Coalition Letter on Bono Wilderness Bill--please sign on!

IdJeepGirl · 11-13-2007, 12:25 PM

As you know, next Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the House Natural Resources
Committee is doing a hearing on Representative Mary Bono's wilderness bill,
H.R. 3682, the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act. Since many of
us are very concerned about this bill, the Partnership for America is
circulating the attached coalition letter to send to the House Resources
Committee outlining our concerns.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would consider signing on to this
coalition letter to help send a message to Congress about H.R 3682. In
addition, please pass this on to other allies and friends that may want to
sign onto the letter as well.

If you are interested in signing the coalition letter with us, please let
me know by the close of business on Monday, November 12th. Please email me
your name, organization, and title and for any individuals interested in
signing the letter, I just need your name, city and state.

Thank you for your help on this important issue and please call me at
303-810-3872 if you have any questions.

Kristin Schrader
Partnership for America
kschrader@partnershipforamerica.org

__________________________________________________ _________________

Here is the text of the letter:

Coalition Letter on the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act

November 7, 2007

The Honorable Nick Rahall
The Honorable Don Young
Chairman
Ranking Member
House Committee on Natural Resources House
Committee on Natural Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building 1329
Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young:

We are concerned about wilderness legislation recently introduced by
Representative Mary Bono: H.R. 3682, the California Desert and Mountain
Heritage Act. As you know, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is planning to hold a hearing on
this legislation on November 13, 2007.

H.R 3682 would designate certain federal lands in Riverside County,
California as wilderness and it would designate certain river segments in
Riverside County as a wild, scenic, or recreational river. We believe that
this bill, if passed, would unduly restrict public access and recreation in
this area. We also believe that the numerous wilderness additions and
proposed designations contained within the legislation need to be fully
evaluated and vetted with the local public and interested citizens.

Overall, a wilderness designation is the most restrictive form of
designation the federal government can employ. By definition, wilderness
designations do not allow mechanized vehicles in the area, including
bicycles and wheelchairs. As a result, these restrictions effectively deny
access to whole categories of citizens who have a right to use public lands
and discriminates against certain constituencies by locking them out of
these areas.

Often, wilderness proposals create burdensome regulations and too many
restrictions on the land that go far beyond what is necessary and unduly
restrict access to the public. In addition, wilderness legislation
affecting public lands usually does not make an allowance for input from
local communities and those who use and depend on these resources for
commerce and recreation. We hope that you will consider these points for
all wilderness designations legislation that comes before the Committee.

While Representative Bono added language to H.R. 3682 to permit tree
removal and other fire prevention work to lessen the danger to communities
that are located close to the proposed wilderness areas, the U.S. Forest
Service has inadequate funding to properly manage wilderness areas with
prescribed burning and mechanical thinning of vegetation. Regardless of the
fire prevention language in this bill, we are concerned that the red tape
and environmental review processes are so prohibitively difficult that it
is likely that this fire prevention work will not actually be done. As a
result, we are very concerned that this bill could negatively impact the
ability to fight and prevent forest fires in that Southern California area.

We urge you to be prudent in your actions by carefully considering all
wilderness designation bills introduced this session. In particular, we
urge you to consider our concerns with H.R. 3682.

Sincerely,

XXX

CC: U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
California Congressional Delegation
U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva
U.S. Representative Rob Bishop
U.S. Representative Chris Cannon(See attached file: PFA_Bono Wilderness
Bill_Nov2007_coalition letter.doc)

Attachments

broncoman · 11-13-2007, 01:18 PM

The link is not working. I would like to sign this. How?

IdJeepGirl · 11-13-2007, 09:50 PM

I'm not sure. I didn't have a problem with it. Maybe try copy & pasting it into your email? It is just an email address. Let me know if that doesn't work.

gripguru · 11-13-2007, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdJeepGirl

....If you are interested in signing the coalition letter with us, please let
me know by the close of business on Monday, November 12th. Please email me
your name, organization, and title and for any individuals interested in
signing the letter, I just need your name, city and state.

Thank you for your help on this important issue and please call me at
303-810-3872 if you have any questions.

Kristin Schrader
Partnership for America
kschrader@partnershipforamerica.org

Scott, I dont have the attachment here at home, but it came in the email to you earlier today. If you get a chance, copy and paste the contents of that attachment here for everybody to read. This one is in California and we are a couple of days delayed, but there will be no resistance to our participation. Thanks!

broncoman · 11-14-2007, 07:23 AM

I have not gotten any email of the sort. I did copy and paste the email address and letter and added my name and info to it. Hopefully it works. If anyone else can please take time to do it. It was lilke 30 seconds to help a great cause.

broncoman · 11-14-2007, 02:22 PM

I posted the reply I recieved on this from Kristin on the land use board at the Idaho State 4x4 Association website. Check it out and stay informed.

