U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wilderness Stewardship Policy Revision

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[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Mar-26-01 AT 01:38 PM (PST)[/font][p]Okay, anyone who is interested in preserving what little foothold we have should read _ALL_ of this document:

http://policy.fws.gov/library/01fr3708.html

I occasionally do searches in the federal register, like BPS (congrats at Tombstone, btw), and I always use the keywords: parachut* and/or "base jump", etc. Well, I came across a document which is similar in nature and intent to the wilderness policy rule that the BLM just made a few months back. Strange thing was, this document didn't have the words 'parachut*' nor "base jump" anywhere in the body of the document. Instead, it mentions "prohibiting extreme sports". You can find these words on page 3709 in the Section entitled: Required Determinations, paragragh 1, subsection (a), line 13 (below subsection a - it's a little more than 1/3 of the way through the document).

Further, at the end of that page and the beginning of the next page 3710, the document states that, "This updated policy has been developed with the assistance of personnel versed in Federal wilderness policy, and is consistent with the wilderness policies of the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management. An interagency wilderness committee meets monthly to discuss and coordinate on wilderness issues. The committee received a copy of the draft policy update and identified no major inconsistencies."

Apart from the obvious concern relating to jumping, something else concerns me: this document makes no mention of a parachute, yet the search on the federal register database with the word 'parachut*' managed to retrieve this document. Call me paranoid I don't care, but there's some strange stuff afoot. I believe there is a systematic attempt at the Department of Interior to kick us out of everwhere. We are going to have to watch this agency like hawks and we are going to have to start working the system. We have let this get too far the wrong way. We must do something now. It will take commitment, money, time and unknown resources to do, but we have to do something now. Here's the thing, right now this policy just applies to wilderness. No big deal, right? maybe, maybe not. Next time you turn around it's going to apply to wilderness study area. Then, before too long, it's going to apply to ALL PUBLIC LANDS. I promise you. Wait and see. While we're out jumping and playing or working at our regular jobs these agencies are steadily whittling away at the stone.. passing regulations and making policy. They are doing this with the awesome power of environmental groups backing them in the form of political lobby. And it's not just US who they're intent on stopping.. that thought would be farcical. The off-highway enthusiasts among us and around the country are faced with similar issues, as well as other groups who use the public lands. The time is now.

The comment deadline stated in the first notice has been extended to April 19, 2001 in a subsequent notice found at:

http://policy.fws.gov/library/66fr15136.html.

The Draft Manual Chapters can be found here:

http://refuges.fws.gov/manual/draft.html

We should read ALL of the draft chapters, but should focus specifically on "appropriate refuge uses" found at the top of the above-mentioned page.

Let's do something. I'm going to read these tonight. I sure could use some help. email me boone97@yahoo.com if you can help.

c-ya!
Gardner

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My goodness, Gardner, can you say paranoid!}> The next thing you know we will be drilling for oil on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And the idea of keeping vehicles on the roads in National Parks, what will those darn bureaucrats think of next?x(

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ahhh the ebb and flow of the political tide.. y'gotta love it, huh? Looks like it's swinging the other direction for a change - perhaps we BASE jumpers can re-gain some lost ground and maybe even gain some additional ground in OUR FAVOR for once.

Look, I'm all for leaving no trace and I'm generally not one to leave lights turned on when I leave the room; I pick up after myself and others when I can. But I gotta say, the yuppie, tree-hugging environmentalists in this country- who sit in their 34th floor corner offices and pay huge membership dues to some organization they couldn't care less about - just to say they're a member of that organization 'cause it looks good on a resume - are so far removed from the reality of day-to-day wilderness operations that they have NO IDEA what their membership dues actually buy: the political interest lobby of a relative few rabid environmentalists hell-bent on closing off the use of public lands.... BY ANYONE.

neener neener neener :P ,
Gardner

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If you read the text-only versions of the draft wilderness stewarship policy, you won't find the following phrase taken from the adobe portable document (*.pdf) version, which is the actual version printed in the federal register:

Federal Register, Vol. 66, No 10, Page 3721, Wilderness Stewardship, Part 610, Chapter 4, subchapter 4.6:

"4.6 What activities have we identified to prohibit or otherwise specifically regulate in wilderness areas?

A. The Wilderness Act defines prohibited uses in Sec. 4. (c).

B. Extreme and Thrill Sports. We prohibit the various forms of hang gliding and other recently developed thrill-oriented activities that do not depend on a wilderness setting."

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Gardner