Road RIPorter 5.3

8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3

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IThe Road-R PorterBimonthly Newsletter of the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads. May/June 2000. Volume 5 # 2

continued on page 14

Taku River:

Land of the

Wild andthe Tlingit

The Taku River watersh ed is an 1 8,000 squ are kilome-ter (4.5 million acre) unro aded ex pan se ne ar Atlin in

no rthwestern British Columb ia, Canada. This imm ense

watershed , the size of Massachu setts, is the trad itiona l

ho me land of the Taku River Tlingit Peop le. Its ha bitats

represen t five biogeoclimatic zones ra nging from h igh

plateaus to lush coastal temp erate rainforests.

The Taku con tains som e of th e richest w ildlife h abitat

on th e west coast of North Amer ica and is hom e to grizzly

bear, mo ose, caribou, black bear, moun tain goat, salmo n

and man y species of migrating birds. Wildlife thrive due to

the are as wild nature and the fact tha t it only is accessible

by float plan e, river boat or foot. Salmo n p rodu ctivity is

unm atched on the south east shore of Alaska and n orthwest

British Columbia.This spectacular area is threaten ed by a 160 kilometer

(96 m ile) access road to th e Tulsequah Chief copper/gold/

zinc mine. This mine is located on th e Tulsequah River just

upstream from BCs borde r with south east Alaska. Redfern

Resources Ltd. a sm all Vancou ver-based junior min ing

company wants to rebuild the road to operate the small

mine for on ly 9 years.

The BC govern men t approved the m ine after a contro-

versial Environm ental Assessmen t decision wh ich was

opp osed an d challenged by th e Alaska and th e Tlingit, who

have lived in the valley for centuries. It also is opposed by a

broad range of local, provincial and national environmental

groups from Canada an d the US.

The comp anys revived developm ent p lan chose n ot topursu e the barging option (no road) due to techn ical

obstacles. Critics point ou t that the comp any is wary of

regulatory hu rdles posed by US and Alaska autho rities in

charge of water q uality and h abitat on th e Taku River. This

is the m ain impetus for constructing the road th rough the

BC wildern ess.

The technical obstacles stem from issues that are under

the jurisdiction of the International Joint Commission (IJC).

The IJC was established in 1 909 u nd er th e Boun dary Water

In this vast wilderness,Native People and wildlife livefree of roads and intrusions.

But there are those whowould rather build a road

to a mine and destroyall that is wild and good

By A lan Young

Will a m ining road spoil the w ildness of t he Taku River? Ric Careless, BC Spaces for Nature photo.


2/16

The Road-RIPorter May/June 20002

2000 Wildlands CPR

The Forest Service finally released their draft Environm ental Analysis for th eir

long-term road s policy. While the com men t period for the DEA will end just as th is

issue of theRIPortergoes to print, th e FS is expected to release th eir draft Environ-

men tal Imp act Statem ent o n th e Roadless Initiative in m id-May. Weve enclosed a

brief analysis of the two different po licies on page 4. While they cover related issues,

they are separate analyses and b oth deserve our attention. For mo re information

abou t how to get involved, please contact ou r office.

DePaving the Way and Odes to Roads are a bit off the beaten path this mo nth .

Many th anks to William Kittredge for allowing us to rep rint an essay of his abou t

wildness (no , its not specifically about roads). And we h ope you take the o ppo rtu-

nity to read DePaving the way an d

reflect on how your own environmen-

tal work compares with the tenets of

en vironm en tal justice. Wed love your

feedback on these o r any o ther articles

from the RIPorter, as always.

Thanks

We owe a huge th ank you to

Melanie Mayock of American Lands

Alliance for coordina ting last mo nth s

nation al ORV conferen ce in Washing-

ton DC. It was cospon sored by

American Lands, Wildlands CPR and

several othe r organization s and was a

terrific success. Thanks to the Weeden

Foundation for funding the conference

an d othe r ORV activities. Many than ks

also to Patagonia an d W. Alton Jon es

for generou s grants for ou r ORV and

road s work. As usua l, wed like to

thank all of you who do nated time or

mo ney to Wildlands CPR in the last few

mon ths. We appreciate your support.

We even received one do nation from

an organ ization th at takes redirected

tax moneywow!

Changes

Jenn ifer Ferenstein is comp leting h er ter m as interim ORV Camp aign Coordina-

tor. We are changing her po sition an d looking for som eon e to takeover as the

Grassroots Coordinator for o ur ORV Camp aign. If you are interested, please con tact

our o ffice ASAP for a job ann oun cemen t/description. The position will be based ou tof either Boulder or Missoula and will require significant travel.

Things to watch out for

In addition to th e up comin g Forest Service hea rings on the ro adless initiative,

the Bureau o f Land Managem ent is beginn ing a listening process on th eir ORV

man agemen t. They will be holding public mee tings near th eir ma ny different land

holdings. Though th is isnt an official process und er the Nationa l Environm ental

Policy Act, it is critical that we tu rn out as m any p eople as p ossible to supp ort

restrictive off-road vehicle m anagem ent p olicies. Check our website for

updated information on hearing dates/locations.

WildlandsWildlandsWildlandsWildlandsWildlands CCCCCenter for PPPPPreventing RRRRRoads

Wildlands Center for PreventingRoads works to protect and restorewildland ecosystems by preventingand removing roads and limitingmotorized recreation. We are a

national clearinghouse and network,providing citizens with tools and

strategies to fight roadconstruction, deter motorizedrecreation, and promote road

removal and revegetation.

Main OfficeP.O. Box 7516

Missoula, MT 59807(406) 543-9551

[email protected]/WildCPR

Colorado OfficeP.O. Box 2353

Boulder, CO 80306(303) 247-0998

[email protected]

DirectorBethanie Walder

Development DirectorTom Youngblood-Petersen

Office ManagerCate Campbell

Interim ORV CampaignCoordinator

Jenn ifer Ferenstein

ORV Policy CoordinatorJacob Smith

Roads Policy CoordinatorMarn ie Criley

NewsletterJim Coefield, Dan Funsch

Interns & VolunteersNoelle Brigham, Jennifer Browne,

Sarah Harris, Ethan Mace, Kather inePostelli, Scott Thomas

Board of DirectorsKatie Alvord, Sidney Maddock,

Rod Mondt, Cara Nelson,Mary O'Brien, Scott Stouder, Karen

Wood DiBari

Advisory CommitteeJasper Carlton, Libby Ellis,

Dave Foreman, Keith Hamme r,Timothy Hermach,

Marion Hourdequin, Lorin Lindner,Andy Mahler, Robert McConne ll,

Stephanie Mills, Reed Noss,Michael Soul, Dan Stotter,

Steve Trom bulak, Louisa Willcox,Bill Willers, Howie Wolke

From the Wildlands CPR Office...

Taku River Mine p. 1, 14

Alan You ng

DePaving the Way, p. 3Bethanie Walder

Comparison of t he FSsRoads Policy and

Roadless Initiative, p. 4

Odes to Roads, p. 5William Kittredge

Field NotesORV Impact Form, p. 6-7

Bibliography Notes, p. 8-10D. J. Schub ert

Regional Reports & Alerts,p. 11-14

In this Issue


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The Road-RIPorter May/June 2000 3

having their territory an nexed, or b eing slaves orinden tured servants. They didnt have the freedomto roam w ild places to search for sp iritual or philo-sophical growththat freedom had been taken fromthem by slavery, ind entu red servitude or con fine-men t to reservations, for instance. The environm en-

tal focus of th is last bran ch is similar to the wor kingclass group : addressing worker safety and rights,farmworker issues, pesticides, pollution and re cre-ation access, with a focus on au tonomy an d powerand rediscovery of cultural roots.

But they d id roam wild places. Taylor points ou tthat Harriet Tubm an n ot only slept und er the stars,but navigated by them along the undergroundrailroad as sh e worked to free slaves. Her knowledgeof the n atural world was critical to the success of herwork, and books about h er highlight her con nectionswith the natural world. By introd ucing people tonatu re expe riences like Tubm ans, we can bu ilddeeper conn ections to the natural world.

