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Federal government's 'roadless
rules' limit the public's ability to recreate
By Judy Warnick
Washington state citizens are on the verge of losing the ability and the
right to enjoy national public lands within our state.
Apparently, there are bureaucrats in the other Washington who have
forgotten Woody Guthrie's famous song, "This Land is Your Land" and the
oft-repeated verse: This land was made for you and me.
As an avid horseback rider and snowmobiler, I have a personal and
vested interest in our nation's stance on public land management.
As a legislator with miles of national forest land in my district, and
as co-chair of the Department of Natural Resources' Sustainable
Recreation Work Group, I have a professional and dutiful obligation to
the same.
At issue is a recent ruling by the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals
which declared the Bush Administration's State Petition Rules are in
violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. In effect,
this ruling reinstated the Clinton Administration's roadless rules from 2001,
which prohibits all building of roads on 58.5 million acres of national
public land, even though an earlier court ruling found that the Clinton
land grab was a "thinly veiled attempt to designate 'wilderness areas'
in violation of the clear and unambiguous process established by the
Wilderness Act."
In a nutshell, you have the roadless rules prohibiting the building of
roads versus the state plan which allows each state to develop their own
guidelines for the federal land within their boundaries.
Needless to say, I am much more in favor of allowing individual states
to have a say in land management strategy.
Supporters of the roadless rules invariably point out the need to
preserve and protect our land so that our families will have pristine
wilderness areas in which to recreate. But this concept is at odds
with the types of recreation in which the majority of our average
citizens take part.
While I'm sure there are those who are willing to backpack in the
wilderness for miles and enjoy the seclusion and tranquility of
naturally preserved forestland, the majority of people that I know need
some sort of access to the forest. Whether you ride horses,
snowmobile, ATVs or motorcycles, or even if you're just a casual day
hiker, you have to reach the trailhead before you can begin your chosen
activity of "recreating."
In fact, any experienced horse rider or snowmobiler will agree that some
of the best places to ride are old logging roads found throughout our
forest land. They offer limited and controlled access into the
interior of some of the most beautiful lands on this planet.
Without this limited access, few families would be able to enjoy the
very land that belongs to them!
Another issue of concern is fire suppression, safety and preservation of
our forests. Without
some access (i.e. roads) into remote forest land, hundred-acre fires
become thousand-acre fires, and thousand-acre fires become million-acre
fires. Allowing our firefighters road access to the scene will
enable fires to be put out more quickly, more effectively and more
efficiently, saving money and possibly lives in the process.
In my opinion, the roadless rules land management plan is a potential scar on our individual and state rights.
And, it seems, the Obama Administration is looking to solidify the roadless rules
plan by actively working to make this policy the law
of the land. I urge citizens who feel as I do to contact our
members of Congress, our Senators and the President to express
objections over this federal government land grab.
I'm not advocating for all-out development of our national public lands,
nor am I suggesting a paved road at every mile. It just seems to
me that the public should have access to public lands.
Just knowing the land is there to enjoy is not enough. We need to
be able to see it, touch it, smell it, and recreate on it responsibly.
Indeed, I truly believe that
this land was made for you and me.
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For more information, contact:
Sarah Lamb, Public Information
Officer - (360) 786-7720
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