Some Hope for ONce

[OldGreen]

Legislation to be introduced in Congress that supports greater access to public lands[RIGHT][url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/BHFRPKGAYI/6708568291"]Take Action![/url][/RIGHT]
Contact your Representative today! Representative and Majority Whip [url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/OWQUPKGAYJ/6708568291"]Kevin McCarthy[/url] (R-CA) along with Representative [url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/MQGWPKGAYK/6708568291"]Rob Bishop[/url] (R-UT), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands and Representative [url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/LFVUPKGAYL/6708568291"]Steve Pearce[/url] (R-NM), Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus plan to introduce the [url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/JSULPKGAYM/6708568291"]Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011[/url] shortly. This bill would remove restrictions to motorized access on more than 40 million acres of public land nationwide.The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) support this bill and applaud McCarthy, Bishop and Pearce for helping every American achieve greater access to our public lands. On April 5, 2011, the AMA and ATVA sent McCarthy a letter of support for this bill. To view the letter, [url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/GLEJPKGAYN/6708568291"]click here[/url].
The Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act would remove the riding ban on 6.7 million acres managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and riding restrictions that may be in place for 36.1 million acres of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land.
"As strong supporters of multiple-use principles for our public lands, we should release public lands from restrictive management practices that are unnecessary," McCarthy told his colleagues. "This bill also would preserve and strengthen the robust local land management planning process by returning emphasis to local stakeholders and local communities who know best how to manage their public lands rather than bureaucrats here in Washington."
Specifically, this bill would "release" all Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) controlled by the BLM and Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) managed by the USFS that have been determined by land managers to be unsuitable for congressional Wilderness land-use designations. Motorized recreation is banned on Wilderness land.
Moreover, this legislation would terminate the U.S. Department of the Interior [url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/DJBIPKGAYO/6708568291"]Secretarial Order 3310[/url]. On Dec. 22, 2010, Interior [url="http://capwiz.com/amacycle/utr/1/OBZDPKFZTJ/KGDZPKGAYP/6708568291"]Secretary Ken Salazar[/url] signed Secretarial Order 3310 creating a new land-use designation called Wild Lands that essentially allows officials in the BLM to manage public land as if it had received a "Wilderness" land-use designation from Congress, but without requiring congressional approval.
The AMA and ATVA support appropriate Wilderness designations that meet the criteria established by the Wilderness Act of 1964. However, we agree with McCarthy that the Secretarial Order appears to undermine this law. A Wilderness designation is one of the strictest forms of public land management. Once Congress designates an area as Wilderness, nearly all forms of non-pedestrian recreation are prohibited.
The Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act is long overdue and the AMA and ATVA thank McCarthy, Bishop and Pearce for introducing it. For years, anti-access groups have used WSAs and other tactics to inappropriately keep responsible riders off public land that is well suited for motorized recreation.
The AMA and ATVA need you to contact your Representative now to urge them to become an original cosponsor to the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011. Just follow the "Take Action" option to send a pre-written e-mail directly to your Representative.

[Grumpy]

Jimmy, this one is part of what I was talking about tonight. Thanks for putting it up. I'll get the Herger info up as soon as I can...

[Grumpy]

Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act
Purpose & Summary
Purpose
Relating to Wilderness Study Areas Currently the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages over 8.7M acres of Wilderness Areas (WA). In addition, BLM manages over 12.27M acres in 546 Wilderness Study Areas (WSA). Under current law, no commercial activities, motorized access, or roads, structures, and facilities are generally permitted in WAs or WSAs. BLM has recommended that 6.72M acres of WSAs under its jurisdiction are not suitable for a wilderness designation, but because of current law, these areas must be managed as if they are a WA until Congress acts to release them. WAs and WSAs place restrictive use limitations on Federal lands that could otherwise be used for environmentally friendly resource development, motorized access and recreation, and public enjoyment. BLM, the Federal land management agency responsible for studying, managing and maintaining these lands, has recommended 6.72M acres of WSAs as not suitable for a wilderness area. However, Congress must act to release theses areas, otherwise BLM must continue to manage these lands as wilderness.
Relating to Interior Secretarial Order 3310 On December 22, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior issued Order 3310 directing BLM to review multiple use lands with wilderness characteristics and designate them as Wild Lands. This action limits many activities, similar to WSA restrictions, that can occur on them. Under the Wilderness Act, only Congress has the right to designate wilderness areas. However, Secretarial Order 3310 appears to undermine this law. In addition, Order 3310 re-opens the review process of BLM lands with what appears to be the intent of creating new wilderness areas using a disputed interpretation of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Secretarial Order 3310 is unnecessary as BLM is already required under current law to review and develop land management plans for individual units as appropriate. This process involves local BLM officials, stakeholders, and surrounding communities working together to manage these lands for multiple use and conservation. Secretarial Order 3310 not only undermines this process, but could potentially place millions of acres of BLM land off limits as Wild Lands without congressional approval.
Relating to Inventoried Roadless Areas In 1979, the United States Forest Service (USFS) released its second Roadless Area and Review Evaluation (RARE II), which identified roadless areas in the National Forest System. RARE II recommended 15M acres to be designated as wilderness, 36.1M acres as not suitable for wilderness, and 10.7M acres needed further study. In 2001, the Clinton Administration issued a nationwide rule governing the management of all Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs), regardless of an individual area’s wilderness suitability, which prohibited, with certain exemptions, new road construction, timber
harvesting, and many other uses. This rule has been both struck down and reinstated by the courts. Local USFS officials, in conjunction with local stakeholders and surrounding communities through the forest planning process, know best how to manage these lands for multiple-use and conservation. However, the 2001 rule supersedes local planning decisions and places restrictive land management requirements on IRAs, including those not deemed suitable for wilderness, which could be managed for multiple-use.
With Regard to the 2001 & 2005 Roadless Rules In 2001, the Clinton Administration issued a nationwide rule directing the management of IRAs regardless of the USFS wilderness recommendations and that superseded local planning processes. This rule was struck down in court, and the Bush Administration issued a new rule in 2005 that required states to take joint responsibility with USFS in how IRAs were designated and managed. However, this rule was struck down in court and the 2001 rule has subsequently been reinstated. Under current law, USFS is required to review individual forest units’ plan management policies from time to time, but at least every 15 years. The 2001 rule supersedes a robust locally- and individual forest unit-oriented planning process that allows stakeholders and surrounding communities to work with local USFS officials to develop land use plans that best balances multiple-use and conservation.
Summary
Relating to Wilderness Study Areas This legislation would release Wilderness Study Areas recommended by BLM as not-suitable for a Wilderness Area designation from the requirement under current law (Section 603(c) of FLMPA) that these areas be managed as wilderness.
o The bill directs BLM to manage the released lands in accordance with multiple-use and sustained-yield provisions of Section 202 of FLMPA. This legislation would terminate Secretarial Order 3310 with regard to the released WSAs and prohibit the Interior Secretary from issuing a national regulation or directive that directs how released lands will be managed.
Relating to Inventories Roadless Areas This legislation would release roadless areas within the National Forest System, which have been recommended as not suitable for a wilderness designation by the Forest Service (as part of the second Roadless Area Review and Evaluation Program) from being managed to maintain roadless characteristics/values, as well as any land-use restrictions imposed the lands as part of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule or the 2005 State Petition Rule.
o The bill directs the Forest Service to manage the released roadless areas in accordance the principles of the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960. This legislation would terminate the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and the 2005 State Petition Rule with regard to release roadless areas, and prohibit the Agriculture Secretary from issuing a national regulation or directive that directs how released roadless areas will be managed.