While Taylor gives u s an accurate historical

explanation for the split between the conservationand urban bran ches of the environm ental comm u-nity, she also offers hope for b uilding connection sbetween th em. Taylor foun d that while many POCgroups wor k on toxics, pollution, worker rights,pesticides, minin g and oth er issueswith con serva-tion issues on th e periph ery, 35% o f POC groupswork on wildlands and wildlife issues. On the oth erhand, even though ur ban en vironm ental issuesshould be important to conservation organizations,they often are not.

Taylor discusses the con nection s betweenenvironm ental justice and con servation. The sixteenprinciples of environm ental justice (see sidebar onpage 4) include and consider most conservationissues. Conse rvation organizations, however, rarely

address all the tenets of environm ental justice. Forexamp le, like the traditiona l conservation movem ent,environm ental justice values nature and economicprotection over econo mic growth. It also prom otescompassion towards other species and futuregenerations and biocentrist ideas. On the otherhand, m ost of the conservation com mun ity providesonly limited support for environmental justiceprinciples such as honoring the cultural integrity ofall comm un ities. It has n o real emph asis on eliminat-ing sexism, classism and pa triarchysom e groupsexacerbate th ose traits.

While the histories of these four branches ofenvironmentalism are different, American environ-mentalism as a whole is influenced by the male

writers of the first branch . And tho ugh RachelCarson a lso falls within this bran ch, her work didn tappear u ntil the 1960 s, opening the way for m anyfine contemporary women writers.

In reality, white male exper iences in n aturespeak to only a limited n umb er of peop le, underscor-ing one reason why so man y people are discon-nected from the n atural world. And the m ore peoplewho are d isconnected from th e natural world, thehard er it is to protect and restore it. Rebuilding these

By Bethanie Walder

ow m any people does it take to prevent an d rem ovewildland road s and limit mo torized recreation? Morethan just the wh ite, middle class public we usuallytalk to, says Dorce ta Taylor. Dr. Taylor, a profe ssor atUniversity of Michigan s Schoo l of Natu ral Resources,has researched race, gender and class issues in theenvironmental movement for yearsimproving ourun derstand ing of, and ability to diversify the conser-vation m ovement.

Taylors stud ies of wh ite an d peop le of color(POC*) environm ental group s in th e US is enlighten-ing. Less than 20% of mainstream environm entalorganizations h ad women presidents or chairpersons,while 50% of environmental justice organizationswere run by women . Memb ership statistics wereequa lly unbalance d. POC organizations memb er-ships were more balanced between middle and lower

class people of different races, while white organ iza-tions m ostly had m iddle and upper middle classmem bers. While ma ny conservationists have

discussed issues like this for years, the discus-sions h ave focused more on anecdotal rather th anstatistical infor ma tion . Taylors work clarifies thisreality, leading us to a sk the question : Why?

Taylor decon structs the h istory of theenvironmental movemen t by discussing four

different branches of environmental history in theUS: white m iddle class con servation (wildern ess,

wildlife and re creation); white m iddle class urbanenvironmentalism; working class environmentalism;and POC environm entalism. The early history ofeach is radically differen t, with the first beinginformed by European-influenced male romanticistsand transcen den talists like Emerso n, Muir an dThoreau. These men h ad the mean s to spend

mon ths and years comm uning with nature. Theurban branch was heavily influenced by the likes ofFreder ick Law Olmst ed, th e crea tor o f New YorksCentral Park. Working class environm entalismfocused on issues of worker safety, worker r ights,public health and access to parksprotests anddem onstration s were significant. POC groups mo stlywere influenced by being dispossessed of the ir land ,

Free and Wild

continued on next page

H

* In the Am erican context , the term generally appliesto Native Am ericans, African Am ericans, Asian

Americans, Latinos and other ethnic minority groups.

I looked at my hands to see if I was the same personnow I was free. Dere was such a glory trou de trees and

ober de fields, and I felt like I was in heaven.Statement by Harriet Moses Tubman as it

appeared in the Sweetwater Reporter News, 4-5-1992


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On March 3, 200 0, the Forest Service released a Draft Environm ental Analysis

(DEA) for their National Forest System Road Mana gement Strategy. On May 9, 2000

the Forest Service released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to addressprotection of the rem aining Forest Service roadless areas. These are two distinct,

though related processes, and they both need our u tmost attention.

The Long Term Road Poli cyThis policy deals with th e 380 ,000 m iles of Forest Service system r oads p lus

approximately 60,000 m iles of u nautho rized, un planned, u nclassified roads that

occur on all Forest Service lands. The focus of this policy determines h ow to man age

effectively the Forest Services crumbling road system. It will help the Forest Service

decide wheth er to keep, remove, or upgrade individual roads. The policy propo ses

the m inimum transportation system necessary to meet th e needs of forest users.

The DEA is available for com me nt from March 2 to May 17. The Final EA and

decision are expected in Septem ber 200 0. Wildlands CPR subm itted extensive

comm ents which are available on ou r web p age.

The Roadless Initiative:The DEIS for the Roadless Initiative was just released, and com men ts are be ing

accepted u ntil July 17.

The Forest Services Prefer red Altern ative in t he Roadless Initiative DEIS is 2BT3.

This alternative would prohibit road construction and reconstruction, including

temporary road construction, within un roaded po rtions of inventoried roadless.

However, there are n o pro hibitions on logging, mining, gas and oil developm ent,

grazing or ORVs, and no roads or trails will be closed.

This alternative provides no interim protection for unroaded portions of

inventoried roadless areas. All activities in these are as, except for road co nstru ction,

can con tinue u ntil the Forest Plan for that Forest is revised, and even th en th e

decision about wh ich un inventoried roadless areas to protect would be left to the

discretion of the local land m anager. Unfortunately, the preferred alternative has no

prohibitions for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

Our Preferred Alternative is a m odified 4DT4 wh ich would p rohibit road

construction, reconstruction and all timber harvest within u nroaded p ortions of

Inventoried Roadless areas. This alternative would proh ibit road constru ction and

reconstru ction in the Old Growth, Semi-Remo te Recreation, an d LUD II Designations

within Inventoried Roadless Areas o f the Tongass.

Focus on the following for Comments:1) ORV use an d oth er destru ctive activities must b e proh ibited in roadless areas.

2) All com mercial timb er sales must be p rohibited in Roadless areas.

3) The Forest Service m ust pro tect roadless areas d own to 1000 acres in size, and

prioritize preser ving roadless values an d ch aracteristics on a project-by-project basis

until Forest Plan Revision.

Open House informa tion m eetings on th e Roadless DEIS are being h eld in late

May and h earings are being h eld in late Jun e. Check th e Forest Service web page for

mo re inform ation and a meeting near you at www.roadless.fs.fed.us. Com men ts can

be ma iled to:

USDA Fores t Ser vice - CAET

Attn : Roadless

PO Box 221090

Salt Lake City, UT 8412 2

or ema il to: [email protected]

A Comparison of theForest Services Long-term

Roads Policy and Roadless Initiative

16 Principles of theEnvironmental Justice

Movement:

1) Values Nature

2) Com passiona te towards others

3) Environm ental plann ing and risk

avoidance

4) Limits to growth

5) Desired Societal changes

6) Environm ental p olitics

7) Spirituality

8) Biocen trism

9) Environm ental justice10) Environm ental rights

11) Autonomy, self-determination

for peop le of color

12) Cultu ral diversity

13) Corporate-community relations

14) Workers rights, health and

safety

15) Militarization issu es

16) Experimentation with h uman

subjects issues

connections mean s finding the oldstories and creating new ones th at speakto all of us.

Taylors th eories on why theenvironm ental commu nity is split alongsuch clear lines are illumina ting andthou ght-provoking. They offer a goodexplana tion for how we got to this point.And if we pay attention to that h istory,perhap s we can avoid making the samemistakes now, as we redefine con serva-tion in the future.

