8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
1/16
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.
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
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
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
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
3/16
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
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
4/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 20004
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
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
5/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 2000 5
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
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
6/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 20006
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:
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
7/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 2000 7
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: _________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
8/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 20008
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
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
9/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 2000 9
(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.
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
10/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 200010
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 .
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
11/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 2000 11
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.
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
12/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 200012
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
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
13/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 2000 13
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.
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
14/16
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
15/16
The Road-RIPorter May/June 2000 15
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:
/
/
/
8/14/2019 Road RIPorter 5.3
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 .