11-13-2007, 12:25 PM	#1
IdJeepGirl Trail Runner Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Nampa, Idaho Posts: 386	Coalition Letter on Bono Wilderness Bill--please sign on! As you know, next Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the House Natural Resources Committee is doing a hearing on Representative Mary Bono's wilderness bill, H.R. 3682, the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act. Since many of us are very concerned about this bill, the Partnership for America is circulating the attached coalition letter to send to the House Resources Committee outlining our concerns. We would greatly appreciate it if you would consider signing on to this coalition letter to help send a message to Congress about H.R 3682. In addition, please pass this on to other allies and friends that may want to sign onto the letter as well. If you are interested in signing the coalition letter with us, please let me know by the close of business on Monday, November 12th. Please email me your name, organization, and title and for any individuals interested in signing the letter, I just need your name, city and state. Thank you for your help on this important issue and please call me at 303-810-3872 if you have any questions. Kristin Schrader Partnership for America kschrader@partnershipforamerica.org __________________________________________________ _________________ Here is the text of the letter: Coalition Letter on the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act November 7, 2007 The Honorable Nick Rahall The Honorable Don Young Chairman Ranking Member House Committee on Natural Resources House Committee on Natural Resources 1324 Longworth House Office Building 1329 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young: We are concerned about wilderness legislation recently introduced by Representative Mary Bono: H.R. 3682, the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act. As you know, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is planning to hold a hearing on this legislation on November 13, 2007. H.R 3682 would designate certain federal lands in Riverside County, California as wilderness and it would designate certain river segments in Riverside County as a wild, scenic, or recreational river. We believe that this bill, if passed, would unduly restrict public access and recreation in this area. We also believe that the numerous wilderness additions and proposed designations contained within the legislation need to be fully evaluated and vetted with the local public and interested citizens. Overall, a wilderness designation is the most restrictive form of designation the federal government can employ. By definition, wilderness designations do not allow mechanized vehicles in the area, including bicycles and wheelchairs. As a result, these restrictions effectively deny access to whole categories of citizens who have a right to use public lands and discriminates against certain constituencies by locking them out of these areas. Often, wilderness proposals create burdensome regulations and too many restrictions on the land that go far beyond what is necessary and unduly restrict access to the public. In addition, wilderness legislation affecting public lands usually does not make an allowance for input from local communities and those who use and depend on these resources for commerce and recreation. We hope that you will consider these points for all wilderness designations legislation that comes before the Committee. While Representative Bono added language to H.R. 3682 to permit tree removal and other fire prevention work to lessen the danger to communities that are located close to the proposed wilderness areas, the U.S. Forest Service has inadequate funding to properly manage wilderness areas with prescribed burning and mechanical thinning of vegetation. Regardless of the fire prevention language in this bill, we are concerned that the red tape and environmental review processes are so prohibitively difficult that it is likely that this fire prevention work will not actually be done. As a result, we are very concerned that this bill could negatively impact the ability to fight and prevent forest fires in that Southern California area. We urge you to be prudent in your actions by carefully considering all wilderness designation bills introduced this session. In particular, we urge you to consider our concerns with H.R. 3682. Sincerely, XXX CC: U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer California Congressional Delegation U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva U.S. Representative Rob Bishop U.S. Representative Chris Cannon(See attached file: PFA_Bono Wilderness Bill_Nov2007_coalition letter.doc) Attachments

11-13-2007, 01:18 PM	#2
broncoman Trail Leader Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southeast Idaho Posts: 2,613	Re: Coalition Letter on Bono Wilderness Bill--please sign on! The link is not working. I would like to sign this. How?

11-13-2007, 09:50 PM	#3
IdJeepGirl Trail Runner Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Nampa, Idaho Posts: 386	Re: Coalition Letter on Bono Wilderness Bill--please sign on! I'm not sure. I didn't have a problem with it. Maybe try copy & pasting it into your email? It is just an email address. Let me know if that doesn't work.

11-14-2007, 07:23 AM	#5
broncoman Trail Leader Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southeast Idaho Posts: 2,613	Re: Coalition Letter on Bono Wilderness Bill--please sign on! I have not gotten any email of the sort. I did copy and paste the email address and letter and added my name and info to it. Hopefully it works. If anyone else can please take time to do it. It was lilke 30 seconds to help a great cause. Last edited by broncoman; 11-14-2007 at 07:28 AM.

11-14-2007, 02:22 PM	#6
broncoman Trail Leader Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southeast Idaho Posts: 2,613	Re: Coalition Letter on Bono Wilderness Bill--please sign on! I posted the reply I recieved on this from Kristin on the land use board at the Idaho State 4x4 Association website. Check it out and stay informed.

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