Restoration an d recreation are twoof the key issues pu blic land m ana gersare currently addressing. What storieswill we use to create a pub lic dialogueabout restoration and recreation andwha t types of people and issues willthose stories represent? How do wecreate a h istory for things like roadremoval and n on-motorized recreation?Perha ps, by usin g Taylors theor ies, wecan create a m ore diverse and protectivemovement for restoration and recreationin the future. On one han d, we shoulddo th is, because it will help us p rotect

and restore our lands. On the otherhan d, we must do it, simp ly because it isthe right thing to do.

For m ore inform ation abou t Dr.Taylors work or d iversity within th eenvironm ental movement please go to:http://weact.org/ej_principles.htm


5/16


Odes to Roads

he sun fell and left

us with a long time to

see the hills along the Big

Blackfoot River as simply a dark

and undulating subtext beneath a

sky that was both spectacular and

unsett ling, close to frightening. We

are nothing if not mystified amid

glories.

Island s of cloud were silver to oran ge andoccasional red. The pale sky beyon d was perfect with

infinities. In th at mo me nt I felt grief for th e passing

of our lives and recogn ized th e po ssibility that we

might come to find solace in the simple n otion that

we have no ch oice but to be part of such en ergies.

This last spring, in twilight across th e up per

mea dow, thirty-seven thick-bodied elk were playing,

limb er an d quick as they forgot their grazing and

danced aroun d chasing one another.

Ann ick and I stood in the strawber ry garden,

watching as a youn g mule came cantering toward

them, trying to herd them or join th em. The elk

raised their heads and spooked away into the fringes

of old-growth forest. They turn ed smo key in the

twilight and th en th ey were gone. The young m ule

was left prancing the re, alone like us.

We have no cho ice but to understan d ourselves

and the movements of our lives in the run of

evolving energies that is natu re. The

anim al we are evolved in such

conn ections, the need is built in

to our genetic makeup.

Without intimacy, with on eanother an d with nature, we

tend to slide off into insan i-

ties.

We h ave nowh ere to live

except in natu re. Ruin that

which is natu ral and we will

soon lose en tire track of

ourse lves. Lose con tact with that

which is wild an d we fall out of

touch w ith all that th is animal we are is

able to un derstand as actual.

We go dizzy trying to live inside a virtual, make-

believe world (like cities in sp ace). As ind ividuals an d

as a society, when we are ou t of touch with that

which is natura l, we go literally insan e. We see su ch

craziness each day, reported in every newspape r we

read.

The on ly story we really know h ow to inhab it is

the an cient on e about ourselves in the natural world.

As the se tting for th at story vanishes we begin to lose

contact with our animal selves and become increas-

ingly disoriented, disenfranch ised.

Some of us are dr iven fran tic and ultimately

savaged by ou r an xieties. We don t know who we are;

we dont know who we sho uld want to be. Some of

us begin to becom e mon strous.

If we ho pe to live in sa ne ways, we have no

choice but to cherish an d sustain those parts of the

world that remain at least partways natural andintact. Without wilderness we start turn ing into n ot

much of anybody; we lose track of our n atural

goodness, our capacity for compassion and empathy;

we wand er off in pursu it of unna tural desires. All

cruelties are p ossible.

Like that youn g mule, we are alone, pran cing

aroun d and o ut of love, impoverished, desp erate in

our isolations, driven to insan ities of self-preoccu pa-

tion an d greed, literal inde cencies. As we d estroy that

which is natura l we eat ou rselves alive.

Reprinted from Testimon y, with per mission by

the au tho r. 199 6 William Kittredge

William Kittredge grew up on and th en man -

aged his familys cattle ranch in the Great Basin, in

sout heast Oregon. He has taught in the English

department at the University of Montana for twenty-

five years and lives in Missoula. His books include the

short story collections The Van Gogh Field andWe Are

Not In This Togeth er; the essays, Own ing It All, and

Who Own s the West?; and a memoir, Hole In the Sky.

In a 1994 White House ceremony, President Clinton

presented Kitt redge with t he Frankel Award for service

to the hum anities.

SanityBy William Kittr edge

Without wilderness we start turninginto not much of anybody;

we lose track of our natural goodness,our capacity for compassion and empathy;

we wander off in pursuit of unnaturaldesires. All cruelties are possible.

T


6/16


Name : ________________________________ Date : ___________________ Day of Week/Time : _________________________________

1. Is this a system or n on -system (e.g., use r-creat ed) route ? _________________________________

2. Location: road/trail #s: ____________________________

site loca tion o n tra il: ______________________________________________________________________________________

(and ) Town sh ip/Ran ge/Section (if no n-syste m rou te): __________________________________________________________

(or) GPS coo rdina tes (UPM prefer red ) ________________________________________________________________________

3. How intense is the motorized activity: light ____ moderate ____ heavy ____

4. Is there evidence of wha t specific types of ORVs are b eing used ?

dirt bikes ____ tracked vehicles ____ ATVs ____ swam p buggies ____ 4w d vehicles ____ ot he r _________________________

5. Is there non -motorized activity on the same route: light ____ mod erate ____ heavy ____

6. Is the use consistent with the route designation? yes ____ no ____

If n ot, how is it incons istent ? __________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Ecosystem typ e:

grassland ____ desert ____ wetlands ____ swamp/bog ____ coastal/dune ____

woodlan d ____ old growth/late-successional forest ____ other forest ecosystems ____

oth er /add ition al descr iption: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Terra in:

dry ____ wet ____ flat ____ rolling ____ stable ____ un stable ____ steep ____

additional: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Trail/road surface: gravel ____ san d ____ clay ____ loam ____

Is the re fill? _____ Is the su rface graded ? _____ Is the re a bank alon g the side ? _____

Oth er : ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Travel route design: across the slope ____ up /down slope ____

Commen ts: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Is this route officially recognized by the agency in its

formal travel system?

2. Precise and accu rate location inform ation is critical.

3. It is impo rtant this question be answered as consistently as

possible in a given inventory.

4. Self-explanatory.

5. It is impo rtant this question be answered as consistently as

possible in a given inventory.

6. To an swer this you w ill probably nee d an o fficial agency

travel map. In some cases the route designation on the

travel map is different from that in th e Land Managem ent

Plan; it is ideal to check both .

7. In addition to checking the appro priate box, the m ore detail

you can include the better.8. In addition to checking the appro priate boxes, the more

detail you can include the better.

9. Gravel, sand, an d clay shou ld be self-explan atory. Loam is

basically a mixed soil of sand, clay, and silt (very fine

particles).

Off-Road Vehicle Environmental Impact Inventory Form

10. In addition to checking the appropriate box, the m ore

detail you can include the b etter.

11-13. In addition to checking the approp riate boxes, the m ore

detail you can include the b etter. It is imp ortant th ese

question s be answered as con sistently as possible in a

given inventory. Supporting ph otograph s or videos can be

extremely helpful, as can more detailed information about

the impacts.

14. This question is most useful if several inventories are

cond ucted in a given area over time.

