Issue 102 - February 27, 2006
1. GROUPS TO FILE SUIT OVER GRIZZLY, BULL TROUT PROTECTIONS
2. CALIFORNIA PROTECTS DESERT STREAMS FROM OFF-ROAD ABUSE
3. HISTORIC ISRAELI SITE TO RESTRICT OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ROUTES
4. GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST MAY DECOMMISSION OLD LOGGING ROADS
5. GROUP SEEKS WILDLIFE PROTECTION ON U.S. 191
6. FORMER MOAB “ADVENTURE PARK” FREED FROM OFF-ROAD VEHICLE OVER-USE
7. PLAN TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE SAFETY ON NORTHERN IDAHO ROAD
8. NO PROGRESS IN SNOWMOBILE EMISSIONS SINCE 2001
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1. GROUPS TO FILE SUIT OVER GRIZZLY, BULL TROUT PROTECTIONS
In Montana, two conservation groups, The Swan View Coalition and Friends of the Wild Swan, have filed a notice of intent to sue the Flathead National Forest and the Secretary of the Interior for failing to provide adequate protection for grizzly bears and bull trout under the Environmental Species Act.
The Forest Service has failed to meet deadlines for implementing road-density standards, as required by the Flathead National Forest’s long-term plan, established in 1995. The Forest Service had created an amended schedule to push back the deadlines, which was approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Forest Service claims this delay will not negatively affect bull trout, which the groups dispute.
The groups also claim that the Forest Service failed to implement guidelines established by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, a panel of state and federal land/wildlife managers charged with developing a plan to help western Montana’s struggling grizzly population. Additionally, the Flathead Forest has failed to limit snowmobile access after April 1.
“The Forest Service needs to comply with standards it found necessary for the survival of the grizzly bear and the bull trout,” said Keith Hammer, chairman of the Swan View Coalition.
The groups also have separate, active lawsuits against the Flathead Forest in U.S. District Court, challenging site-specific exemptions from road-density standards.
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2. STATE OF CALIFORNIA ACTS TO PROTECT DESERT STREAMS FROM OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ABUSE WHILE BLM OBSTRUCTS
The state of California’s Off-Highway Vehicle Commission recently passed a new policy designed to protect critically endangered desert riparian ecosystems from further damage caused by illegitimate motorized use.
Off-road vehicle recreation will not be “expanded, encouraged, or maintained” on fragile desert streams land, according to the new policy.
However, the Bureau of Land Management has responded with a letter to the state opposing and resisting the conservation measures. The BLM is currently attempting to open desert streams to off-road access in places like the White Mountains and Death Valley National Park. California Senators Boxer and Feinstein have reacted, recently telling the BLM and the National Park Service they support protecting scenic desert lands from off-road vehicle degradation.
“Desert springs and streams provide extraordinary and irreplaceable wildlife habitat. The OHV Commission should be applauded for taking this action to protect desert riparian areas, and the BLM should be ashamed for attempting to obstruct this protection,” said Karen Schambach, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility’s California Director.
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3. HISTORIC ISRAELI SITE TO RESTRICT OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ROUTES
After years of battling off-road vehicle users on illegal routes, the Jewish National Fund and Israel Antiquities Authority are working to protect a priceless archaeological site and valuable habitat from motorized abuse.
The Tel Goded area, located inside Israel’s Britain Park, was first settled during the Bronze Age. The seven-acre area contains the remains of ancient buildings, a fortification dating from the Roman period, and a secret cave system used during the Bar-Kochva Rebellion.
Although there are marked routes in Britain Park for off-road vehicle users, including “extreme trails”, too many have refused to limit themselves to designated routes. Illegal trails have caused irrevocable damage to the historical site and surrounding land. A Tel Goded restoration movement is underway, and the first step is to protect the site from unauthorized motorized recreation.
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4. GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST MAY DECOMISSION OLD LOGGING ROADS
The Gallatin National Forest in Montana is proposing to decommission 47 miles of old logging roads and a 1.2 mile stretch of an unauthorized off-road vehicle route in the Bangtail Mountains, northeast of Bozeman.
Many of these roads cut through land formerly owned by Big Sky Lumber. Forest officials have known for years that the roads are causing severe erosion, and that the siltation in nearby streams is above allowable levels. There are westslope cutthroat trout in the area, an increasingly rare species. The Forest Service now has the money for the project, and expects to get started in the summer of 2006.
So far, environmentalists and motorized use advocates seem to agree that the project is a good one. “At first glance, it seems like a win for everyone,” said Patricia Dowd of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “If you do a project that improves wildlife habitat, retains access and protects water quality, we would support it.”
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5. GROUP SEEKS WILDLIFE PROTECTION ON US 191
American Wildlands, a conservation group in Bozeman, Montana, is urging the Montana Department of Transportation to include wildlife safety provisions in its planned improvements for U.S. Highway 191, south of Bozeman.
With increased development in the area, and its proximity to prime habitat, such as Yellowstone National Park, the road has become increasingly dangerous for both animals and drivers. American Wildlands aims to make the area safer for both.
