The Reality of the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal

The following is from COHVCO’s Executive Director, Jerry Abboud

Folks,

Here are some talking points on the Hidden Gems that can be used in
addition to route specific/access issues for motorized.  The county
commissioners of the counties affected by the proposal have been holding
meetings on the Hidden Gems.  You can see the maps and identify the
counties here  http://www.whiteriverwild.org/   It is not to late to let
your commissioners know how you feel.   Let Jared Polis and John Salazar
know how you feel.  More info to come.

 

 

 

The Reality of the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal
 

Economics
  The Hidden gems website lists the following “economic benefits from Wilderness: The Hidden gems website lists the following “economic benefits from Wilderness: 

The Hidden gems website lists the following “economic benefits from Wilderness: 

• Direct use benefits, such as recreation;
• Community benefits, such as new residents or business attracted to the high quality of life;
• Scientific benefits, such as research and education;
• Off-site benefits, such as increased property values;
• Biodiversity conservation;
• Ecological services, such as watershed protection; and
• Passive use benefits, such as the value of conserving wild lands for future generations.

This is pure mythology:

 

Fact:  there is no direct improvement in recreational benefits.  The 2004 -2007 National Forest Visitation Survey  shows Wilderness visitation and the duration of Wilderness visitations steadily declining.  US Forest Service document at: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/nvum/nvum_national_summary_fy2007.pdf
 

Fact:  moving to areas where quality of life is “better” begs the question of being able to afford to live there.  As sources of jobs diminish, so too does the ability of those not independently wealthy to move to such locations.  Logging, mining, grazing, mechanized and motorized recreation are all prohibited in Wilderness.  Motorized and mechanized recreation are actual growth areas.  Businesses are not attracted to remote areas with a high cost of living.  This occurs on a macro not micro scale.

 

Fact:  What research and education?  The land is already there.  It is either an identified subject of research or not.  Moreover this is a profoundly weak argument as an economic benefit.  Two college students living in tent does not have an economic impact…

 

Fact:  You have just destroyed the second economic point.  Land and property values ultimately keep out all but the wealthy.  Aren’t we trying to create economic benefit to residents or exclusivity for the wealthy?

 

Fact:  Biodiversity is not an economic issue, but a red herring when you run out of real arguments.  Diversity exists in a properly managed forest setting without any need for a Wilderness designation.  Actually, Wilderness may intrude on the current nature of diversity by changing the entire character of the area and preventing the Forest Service and BLM from protecting diversity. 

 

Fact:  Another non-economic red herring.  What is an ecological service?   Protecting a watershed is ridiculous.  These are almost all high alpine environments already protected from development.  Recreation of any type that is properly managed poses little threat to the watershed.  However, the inability to reduce fuel loads does result in wildfires that severely impact the watershed.

 

Fact:  Another non-economic issue.  If you cannot make a case for Wilderness and true economic benefit then throwing in the subjective issue of conserving wild lands is particularly offensive.  Particularly, when wild lands clearly does not have to include a congressional designation of Wilderness.

 

 There already exists extensive Wilderness, Inventoried Roadless Areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, threatened and endangered species habitat and other designations that prevent development and most activities that a Wilderness designation provides. These areas number in the millions of acres. Inventoried Roadless Areas alone are at least 4.1 million acres in addition to 3.3 million acres of designated Forest Service Wilderness.  Total FS land in Colorado is 14.5 million acres and this number includes grasslands.  There are additional Wilderness proposals touted by various Colorado Wilderness organizations that include millions of additional Wilderness Acres in the future.  When is enough, enough?

 

Fuel and Fires
 With the tremendous build up of fuel due to beetle kill and the inability to lower fuel loads by thinning, Colorado faces a potential firestorm.  The Governor’s current revisions to the Proposed Colorado Roadless Rule, limits temporary roads into CO Roadless areas to 1mile and in some cases .5 miles from structures.  Add the no roads in Wilderness and you have now created a situation where on-half of all national Forest lands in CO are at the mercy of fire.With the tremendous build up of fuel due to beetle kill and the inability to lower fuel loads by thinning, Colorado faces a potential firestorm.  The Governor’s current revisions to the Proposed Colorado Roadless Rule, limits temporary roads into CO Roadless areas to 1mile and in some cases .5 miles from structures.  Add the no roads in Wilderness and you have now created a situation where on-half of all national Forest lands in CO are at the mercy of fire. 

With the tremendous build up of fuel due to beetle kill and the inability to lower fuel loads by thinning, Colorado faces a potential firestorm.  The Governor’s current revisions to the Proposed Colorado Roadless Rule, limits temporary roads into CO Roadless areas to 1mile and in some cases .5 miles from structures.  Add the no roads in Wilderness and you have now created a situation where on-half of all national Forest lands in CO are at the mercy of fire. A half mile buffer is no buffer at all from a raging wind driven wildfire.  If you are rushing to build next to a Wilderness area or inventoried Wilderness area are already have structures and property. Particularly where there is an urban interface, the risk of catastrophic wildfire remains high and the governor at the direction of the Washington environmental lobby is trying to make it a greater risk.  Truly, adding more Wilderness will fuel an inevitable catastrophe.
  Non Motorized/Motorized Recreation
 This statement was made by a citizen equestrian to the Pitkin Commissioners on the impact of more Wilderness to No-motorized recreationists:This statement was made by a citizen equestrian to the Pitkin Commissioners on the impact of more Wilderness to No-motorized recreationists: 

This statement was made by a citizen equestrian to the Pitkin Commissioners on the impact of more Wilderness to No-motorized recreationists: Kym Manula, of Vail Stables at Spraddle Creek Ranch, near Vail, noted that horses only go about two miles per hour, and most people are only comfortable riding a horse for about 20 minutes at a time.

“I feel that by taking away a lot of roads in the wilderness you restrict the ability for the majority of the population to get into and enjoy the wilderness,” she said.

 

The same can be said for an ageing population that has spent a lifetime visiting the lands they love.  ATVs and snowmobiles allow those people who have spent a lifetime paying taxes and being good citizens to have their access.  It is a pity we all are not twenty, single without kids and have the cardiovascular system of Lance Armstrong.  Perhaps we then could all enjoy Wilderness.

 

While Wilderness use goes down, motorized recreation is up and it’s not teenagers.  The fastest growth is in the group over 50 for which ATVs and Snowmobiles are very often essential.