Wilderness/Roadless
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This is a pretty controversial topic. When the Wilderness Act was passed in 1964, there were not really any mountain bikes. The Act clearly bans motorized recreation, but it is somewhatunclear about muscle powered mechanical. I think it is clear enough that the judgment is against bikes. The regulations written to flesh out the Act…
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This is a report in New West on NREPA, which is getting its first ever hearing in Congress. Opponents have always argued that the grand Northern Rockies Ecosystem Projection Act isn’t’ politically feasible, but bills that are commonly hailed as “feasible” have not been enacted either. There are a few exceptions in greener places like…
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Rocky Barker has a short and interesting blog as to how the presence of roads affects the interaction of predators and prey. Yellowstone moose use roads to outsmart grizzly bears. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman. Update: I just found this. It’s the same story with a somewhat different slant on the matter. It’s from Science…
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NREPA is by far the best Wilderness Bill out there, but it has always been criticised as politically infeasible. Now, however, the political climate has changed, although NREPA hardly has a steady and strong political wind behind it. Songwriter, singer Carole King who has lived near Clayton, Idaho (between Challis and Stanley) for many years…
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Rocky Barker’s blog: Roadless rule resolution may wait for next administration. Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman. Barkers writes about the latest chapter in the struggle over national forest roadless areas. This is a battle that has been going on since the early 1970s, but especially since President Bill Clinton gave an executive order to protect all…
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This fire will be monitored and treated as a wildland fire (allowed to burn as long as it does not surpass pre-established conditions). Arizona Lake and Creek are in the extreme NE part of the Park adjacent to the huge Teton Wilderness on the national forest. Much (most) of the west half of the Teton…
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This fire has been burning deep in the Frank Church Wilderness NW of Challis and has received little attention. Some days it has put up very large plumes as this story from the Challis Newspaper indicates, and it has a big impact on wilderness recreation, air quality, and the future ecology of the area. Shower…
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To sum it up, President Clinton issued an executive order that the Forest Service would keep all the non-wilderness, but yet roadless areas on the national forests, free of new permanent roads. There were a number of court challenges filled to this by states like Wyoming and Idaho. They had mixed success. Then, new President…