15-16. It is very impo rtant to docum ent instances where

mo torized recreationists are creating new trails and

crossing waterways. The more inform ation you can o btain

abou t the location an d level of imp acts the better.17-18. The more detail you can include abo ut wildlife

Please attach additional pages explaining your comments as

ne cessar y. Please se nd to: Wildlands CPR, P.O. Box 2 353 ,

Boulder, Colorado 80306 -2353

Instructions and Notes for Fi lling Out the Orv Envir onmental Impact Inventory Form:


7/16


11. Proximity to notable habitat features: perimeter bisecting throughout photo #

wetlands ____ ____ ____ ____

old growth forest ____ ____ ____ ____

waterways/riparian areas ____ ____ ____ ____

meadows ____ ____ ____ ____

known wildlife migration corridors ____ ____ ____ ____

known wildlife foraging areas ____ ____ ____ ____

known wildlife denning/nesting areas ____ ____ ____ ____

sand dunes ____ ____ ____ ____

alpine areas ____ ____ ____ ____

otherwise sensitive habitat areas: ____ ____ ____ ____

archaeological/historical sites: ____ ____ ____ ____

Explain (inclu de wh ich wildlife spe cies are pre sen t): ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2. Soil im pacts: ph oto # s ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ligh t m od. h eavy

Is there evidence of erosion from water? ____ ____ ____

Is there evidence of muddiness? ____ ____ ____

Is there standing water present? ____ ____ ____

Is there evidence of soil compaction? ____ ____ ____

Is there damage to soil crusts (arid areas) ? ____ ____ ____

Is rutt ing occurring? yes ___ no ___ How deep are the ruts?_________ photo # __________< 1" ____ 1"-6" ____ 7"-12" ____ 1-2 ____ > 2____

Explain an d descr ibe soil imp acts: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 3. Vegetation im pacts: p hoto # s ____ ____ ____ ____ ligh t m od . h eavy

Is th ere visible d am age to trees/large sh ru bs? ____ ____ ____

Is th ere visib le dam age to sm aller vegetation ? ____ ____ ____

Comments: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Do exotic plan t species appear to be in vadin g? ____ ____ ____

Which spe cies? __________________________________________________________________________________

14. Trail widen ing: ph oto # s ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Does it appear th at trail widen ing (travel off the rou te in qu estion, often to avoid obstacles or m uddy areas) is occurr ing?

light ____ m ode rate ____ he avy ____

total width of n ewly impa cted grou nd _______________15. Trail creation: ph oto # s ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Are new trails form ing? yes ___ no ___ Whe re and of wh at length? ____________________________________________

Other comments? _________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Stream crossings: photo # s ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Is there eviden ce of illegal crossings or travel throu gh stream s? yes ____ no ____

If yes, describe impacts: ____________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. Wildlife imp acts: ph oto # s ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Is there any eviden ce of dire ct mor tality (roa dkill)? _____________________________________________________________

Wha t spe cies a nd how ma ny individua ls o f ea ch?_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have you observed any h arassme nt of w ildlife? Describe:_______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have you observed any effects of ORV noise on wildlife? ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. Describe an y oth er imp acts you observed (e.g., pollution; po aching; illegal firewood cutting; collecting of plants, anim als,

ar tifacts, etc.): _____________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Additional comments: _________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________


8/16


Bibliography Notes

Stress is a consequence of disturbance whichcan, if prolonged, cause sub stantial adverse impa cts

on individual animals. Stress may be caused by both

physical and psychological factors, but, in eith er case

stress results in physiological changes to the a nima l.

ORV use m ay cause bo th p hysical and psych ological

stress to a wide range of anim als as a result of noise

impacts, pollution imp acts, activity pattern s, and

direct and indirect harassm ent or disturban ce. The

effects of recreation-induced stress, including lower

reprod uctive outpu t (Geist 1978), may not b e evident

imm ediately, but may ap pear d ays to years after

distur ban ces (Gutzwiller 1991). Moreover, recre ation -

induced stress exacerb ates the effects of disease and

com petition, leading to higher m ortality well after

disturban ces o ccur (Gutzwiller 1991).

The physiological impact of stress on anim als

has been the subject of many studies which h ave

som ewhat co nflicting results. Selye (1950), sug-

gested that an exhaustion of the adrenal cortex

occurs during prolonged stress exposure wh ile others

concluded that prolonged exposure to acute stress

results in a d ecline in a dren al sen sitivity (McNutty

an d Thu rley 1973, Ader 197 5). Altern atively,

Sapolsky (1983) suggested that chro nic stress may

cause a decline in cortisol production as a result of

impairm ent of pituitary ACTH production, wh ile

others (Friend et al. 1977, 1979 , Paul et al. 1971,

Barrett and Stockham 1963) provide data which

demon strates that stress tends to increase adrenal

sensitivity to an acute stressor. If chron ic exposu re

to stressors causes sustained elevated

glucocor ticosteroid levels, impairm ent of

immun odefensive mechan isms in affected animals

may occur m aking the animals more susceptible to

disease (Jense n an d Rasmussen 1970, Paape et al.

1973, Hartm an e t al. 1976, Stein et al. 1976).

In their study of acute and ch ronic stressors in

dom estic sheep, Harlow et al. (1987 ) determ ined tha t

mild, medium , and severe stress events resu lted in

hear t rate and plasm a cortisol chan ges. Heart rate

durin g mild stress events retu rne d to resting values

by 10 minutes post-stress event, while medium and

severe stress events r esulted in elevated hear t rates

for 20 and 60 m inutes po st stress event, respectively.

Plasma cortisol levels were significantly elevated

above resting values with in m inutes p ost-stress, with

cortisol levels return ing to p re-stress levels 30

minu tes after removal of the mild stressor; as

comp ared to con tinuou sly elevated cortisol levelsfrom 90 to 180 minutes for both the m edium and

severe stressors. During chronic stress events,

cortisol levels in the sheep were significantly

elevated from day 5 throu gh day 24 at which time

the random noise generator used to create the stress

event failed. Once the generator was repaired and

restarted, cortisol levels increased to previous

chron ic stress values.

The resu lts of Harlow et al. (1987) do no t

support the con cept of adrenal exhaustion or

hypersensitization nor suggest that habituation to

stressors occurred, perhaps because of the irregular,

un predictable interval of the noise stimuli. As

indicated by Harlow et al. (1987 ), chron icallyelevated blood cor tisol may ad versely imp act the

efficiency of animal prod uction by redu cing weight

gain an d o therw ise affecting an imals in captivity (Van

Mour ik and Stelma siak 1984, Van Mourik et al. 1985)

and decreasing an tibody p roduction, thereby

inhibiting or sup pressing th e bodys ability to resist

disease (Roth 1984, Jensen and Rasmu ssen 19 70,

Huber an d Douglas 1971, Revillard 1 971, Paape et al.

1973, Hartm an e t al. 1976, Stein et al. 1976).

These imp acts, particularly if chronic, can resu lt

in: increased sickness, disease, and d eath; a decrease

in an imal prod uctivity (Knight an d Cole 1991,

Ande rson and Keith 198 0); and ultimately result in

pop ulation declines (Ande rson an d Keith 1980 ).Harassmen t of mu le deer by all-terrain vehicles, for

example, resulted in reduced reproduction th e

following year (Yarm aloy et al. 198 8). Comm on

loons experienced reduced productivity with

increased h um an contacts (Titus and VanDruff 1981).

Many studies have been p ublished docum enting

the adverse impact of human disturbance on wildlife.

Several examples from the scientific literature

sum mar ized in ou r Petition provide additional details

abou t the impacts of disturba nce on w ildlife. In

some cases, the summary references several studies

Bibliography Notes sum marizes and highlights som e of the scientific

literature in our 6,000 citation bibliography on the ecological effects of

roads. We offer bibliographic searches to help activists access impor tant

biological research relevant to roads. We keep copies of most ar ticles cited

in Bibliography Notes in our office library.

Impacts of Stresson Wildlife

By D. J. Schubert

Indeed, considering the noise, pollution,mobility, speed, physical impacts, and generaldisruptiveness of ORV use on the landscape,it is quite probable that ORVs result in more,

not less, disturbance impacts to wildlifethan impacts caused by motorboats, hikers,

fishers, or automobiles


9/16


(See also, White and Thurow 19 85). Besides the obvious

impacts of habitat abandonm ent, the changes in hom e range

size, activity areas, and use o f habitats sub ject to increased

hum an disturbance m ay adversely impact an individual

birds ene rgy budget, and produ ctivity might decrease w ith

subsequ ent impacts at the popu lation level. If different

raptor sp ecies demon strate differen t levels of tolerance of

hum an activities, in time continued h uman disturbance

could result in a shift in the species com position in the area

in favor o f the m ore tolerant species (Voou s 1977 , Craighead

and Mindell 1981, Ande rsen et al. 1990).