Changes the group is advocating include wildlife trails beneath the highway bridges, wildlife warning signs, overpass and underpass structures with fencing to guide animals across the road, deer reflectors and whistles, and lowered speed limits.
---
6. FORMER MOAB “ADVENTURE PARK” FREED FROM OFF-ROAD VEHICLE OVER-USE
Restoration work has begun in Utah’s Moab Rim area, a parcel of which was recently acquired by the Nature Conservancy. Previously, the fragile, 160-acre desert area had been known as Moab Adventure Park, and was crisscrossed with off-road and mountain bike courses.
Now hundreds of volunteers, including off-road vehicle groups, are working to restore the area and reverse some of the damage inflicted by motorized use. Workers are reclaiming trails, building fences, removing structures, and installing signs to restrict off-road vehicles to select, designated routes.
The Nature Conservancy was especially interested in protecting the area due to its location between a wilderness study area and the Conservancy’s 890-acre Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve – the only remaining natural wetlands along the Colorado River.
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7. PLAN TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE SAFETY ON NORTHERN IDAHO ROAD
The Idaho Transportation Department is developing a plan to reduce wildlife/vehicle crashes along a particularly dangerous two-mile stretch of U.S. 95 near McArthur Lake.
The area is an important wildlife corridor between the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains, and the highway is prone to black ice. In a study 10 years ago, researchers counted about 40 moose, 40 elk, and at least 300 deer killed annually in the area in collisions with vehicles or trains on the parallel tracks.
Suggested improvements include widening, straightening, and elevating the highway to create underpasses for animals. A series of public meetings will be held to discuss the project.
Similar improvements are planned in Washington’s Cascade Range along Interstate 90, and in Montana’s Flathead Valley.
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8. NO PROGRESS IN SNOWMOBILE EMISSIONS SINCE 2001
A Yellowstone National Park study has concluded that even the cleanest snowmobiles have failed to meet projected improvements in emissions. The study demonstrates that snowcoaches are up to 41 times cleaner than the most environmentally-friendly snowmobiles in the Park. Emissions are expected to improve, as per the “best available technology” concept, when cleaner technologies are developed. Yellowstone asked snowmobile manufacturers to reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 70 percent (relative to 1999 two-stroke engines). No 2005 snowmobile has met that goal.
Bill Wade, executive director of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, has also accused the snowmobile industry of not upholding its promise to develop machines that can be held to stricter emissions standards. The industry has responded that efforts to meet new EPA fleet standards are ongoing.
Yellowstone Park is working on an environmental impact statement that will call for improved technology, but many are unsure if snowmobile manufacturers can be made to comply.
2. CALIFORNIA PROTECTS DESERT STREAMS FROM OFF-ROAD ABUSE
3. HISTORIC ISRAELI SITE TO RESTRICT OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ROUTES
4. GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST MAY DECOMMISSION OLD LOGGING ROADS
5. GROUP SEEKS WILDLIFE PROTECTION ON U.S. 191
6. FORMER MOAB “ADVENTURE PARK” FREED FROM OFF-ROAD VEHICLE OVER-USE
7. PLAN TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE SAFETY ON NORTHERN IDAHO ROAD
8. NO PROGRESS IN SNOWMOBILE EMISSIONS SINCE 2001
---
1. GROUPS TO FILE SUIT OVER GRIZZLY, BULL TROUT PROTECTIONS
In Montana, two conservation groups, The Swan View Coalition and Friends of the Wild Swan, have filed a notice of intent to sue the Flathead National Forest and the Secretary of the Interior for failing to provide adequate protection for grizzly bears and bull trout under the Environmental Species Act.
The Forest Service has failed to meet deadlines for implementing road-density standards, as required by the Flathead National Forest’s long-term plan, established in 1995. The Forest Service had created an amended schedule to push back the deadlines, which was approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Forest Service claims this delay will not negatively affect bull trout, which the groups dispute.
The groups also claim that the Forest Service failed to implement guidelines established by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, a panel of state and federal land/wildlife managers charged with developing a plan to help western Montana’s struggling grizzly population. Additionally, the Flathead Forest has failed to limit snowmobile access after April 1.
“The Forest Service needs to comply with standards it found necessary for the survival of the grizzly bear and the bull trout,” said Keith Hammer, chairman of the Swan View Coalition.
The groups also have separate, active lawsuits against the Flathead Forest in U.S. District Court, challenging site-specific exemptions from road-density standards.
---
2. STATE OF CALIFORNIA ACTS TO PROTECT DESERT STREAMS FROM OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ABUSE WHILE BLM OBSTRUCTS
The state of California’s Off-Highway Vehicle Commission recently passed a new policy designed to protect critically endangered desert riparian ecosystems from further damage caused by illegitimate motorized use.
Off-road vehicle recreation will not be “expanded, encouraged, or maintained” on fragile desert streams land, according to the new policy.
However, the Bureau of Land Management has responded with a letter to the state opposing and resisting the conservation measures. The BLM is currently attempting to open desert streams to off-road access in places like the White Mountains and Death Valley National Park. California Senators Boxer and Feinstein have reacted, recently telling the BLM and the National Park Service they support protecting scenic desert lands from off-road vehicle degradation.
