Blog Archives for April, 2009

By Bethanie Walder - April 30, 2009    In FY 2008, the Forest Service received $39.4 million for the new Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative.  These funds were designated to protect and restore aquatic habitat for threatened or endangered fish, and clean drinking water for communities.  The money was allocated for watershed restoration through road reclamation of unneeded roads and culvert upgrades/critical maintenance on needed Forest Service roads.

By Bethanie Walder - April 27, 2009    The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a new report, The Bottom Line Report 2009, on national transportation needs last week.  The report was released as Congress begins discussing reauthorization of the national transportation bill.  The current bill, SAFETEA-LU expires on September 30, 2009.  For a brief review, see this article in the Wall Street Journal.

By adamswitalski - April 27, 2009    This past week, Wildlands CPR assisted The Nature Conservancy in hosting a workshop entitled, “Improving road systems in the context of watershed restoration” in Astoria, OR.  The workshop was attended by a diverse group of about 25 watershed restoration specialists from around the region.  Representatives from the Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, Washington Department of Natural Resources, NGOs, and private consultants exchanged information about planning, prioritizing, and implementing road system treatments including road decommissioning.  

By Josh Hurd - April 27, 2009    Wildlands CPR's Tom Petersen was on Montana Public Radio's "The Write Question" on Sunday, April 26. Listen to the program by clicking on the play button below. The program will air again on Thursday, April 30, from 8:30PM-8:42PM.

By Bethanie Walder - April 22, 2009    An article in this morning’s NY Times caught my eye in the hopes it might provide a good analogy to the type of watershed restoration that Wildlands CPR promotes.  While the title might seem completely unrelated to our work “An Effort to Save Flint, Mich., by Shrinking It,” the concepts in the article are dead on.   The article discusses the ongoing economic crisis in Flint, Michigan and an old concept that is gaining new steam for improving this struggling city:

By Bethanie Walder - April 22, 2009   Last week the National Rifle Association decided to weigh in on travel planning in the fashion they typically use for gun control issues – their over-exaggerated sensationalism argues that travel management planning will end hunting as we know it.  

By Adam Rissien - April 21, 2009    The Flathead NF released a decision on April 17th to protect 19.7 miles of trails between the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Jewel Basin Hiking Area (see attachment). The Bruce Creek to Alpine 7 to Napa Point Motorized Trails Project addresses ongoing concerns with motorcycle use that has led to rutting and widening of tight switchbacks. These trails have highly erosive soils on steep terrain along with a history of user conflicts. In addition to addressing these impacts, the trail protections will help move the forest towards achieving better security for grizzly bears.

By cathy - April 20, 2009    Join Wildlands CPR's on Facebook! Stay up to date on events, meetings, hearings & issues. Share discussions with other Wildland CPR members. Post photos & videos of wildlands restoration or ORV damage in your area. Meet other members! While logged into Facebook, just search for Wildlands CPR or follow this link to our group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4439775858#/group.php?gid=4439775858&ref=ts 

By cathy - April 20, 2009    ORV proponents say they are being denied the right to enjoy their property...but ORV opponents are claiming the same thing...what happens when two opposing views use the same argument to support their position? That is what might unfold tomorrow when Yakima County commissioners take up a controversial proposal on ORVs that would allow their use virtually throughout Yakima County without regulation.

By Adam Rissien - April 16, 2009   The Billings Gazette reported on a recent DVD release by several off-road vehicle activist groups that decries trail protections for sensitive places. You can see the article here: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/16/news/state/24-dvd.txt