Other scientists have determined that h uman distur-

ban ce also affects peregrine falcon s (Fyfe 196 9, Ende rson

and Craig 1974 , Dekker 196 7), red-shou ldered hawks

(Portn oy 1974), and osp rey (Swenson 1 975, 197 9, Zarn 1974,

Dunstan 19 68, 1973 , Levenson and Koplin 1984 ).

For b irds, Bury e t al. (1977 ) docume nted a decrease in

bird abun dan ce as ORV use increased . Of the birds seen

foraging on th e ground , 62, 19, and 1 individuals were

observed in the control, moderately-used, and heavily-used

sites, respec tively. At his Barstow stud y site, Bury et al. (197 7)

found a reduction in the n umb er of breeding species,

breeding pairs, and biomass of 50, 24, and 22 percent,

respectively, as a resu lt of mod erate ORV use co mp ared to

the con trol site. The heavily used site had no breed ing birdsand received essentially no foraging use. Not sur prisingly, a

positive correlation was observed between shru b abu ndance

(prima rily creosote) and faun al species diversity, abun dan ce,

and biomass e mp hasizing that ORV dam age to vegetation

adverse ly imp acts local faun al assemb lies. Similarly, in two

ironwood wash es in Californ ia, Luckenb ach (1978) reported

that breeding bird density and the num ber of breeding

species was 23 an d 90 percent greater in the con trol wash

compared to the impacted wash

Clearly, ORV induced stress is a major factor in the

success of wildlife pop ulations of all kinds. Stress can be

exacerbated by th e time of the year, weather pa tterns, or

durin g reprod uctive an d rear ing times. As ORV and recre-

ational use increases, we must pay greater attention to h owthis increased stress im pacts wildlife pop ulations.

This was excerpted from the Petition to Enhance and

Expand Regulations Governing t he Adm inistration of Recre-

ational Off-Road Vehicles on Nation al Forests. The 188 page

petition is available on our w eb site or from our off ice.

References

Ader, R. 1975 . Early experience and hormones: em otional

behavior and ad renocortical formation. Pages 7-33 in B.E.

Eleftheriou and R.L. Sprott, editors. Hormon al Correlatesof Behavior. Vol. 1. A lifespan view. Plenum Press, NY.

Anderse n, D.E., O.J. Rongstad, and W.R. Mytton . 1986. The

behavioral response of red-tailed hawk to m ilitary training

activity. Raptor Res. 20:65-68.

Anderse n, D.E., O.J. Rongstad, and W.R. Mytton . 1990. Home -

range changes in raptors exposed to increased hum an

activity levels in southeastern Colorado. Wildlife Society

Bulletin 18:134-142.

Anderson, D.W., and J.O. Keith. 1980. The hum an influence

on seabird nesting success: Conservation implications.

Biological Conservat ion 18:65-80.

which docum ent similar impacts in the same habitat type or

provides a brief explana tion of a particular impact attributable

to recreational disturban ce. Since th ere are relatively few

studies in the literature wh ich directly evaluate th e impacts of

ORV disturban ce on wildlife, the majority of th e stud ies

sum mar ized in the Petition reflect the impact of other form s of

recreational disturban ce on wildlife. There is no legitimate

evidence to suggest that the disturbance impacts caused by

mo torboats, hikers, anglers, or automo biles are not similar to

those w hich are in heren t to ORV activity. Indeed, con sidering

the noise, pollution, mob ility, speed, p hysical imp acts, and

general disrup tiveness of ORV use o n the landscape, it is quite

prob able that ORVs result in m ore, not less, disturban ce

impacts to wildlife.

Case StudiesIn birds of prey, nesting failures (Boeker and Ray 1971),

lowered nesting su ccess (Wiley 1975 , White and Thu row

1985 ), displacemen t (Ande rsen et a l. 1986), and chan ges in

wintering distribution an d beh avior (Stalmaster an d Newma n

1978) were documen ted in response to human disturbance.

In their study of hom e-range changes in raptors exposed

to increased hu ma n a ctivity levels, Ande rsen et al. (1990 )docum ented th at increased military use in a site previously

subject to low hu man use resulted in a shift in hom e range and

activity areas for several raptorial species including red -tailed

hawks, golden eagles, ferru ginous h awks, and Swainsons

hawks. In addition , the raptors increased th e size of the area

used an d increased movements outside of the p reviously used

areas, except du ring m ilitary use activities when several birds

rema ined in isolated areas within their hom e ranges. Two

birds, a ferruginous h awk and a Swainson s hawk com pletely

abandon ed the area not return ing until the following spring

Montana Department of Livestock hazing bison off of Horse Butte on the

Gallatin National Forest outs ide of Yellowston e National Park. Repeated

hazings like this have led to premature labor, excessive stress resulting in

death, and ot her impacts. Buffalo Field Campaign photo.


10/16


Barre tt, A.M., and M.A. Stockham. 1963. The effect of housing

conditions an d simple experimen tal procedures upon the

corticosterone level in the plasma of rabbits. J. Endocrinol.

26:97-105.

Boeker, E.L., an d T.D. Ray. 1971. Golden eagle population

studies in the Southwest. Condor 73:463-467.

Bury, R.B., R.A. Luckenbach, and S.D. Busack. 197 7. The

effects of off-road vehicles on vertebrate s in the California

desert. Wildlife Res. Repts., No. 8 , U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Wash ington, DC.

Craighead, F.C., Jr., and D.P. Minde ll. 1981. Nesting raptors in

western Wyoming, 1947 and 1975. J. Wildl. Manage.

45:865-872.

Dekker, D. 1967. Disappearance of the peregrine falcon as a

breeding bird in a river valley in AB. Blue Jay 25: 175-176.

Dunstan, T.C. 196 8. Breeding success of osprey in Minnesota

from 19 63 to 19 68. Loon 40 :109-112.

Enderson, J.H., and J. Craig. 1974. Status of the peregrine

falcon in the Rocky Mountains. Auk. 91: 727-736.

Friend , T.H., C.E. Polan , F.C. Gwazdauskas, and C.W. Hea ld.

1977 . Adrenal glucocorticosteroid respon se to exogenous

adrenocorticotropin mediated by density and social

disruption in lactating cows. J. Dairy Sci. 60:1958-1963.

Friend , T.H., F.C. Gwazdauskas, an d E. Polan . 197 9. Change in

adrenal response from free-stall competition. J. Dairy Sci.62:768-771.

Fyfe, R., 1969 . The Peregrine Falcon in Northern Canada.

Pages 101-114 in J.J. Hickey, editor. Peregrine falcon

populations: their biology and decline. University of

Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Geist, V. 1978. Behavior. Pages 283-296 in J.L. Schm idt and

D.L. Gilbert, editors, Big Gam e of North America: Ecology

and Management. Stackpole Books. Harrisburg,

Penn sylvania, USA.

Gutzwiller, K.J. 1991 . Assessing recreational impacts on

wildlife: The value an d de sign of experim ents.

Transa ctions of the 56th North Ame rican Wildlife and

Natural Resources Conference. 248-255.

Hartma n, H., P. Hielman , H. Meyer, and G. Steinbach. 1976.General adaptive syndrome in calf. Effect of increased

glucocorticosteroid levels on phagosytosis activity of

leukocytes RES function, and morphology of lymph atic

organs. Arch. Exp. Veterinaermed. 30:59-73.

Harlow, H.J., E.T. Thorne, E.S. Williams, E.L. Belden, and W.A.

Gern. 1987. Adrenal responsiveness in dom estic sheep

(Ovis aries) to acute and chronic stressors as predicted by

remote monitoring of cardiac frequency. Canadian Journal

of Zoology 65: 2021-2027.

Huber, H., and S.D. Douglas. 1971. Functional impairm ent of

lymphocytes and monocytes: assessme nt in vitro. Semin.

Hematol. 8:192-215.

Jense n, M.M., and A.F. Rasm ussen . 1970. Adrenogenic stress

and susceptibility to infection. Pages 7-19 in B.L. Welch

and A.S. Welch, editors. Physiological Effect of Noise.

Plenum Press, New York.