“Desert springs and streams provide extraordinary and irreplaceable wildlife habitat. The OHV Commission should be applauded for taking this action to protect desert riparian areas, and the BLM should be ashamed for attempting to obstruct this protection,” said Karen Schambach, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility’s California Director.
---
3. HISTORIC ISRAELI SITE TO RESTRICT OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ROUTES
After years of battling off-road vehicle users on illegal routes, the Jewish National Fund and Israel Antiquities Authority are working to protect a priceless archaeological site and valuable habitat from motorized abuse.
The Tel Goded area, located inside Israel’s Britain Park, was first settled during the Bronze Age. The seven-acre area contains the remains of ancient buildings, a fortification dating from the Roman period, and a secret cave system used during the Bar-Kochva Rebellion.
Although there are marked routes in Britain Park for off-road vehicle users, including “extreme trails”, too many have refused to limit themselves to designated routes. Illegal trails have caused irrevocable damage to the historical site and surrounding land. A Tel Goded restoration movement is underway, and the first step is to protect the site from unauthorized motorized recreation.
---
4. GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST MAY DECOMISSION OLD LOGGING ROADS
The Gallatin National Forest in Montana is proposing to decommission 47 miles of old logging roads and a 1.2 mile stretch of an unauthorized off-road vehicle route in the Bangtail Mountains, northeast of Bozeman.
Many of these roads cut through land formerly owned by Big Sky Lumber. Forest officials have known for years that the roads are causing severe erosion, and that the siltation in nearby streams is above allowable levels. There are westslope cutthroat trout in the area, an increasingly rare species. The Forest Service now has the money for the project, and expects to get started in the summer of 2006.
So far, environmentalists and motorized use advocates seem to agree that the project is a good one. “At first glance, it seems like a win for everyone,” said Patricia Dowd of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “If you do a project that improves wildlife habitat, retains access and protects water quality, we would support it.”
---
5. GROUP SEEKS WILDLIFE PROTECTION ON US 191
American Wildlands, a conservation group in Bozeman, Montana, is urging the Montana Department of Transportation to include wildlife safety provisions in its planned improvements for U.S. Highway 191, south of Bozeman.
With increased development in the area, and its proximity to prime habitat, such as Yellowstone National Park, the road has become increasingly dangerous for both animals and drivers. American Wildlands aims to make the area safer for both.
Changes the group is advocating include wildlife trails beneath the highway bridges, wildlife warning signs, overpass and underpass structures with fencing to guide animals across the road, deer reflectors and whistles, and lowered speed limits.
---
6. FORMER MOAB “ADVENTURE PARK” FREED FROM OFF-ROAD VEHICLE OVER-USE
Restoration work has begun in Utah’s Moab Rim area, a parcel of which was recently acquired by the Nature Conservancy. Previously, the fragile, 160-acre desert area had been known as Moab Adventure Park, and was crisscrossed with off-road and mountain bike courses.
Now hundreds of volunteers, including off-road vehicle groups, are working to restore the area and reverse some of the damage inflicted by motorized use. Workers are reclaiming trails, building fences, removing structures, and installing signs to restrict off-road vehicles to select, designated routes.
The Nature Conservancy was especially interested in protecting the area due to its location between a wilderness study area and the Conservancy’s 890-acre Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve – the only remaining natural wetlands along the Colorado River.
---
7. PLAN TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE SAFETY ON NORTHERN IDAHO ROAD
The Idaho Transportation Department is developing a plan to reduce wildlife/vehicle crashes along a particularly dangerous two-mile stretch of U.S. 95 near McArthur Lake.
The area is an important wildlife corridor between the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains, and the highway is prone to black ice. In a study 10 years ago, researchers counted about 40 moose, 40 elk, and at least 300 deer killed annually in the area in collisions with vehicles or trains on the parallel tracks.
Suggested improvements include widening, straightening, and elevating the highway to create underpasses for animals. A series of public meetings will be held to discuss the project.
Similar improvements are planned in Washington’s Cascade Range along Interstate 90, and in Montana’s Flathead Valley.
---
8. NO PROGRESS IN SNOWMOBILE EMISSIONS SINCE 2001
A Yellowstone National Park study has concluded that even the cleanest snowmobiles have failed to meet projected improvements in emissions. The study demonstrates that snowcoaches are up to 41 times cleaner than the most environmentally-friendly snowmobiles in the Park. Emissions are expected to improve, as per the “best available technology” concept, when cleaner technologies are developed. Yellowstone asked snowmobile manufacturers to reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 70 percent (relative to 1999 two-stroke engines). No 2005 snowmobile has met that goal.
Bill Wade, executive director of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, has also accused the snowmobile industry of not upholding its promise to develop machines that can be held to stricter emissions standards. The industry has responded that efforts to meet new EPA fleet standards are ongoing.
Yellowstone Park is working on an environmental impact statement that will call for improved technology, but many are unsure if snowmobile manufacturers can be made to comply.