed policy change.
COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY SEPT. 19th!!
Here are examples of reasons to keep the roadless rule as national policy. (Choose one or more of these to submit in your comments.)
1) Areas without roads have lower risk for destructive wildfires than roaded areas. Far more fires start in national forest areas with roads.
2) Roadless areas provide healthy watersheds and better protect water quality compared to areas with roads, logging, mining, oil drilling, and other uses.
3) Roadless areas provide highly popular recreation opportunities such as hunting and fishing, backpacking, hiking, and camping.
4) Wild, roadless areas are critically important as refugia and habitat for countless at-risk wildlife species.
5) Roadless areas are some of the last wild remnants of our American landscape heritage that has been so altered and degraded in most places.
6) Roadless areas are highly important to many Tribal nations as sacred sites.
TAKE THESE STEPS TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS
To submit written comments, write your reasons for keeping the Roadless Rule in place, and mail your comments to:
Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination
201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108
Washington, DC 20250-1124
To comment online, go to the official link at:
www.regulations.gov
On the site, look for the “Start typing here” prompt. Type your comments into that field. Enter your personal information and scroll down to click on the SUBMIT button.
HERE ARE KEY ARGUMENTS AGAINST MISLEADING CLAIMS MADE BY THE ADMINISTRATION:
FALSE CLAIM: “Roads are needed in Roadless Areas to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires.”
FACT: In reality, without vehicles and the far higher number of people using chainsaws, barbeque grills, campstoves, smoking cigarettes, off-road-vehicles, and other sources of ignitions, roadless areas have FAR LOWER risk for destructive wildfires than roaded areas. It is completely untrue that roads are needed to reduce fire risk. The Roadless Rule allows for widespread prescribed burns where needed to reduce fuels, plus it specifically allows for hand cutting of smaller fire-prone trees in the extremely limited areas that are close to communities.
FALSE CLAIM: Prohibiting roads in Roadless Areas interferes with forest uses that produce jobs and economic benefits for local communities.
FACT: At almost no cost for federal agency management, Roadless Areas provide outstanding recreational uses (from hunting and fishing to backpacking, hiking, kayaking, river rafting, and wildlife viewing) that all profit local economies.
FALSE CLAIM: Opening up federal Roadless Areas to roads, logging, oil and gas drilling, and mining will create healthy, resilient, and productive forests.
FACT: Roadless Areas are the last refuge for many at-risk wildlife species, and they provide pristine, vital habitat for countless other plants and animals. Logging, mining, oil and gas drilling, and development are already widespread across the over-whelming majority of federal lands. In contrast, Roadless Areas contain healthy, resilient forests that provide priceless watersheds for drinking water and as highly popular recreational destinations for millions of people.
Questions? Contact us at info@cserc.org or (209) 586-7440
** ACTION ALERT **
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TODAY TO
PROTECT THE ROADLESS RULE
CSERC asks every member to PLEASE take action ASAP to oppose the rescinding of the Roadless Rule.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
For many decades, the U.S. Forest Service punched new roads every year into wild, unprotected roadless areas on national forest lands. Those roads opened up remote areas to the logging of old growth trees, off-road vehicle use, mining, and drilling for oil and gas development.
After many years of conservation efforts, in 2001 a “Roadless Rule” policy was enacted to prohibit new road construction or development within millions acres of national forest and BLM roadless areas. That Roadless Rule resulted from 1.6 million public comments and tens of thousands of people participating in hundreds of public meetings. The vast majority strongly supported protecting the 2% of America’s lands that qualify as wild, roadless areas.
Now, in order to favor the timber industry and oil and gas companies, the Trump Administration has launched a process to get rid of the Roadless Rule.
On August 29th, the Administration published a notice of intent to abolish the Roadless Rule. The public has only 21 days to submit comments on the proposed policy change.
COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY SEPT. 19th!!
Here are examples of reasons to keep the roadless rule as national policy. (Choose one or more of these to submit in your comments.)
1) Areas without roads have lower risk for destructive wildfires than roaded areas. Far more fires start in national forest areas with roads.
2) Roadless areas provide healthy watersheds and better protect water quality compared to areas with roads, logging, mining, oil drilling, and other uses.
3) Roadless areas provide highly popular recreation opportunities such as hunting and fishing, backpacking, hiking, and camping.
4) Wild, roadless areas are critically important as refugia and habitat for countless at-risk wildlife species.
5) Roadless areas are some of the last wild remnants of our American landscape heritage that has been so altered and degraded in most places.
6) Roadless areas are highly important to many Tribal nations as sacred sites.
TAKE THESE STEPS TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS
To submit written comments, write your reasons for keeping the Roadless Rule in place, and mail your comments to:
Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination
201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108
Washington, DC 20250-1124
To comment online, go to the official link at:
Regulations.gov
On the site, look for the “Start typing here” prompt. Type your comments into that field. Enter your personal information and scroll down to click on the SUBMIT button.
HERE ARE KEY ARGUMENTS AGAINST MISLEADING CLAIMS MADE BY THE ADMINISTRATION:
FALSE CLAIM: “Roads are needed in Roadless Areas to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires.”
FACT: In reality, without vehicles and the far higher number of people using chainsaws, barbeque grills, campstoves, smoking cigarettes, off-road-vehicles, and other sources of ignitions, roadless areas have FAR LOWER risk for destructive wildfires than roaded areas. It is completely untrue that roads are needed to reduce fire risk. The Roadless Rule allows for widespread prescribed burns where needed to reduce fuels, plus it specifically allows for hand cutting of smaller fire-prone trees in the extremely limited areas that are close to communities.
FALSE CLAIM: Prohibiting roads in Roadless Areas interferes with forest uses that produce jobs and economic benefits for local communities.
FACT: At almost no cost for federal agency management, Roadless Areas provide outstanding recreational uses (from hunting and fishing to backpacking, hiking, kayaking, river rafting, and wildlife viewing) that all profit local economies.
FALSE CLAIM: Opening up federal Roadless Areas to roads, logging, oil and gas drilling, and mining will create healthy, resilient, and productive forests.
FACT: Roadless Areas are the last refuge for many at-risk wildlife species, and they provide pristine, vital habitat for countless other plants and animals. Logging, mining, oil and gas drilling, and development are already widespread across the over-whelming majority of federal lands. In contrast, Roadless Areas contain healthy, resilient forests that provide priceless watersheds for drinking water and as highly popular recreational destinations for millions of people.
Questions? Contact us at info@cserc.org or (209) 586-7440