Knight, R.L., and D.N. Cole. 1991. Effects of recreat ional

activity on wildlife in wildlands. Trans. 56th North

American Wildl. & Nat. Res. Conf.

Levenson, H., And J.R. Koplin. 1984. Effects of human act ivity

on production of nesting ospreys. Journal of Wildlife

Manage. 48(4):1374 -1377.

Luckenbach , R.A. 1978. An Analysis of Off-road Vehicle Use

on Desert Avifaunas. In Transactions of the 43rd North

American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference.

Wildlife Management Institute, Washington, DC.

McNutty, K.P., and D.C. Thurley. 197 3. The episodic nature of

changes in bovine plasma cortisol levels and the ir

response to adren aline d uring adaptation to a new

environment. J. Endocrinol. 59:171-180.

Paap e, M.J., W.D. Schultze, and R.M. Miller. 1973. Leukocytic

response to adrenocorticotrophic horm one as influenced

by the infectious history of the mammary gland. J. Dairy

Sci. 56:733-737.

Paul, M.E., R. Kvetna nsky, H. Cramer, S. Silbergeld, and I.H.

Kopin. 1971. Imm obilization stress induced changes for

adren ocortical and m edullary cycle AMP content in the

rat. Endocrinology 88:338-344.

Portnoy, J.W. 1974. Some Ecological and Behavioral Aspects of

a Nest ing Population of Red-shouldered Hawks. Thesis.

Univers ity of Massachuse tts, Amherst, MA, USA.

Roth, J.A. 1984. Imm unosupp ression and imm unom odulation

in bovine respiratory disease. Pages 143-192 in R.L. Loan,

editor. Bovine re spiratory disease : a symp osium, Amarillo,

TX, 1983. Texas A&M University Press, College Station ,

TX.

Sapolsky, R.M. 1983. Individual differences in cortisol

secretory patterns in the wild baboon: role of negative

feedback sensitivity. Endocrinology 113:2263-2267.

Selye, H. 1950 . The physiology and pathology of exposure to

stress. ACTA, Inc. Medical Publishers, Montreal.Stalmaster, M.V., and J.R. Newman. 1978. Behavioral resp onses

of wintering bald eagles to hum an activity. J. Wildl.

Manage. 42:506-513.

Stein, M., R.C. Schiavi, and M. Cam erino. 1976. Influence of

brain and behavior on the imm une system. Science

191:435-440.

Swenson , J.E. 1975. Ecology of the Bald Eagle and Osp rey in

Yellowstone National Park. Masters Thesis. Montana

State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.

Titus, J.R. and L.W. VanDruff. 1981. Response of the com mon

loon to recreational pressure in the Boundary Waters Cano

Area, northeastern Minnesota. Wildl. Mongr. 79.

Van Mourik, S., and T. Stelmasiak. 198 4. Adrenal response to

aCTH stimulation in Rusa deer (Cervus rusa tim orens is).Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A, 79A:581-584.

Van Mourik, S., T. Stem asiak, and K.H. Outch. 1985. Changes

in plasma levels of cortisol and coricosterone after acute

ACTH stimulation in Rusa deer (Cervus rusa timorensis).

Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A, 81A:545-549.

Voous, K.H. 1977 . Three lines of thought for consideration an d

eventual action. Pages 343-347 in R.D. Chancellor, ed itor.

World Conference on Birds of Prey: Report of Proceedings.

Int. Counc. For Bird Preserv., Cambridge, U.K.

White, C.M. and T.L. Thurow. 1985. Reproduct ion of

ferruginous hawks exposed to controlled disturbance.

Condor87:14-22.

Wiley, J.W. 1975. The nesting and rep roductive success of red-

tailed hawks and red-shouldered hawks in Oran ge County,California, 1973. Condor77:133-139.

Yarm oloy, C., M. Bayer, and V. Geist. 1988. Behavior respon ses

and reproduction of mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus,

does following experimental harassment with an all-

terrain vehicle. Canadian Field-Natur. 102:425-429.

Zarn, M. 1974. Habitat Management Series for Unique or

Endangered Species: Osprey. U.S. Departm ent of Interior,

Bureau of Land Management, Tech. Not. 254 .


11/16


Regional Reports & Alerts

Land Board OKs Bulldozingin Arizona Wilderness Area

In two decision s issued in November 1 999, the Inter ior

Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) affirmed BLM decisions to

authorize a hobby ranchers bulldozing to reconstruct long-

deserted jeep road s to abando ned livestock water develop-

men ts in and aroun d Peeples Canyon.

Peeples Canyon is the center piece of the Arrastra Moun-

tain Wildern ess in western Arizona and arguably the single

most famous featu re in any Arizon a BLM Wildern ess. The BLM

describes Peeples Canyon as a rare and lush riparian h abitat

in the midst of a r ugged desert as having exceptional

wilderness values and as an examp le of the rarest an d

mo st produ ctive wildlife habitat in wester n Arizona. Arizona

has classified th e stream in Peeples Canyon as a Unique

Water, a designation reserved for water bodies tha t are of

exceptional recreation al or eco logical significance becau se of

[their] unique attributes.

These app roved road p rojects will devastate the w ilder-

ness q ualities of Peeples Canyon and the Arrastra Moun tain

Wildern ess. Accord ing to the BLMs environ me ntal assess-

men t, reconstruction of the abandon ed road in PeeplesCanyon will require major and extensive earthm oving

work on a steep slope. According to the Range Improvemen t

Plan EA, this work and th e subseq uen t motor vehicle use will

create a motor veh icle route within Peeples Canyon that:

would look maintained an d appear to casual observers

as a road receiving regular and con tinuou s use;

will create long-term and perm anen t visual impacts

in Peeples Canyon that will violate the BLMs m anagem ent

standards for Wilderness;

may cause the raptors for which Peeples Canyon is

famou s, including p eregrine falcons, to be forced off their

nests during nesting season by th e presence and disturbance

of hum ans an d vehicles and to abandon the area as a n esting

site for tracts less expo sed to h um an a ctivity; and

may cau se siltation of Unique Water of Peeples Canyon

Creek, despite the fact that this degradation o f water qu ality is

forbidden by Arizon a law an d by th e Clean Water Act.

By affirm ing th e two BLM decisions, th e IBLA sum marily

rejected appeals and argum ents by a coalition of con servation

organizations. Their appeals were based on th e WildernessActs pro hibition of r oads and the Acts com man d th at th e BLM

preserve the wildern ess character of the area. They also

argue d th at th e BLM had violate d th e NEPA by failing to

consider several alternatives that would h ave avoided bu lldoz-

ing roads in the Wilderness. The appellants may petition

Secretary Babbitt to overturn the d ecisions.

These decisions are so offensive to the concep t of wilder-

ne ss that Judge Terry of the IBLA cou ld affirm th em on ly by

disavowing the word ing of the Wildern ess Act. He incon gru-

ously declared that the Arrastra Wilderness is no t a hom og-

enous area where th e earth and its comm unity of life are

untrammeled by man. Instead of following the Acts explicit

requirement to preserve wilderness character, he read into the

Act an in tent to crea te a balance of interests between

wilderness p rotection and development.

At this point in time, the BLM decisions have been

affirme d by th e Inter ior Board o f Lan d App eals (IBLA), bu t the

BLM is reconsidering them. For the moment, the BLM is

holding back th e bulldozer.

Letters to BLM Director Tom Fry, Inter ior Secre tary Bruce

Babbitt, and Assistant Secretary Sylvia Baca would be helpful.

Babbitt has the authority to review decisions of the IBLA.

Points to include in your letters:

Implementation of these decisions is contrary to

nation al BLM wilderness m ana gemen t policy and would cause

a tragic loss of wilderne ss values.

The decision wou ld set a terrible preceden t for future

wilderness m ana gemen t by the BLM. Arizona was the first state to have large areas of

designated BLM wilderness, with the Arrastra Mountain

Wildern ess the largest in th e state. Peeples Canyon is the

centerpiece of this wilderness and arguably the single most

famous feature in any Arizona BLM wilderness. It is not

acceptable to bulldoze a road within an y wilderness.

The wildern ess legacy of the Interior Depar tmen t, and

the cred ibility of the BLM as a wilderness m anagem ent agency,

are at stake.

The BLM mu st consider alternatives that would avoid

bulldozing roads within the Wildern ess.

Ask the Secretary to vacate th e decision s of the IBLA.

Send letters to:

Mr. Tom Fry, Actin g Directo r

United States Bureau of Land Mana gemen t

184 9 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20240

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt

Assistant Secretary of the Interior Sylvia Baca

US Departmen t of the Interior

184 9 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20240

ema il: bruce_bab [email protected]

The old jeep road into Peeples Canyon, now impassable, that would be

reopened by a bulldozer. Joseph Feller photo.


12/16


Cartoon by Jacob Marcinek.

Reprinted from the Montana Kaimin, Apr 5, 2000.

NWEA Shuts Down Okanogan RoadsA recent legal ruling by a federal judge signifies a turn ing

point in th e man agemen t of roads on ou r National Forests. In a

case inter preting Section 8(b) of National Forest Managem ent

Act (NFMA) for th e first tim e, Judge Barbara Rothst ein, o f the

Seattle Circuit Court, this March r uled in favor o f the North -

west Ecosystem Alliance claims th at the Okanogan National

Forest (ONF) was no t keeping prop er inventor y or con trol of

old logging roads. The case, NWEA v. USFS, was initiated in

1996 after th e agency failed to respond to con cern s raised byconser vationists. SeeRIPorter1:6.

The h eart of th e m atter is that the ONF, like m ost Nation al

Forests, is overridden w ith roads. Many o f the road s are ghost

roads, existing on the ground but n ot on maps or inventories.

These roads deliver sediment to streams and provide ready

access for w ildlife-disturbing vehicles, even th ough the

governme nt fails to acknowledge their existence.

Two ma jor argumen ts were presen ted, both favorably

resolved in NWEAs favor. First, NWEA argu ed that the ONF

violated a requirement of NFMA, which directs the USFS to

have a comprehensive inventory of its road system to properly

man age both the roads and their impacts upon the land.

Section 8(b) requires th e Forest Service to main tain an accurate

inventory of roads in its transportation system . Any tem poraryroads (e.g., logging spurs), not inten ded to b e par t of the

perman ent road system, are to be closed and revegetated

within ten years. The Cour t agreed and ordere d the ONF to

develop an accurate road inventory and ensure that temporary

roads be closed and revegetated within ten years. While the

Judge left open the qu estion of what m echanism would be

used (NWEA argued the Forest Service must pro-actively close

and o bliterate these roads, rather than trusting fate to do so),

she reaffirmed that all temporary roads m ust be designed to

revegetate n aturally within a decad e.

Second, the ONF was failing to im plemen t its own Land

and Resource Managemen t Plan (LRMP) with respect to road

densities. Many designations within the LRMP (or so-called

Forest Plan) of a NF carry roa d den sity limitations n eeded to

protect h abitat quality of wildlife ran ging from dee r to grizzly

bears. In oth er areas, road density standard s are based on

different concerns, such as salmon habitat, water quality

needs, or recreational and aesthetic criteria. Where a manage-

men t area has a higher den sity of roads than the Plan allows,

the agen cy must close an d revegetate the excess m ileage.

NWEA illustrated to the Court that the ONF was in violation of

these standards for app roximately 40% of its managemen t

areas. The judge directed the agency to complete an inventory

of its roads and a dopt a closure sche dule (after securing

NWEAs agreem en t) tha t mee ts Fore st Plan com mitm en ts.

Judge Rothstein a greed that th e governm ents lackluster

appr oach th at allows our forests to decline gradua lly and

hap hazardly into par king lots is illegal and u naccep table. This

ruling can be app lied to almost every forest in the n ation

these issues presen t in the ONF being end emic to the entire

forest systemto bring the road system back under control.

It also is worth no ting that this ruling reinforces the n eed

for the Clinton Administrations emerging National Forest

roads p olicy to be firm an d aggressive.

Park Service Bans SnowmobilesOn April 27, 2000, th e National Park Service (NPS) issued a

broad ban on recreational use of snowmobiles at most n ational

parks, recreational areas and monuments, parkways, historic

sites, an d scen ic trails. Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish an d

Wildlife an d Parks, Dona ld Barry said the NPS would imm edi-ately enforce existing NPS national regulations regarding

snowmobile use. The net effect of this renewed enforcement

effort will be the significant red uction o f recreational

snowm obiling in mo st units of the System. The snowm obiles

have had significant adverse environm ental effects on th e

park system, the agency said.

Only those units that had com pleted impact assessments

enab ling u se, or had ongoing assessm ents (like Yellowstone)

could allow snowm obiles. The ban doesn t include parks in

Alaska and the Voyageurs National Park in Minneso ta, whe re

Congress sp ecifically allows snowmo bile use, or wh ere they

are need ed to access adjacent private land s or inho ldings.

Yellowston e & Gran d Teton NP, where sn owm obiling h as

been the focus of inten se controversy, an on going Winter Use

EIS is studying the impacts o f snowm obiles. The preferred

Altern ative in the Yellowston e EIS would ban all snowm obile

use in th e Park, opting instead to allow access by snowcoach .

Deputy Park Director Denis Galvin said, this [growing]

concern abou t snowmo biles has been triggered in part by th e

on-going winter use plann ing for Yellowstone and Grand Teton

National Parks, which h as focused on the significant ad verse

environm ental effects generated by he avy snowmo bile activity

in those parks.

More than 180,000 snowm obiles were used du ring winter

mon ths in the n ational park system and critics complain that

they p ollute the air, create excessive noise, dam age wildlife

hab itat, and in terrup t wintering behavior, and generally

disrupt the Park environm ent.

The action cam e in respo nse to a p etition filed by the BlueWater Network and m ore than 60 group s, including

WIldlandsCPR, claiming th e NPS has not enforced its own

regulation s. Those regulations, dating back to the 1 970s,

require close m onitoring of sn owmo biles and oth er ORVs in

parks, and a ban if they harm the environmen t.

The Park Service ackn owledged tha t in violation of its own

regulation s, it has failed to mo nitor adeq uately the imp act of

the pop ular recreational vehicles on the park en vironm ent.

This led to a lawsuit by The Ecology Center, Inc., the Fund for

Anim als, and oth ers again st Yellowston e Nation al Park . Tha t


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lawsuit sparked off th e curr ent Winter Use EIS, and provided

the NPS with a wake u p call that they were vulnerable to

lawsuits at man y of its other u nitshence the p roactive ban .

The time h as com e for the National Park Service to pull

in its welcome mat for recreational sn owm obiling, Assistant

Interior Secretary Donald J. Barry said. He called snowm obiles

noisy, antiquated mach ines that are no longer welcome in our

national parks. The sn owmobile industry h as had many years

to clean u p th eir act and they h avent, said Barry.

Skid MarksSkid Marks, WCPRs (usually) biweekly e ma il newslett er,

repor ts on activist efforts to challenge road s and m otorized

recreation. Skid Marks shares instructive and p receden t-setting

successes and failures in the campaign to halt motorized abuseof wildland ecosystem s. Keep in tou ch with u s about you r ORV

and ro ad work. Questions sh ould be sen t to Jacob Smith at

prebles@indra .com. Please send e-m ail action alerts [email protected]. To sub scribe, send a n em ail to

[email protected] with the following in the bod y of your

email message: subscribe skidmarks [your email address]

Farmer Crushes Snowmobile with TractorThe Edmonton Journal repor ted April 11 tha t a farmer

from Stony Plain, Canada is on trial for destroying a snowm o-

bile and da maging an othe r with h is 10-ton tractor. Seven

snowmobilers entered the farm through a gate, claiming theno trespassing sign was for the n eighboring field. The farm er

then drove his tractor onto one snowmobile while it was

stalled at the bottom of a ravine an d lowered the tractorsplow-blade onto an other p arked nearby, causing minor

damage. The remaining snowmobilers headed for the gate, but

the farm ers broth er locked it and called the Moun ties. The

farmer claims the tractor h ad a quirky clutch that caused th e

mach ine to lurch forward un expectedly. A repair sho p esti-mated it would take $6,170 to fix the flattened snowmo bile,

more th an twice what it is worth.

BLM Closes Part of San Rafael SwellThe BLM issued an emergency ORV closure order for six

Wildern ess Study Areas in sou theastern Utahs San Rafael

Swell, and closed all but four ro utes in a seventh poten tial

wilderness are a. They justified the closures, issued March 21,on the b asis of significant dam age to soils, vegetation , and

other natu ral resources. Hill climbing and o ther cross cou ntry

travel have been among the most significant problems here.

While applauding the closures, South ern Utah Wildern ess

Alliance is concer ned because the four ORV routes left open by

the BLM are am ong th e mo st severely dama ged in the area .SUWA is the lead organ ization o n a recen t lawsuit to pro tectmillion s of acres of po tential wilderness from ORV use.

The closure orde r app lies to all vehicles in the Mudd y

Creek, Devils Canyon , Crack Canyon , San Rafael Reef, Horse-shoe Canyon , and Mexican Mountain Wilderness Study Areas.

The four o pen routes a re located in the Sids Mountain WSA.

For m ore inform ation abo ut th e closures p lease visit the BLMweb site (www.ut.blm.gov) or view the Federal Register notice:

www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a0003 21c.htm l.

Backcountry Yurt Destroyed by FireThe smoldering remains of a $20,000 14-person back-

coun try shelter were discovered April 3. The yurt, located on

Idahos Sawtooth National Forest, had been rented out by

skiers and sn owshoer s for 18 years. Fire investigators deter-mine d that th e fire was deliberately set. Suspicions th at

snowmobilers are responsible for the blaze are running high,

especially becau se th e yu rt belon ged to Sun Valley Trekkingowne r Bob Jona s, a local advocate for restr icting sn owm obile

use in par ts of the Forest. The area aro un d the yur t was heavily

tracked by snowmobiles when the remains were discovered.Some are con cerne d the arson will derail efforts by the

skiing and sn owmobile commun ities to agree on a zoning

map an effort wh ich shou ld be com pleted by October. Of

the seven backcou ntry ski hu ts in the Sun Valley area, theBoulder Hut was the m ost po pular an d a favorite with fam ilies.

Im very up set about th is action an d the steady erosion o f the

hu t skier experience by p owder sledders. However, far more

important than the m aterial loss of a h ut is the preservation of

a quality experience for both u ser groups, now and into the

future. We mu st act now to zone th ose expe riences, explainedJonas.

The Blaine Coun ty Sheriffs Departm ent has prom ised to

investigate the a rson. The Nordic and Backcoun try Skiers

Alliance, the Idah o State Snowmo bile Association, and othe rshave contributed to a $4,500 reward for information.

BLM Sued for Violating ESAOn March 16, a coalition of environm ental groups,

includ ing th e Cente r for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, an d

Public Emp loyees for Environmen tal Responsibility filed suitagainst the BLM. They claim ed th at th e BLM violated the ESA

by failing to ana lyze th e effects of the 1980 Californ ia Desert

Conser vation Area Plan on protected species. Although issuedin 198 0, the BLM has never fully implem ented the Plans

conservation section, nor have they properly considered the

Plans overall effects on threaten ed an d en dan gered species.BLM is usin g a 20-yea r old p lan th at allows h igh levels of ORV

use on sensitive, fragile desert hab itats, says Daniel Patterson,dese rt eco logist with th e Cente r for Biological Diversity. TheBLM will have to consu lt with th e Fish an d Wildlife Service on

the p lan across th e Californ ia desert to con sider its overall

effects on 24 listed species. We anticipate BLM will be requiredto close an d revegetate routes an d red uce ORV use, especially

on critical hab itat.

El Mirage Dry Lake. BLM Open Area. Howard Wilshire photo.


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15/16


Wildlands CPR Publications:Road-Ripper's Handbook ($15.00, $25 non-members) A

compreh ensive activist m anu al that includes the five Guideslisted below, plus The Ecological Effects of Roads, Gather-ing Information with the Freedom of Information Act, andmore!

Road-Ripper's Guide to the National Forests ($4, $7 non-mem-

bers)By Keith Hamm er. How-to procedure s for gettingroads closed and revegetated, descriptions of environm en-tal laws, road den sity standards & Forest Service road poli-cies.

Road-Ripper's Guide to the National Parks ($4, $7 non-mem-bers)By David Bahr & Aron Yarm o. Provides ba ckgroun don th e National Park System and its use of roads, and ou t-lines how activists can get involved in NPS planning.

Road-Ripper's Guide to the BLM ($4, $7 non-members)ByDan Stotter. Provides an overview of road-related land a ndresource laws, and d etailed discussions for participating inBLM decision-making processes.

Road-Ripper's Guide to Off-Road Vehicles ($4, $7 non-mem-bers)By Dan Wright. A com preh ensive guide to reduc-ing the use an d abuse o f ORVs on pu blic lands. Includes anextensive bibliography.

Road-Rippers Guide to Wildland Road Removal ($4, $7 non-members)By Scott Bagley. Provides tech nical inform a-tion on road construction and removal, where and why

roads fail, and h ow you can effectively assess road removal

projects.

Trails of Destruction ($10)By Friends o f the Earth and Wild-land s CPR, written by Erich Pica and Jacob Smith . This

repor t explains the ecological imp acts of ORVs, federal fund-

ing for motorized recreation on pub lic lands, and the ORV

industrys role in pu shing th e ORV agenda.

Bibliographic Services:Ecological Impacts of Roads: A Bibliographic Database (Up-

date d Feb. 1998) Edited b y Reed Noss. Com piled by Dave

Augeri, Mike Eley, Steve Hump hrey, Reed Noss, Paul Pacquet

& Susan Pierce. Contains a ppr ox. 6,000 citations includ-

ing scientific literature on erosion, fragmentation, sedimen -

tation, pollution, effects on wildlife, aquatic and hydrologi-

cal effects, and other information on the impacts of roads.Use the ecological literature to un derstand an d develop road

density standards, priorities for road removal, and other

road issues.

Database SearchesWe will search th e Bibliography on thesubjects that interest you, and provide results in IBM or

Macintosh form at (specify software), or on pap er. We also

have prepa red a 1-disk Bibliograph ic Sum mar y with results

for comm on ly requested searche s. Finally, we offer the full

bibliography. However, you m ust h ave Pro-Cite or a com -

patible database program in o rder to use it.

Bibliography prices Prices are base d on a sliding scale. Callfor details.

WILDLA N DS CPR MEMBERSH IP/ORDER FORM

Please send this form and your check (payable to Wildlands CPR)to the address below. Thank you!

Wildlands CPR PO Box 7516 Missoula, Montana 59807

Prices include shipping: for Priority Mail add $3.00 per item;for Canadian orders, add $6.00 per item.

International Membership $30 MinimumAll prices in U.S. Dollars

Ask about reduced rates for items ordered in bulk.

Phone/E-mail

Affiliation

I want to join (or renew my membership with)Wildlands CPR:

Address

Name

Type of Membership: Individual Organization

Other$30 standard

$50 business

$15 low-income

$100$250

Send me these Wildlands CPR Publications:

Qty: Title/Price Each: Total:

Total of all items:

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16/16

Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads

P.O. Box 7516

Missoula, MT 59807

Visions...

Non-profit Organization

US POSTAGEPAID

MISSOULA, MT 59801PERMIT NO. 569

The Road-RIPorter is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled, process chlorine-free bleached paper.

Take one trip overland here and youll know foreverthat a road in the jungle is a sweet, flat, impossible

dream. The soil falls apart. The earth melts into red

gashes like the m ouths of whales. Fungi and vines

throw a blanket over the face of the dead land. Its

simple, really when you clear off part of the plate,

the w hole slides into ruin.

Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible .

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