05/05/06

 

James Boynton

Forest Supervisor

Okanogan – Wenatchee National Forest

215 Melody Lane
Wenatchee, WA 98801

 

Subject: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests Plan Revisions and Snowmobile Use in Recommended Wilderness Areas

 

 

Mr. Boynton,

 

It was a pleasure speaking with you today over the phone. I appreciate the fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to return my call and discuss the important issue of the Okanogan – Wenatchee National Forests Plan Revisions and how the revised plans could affect recreational users in these forests for many years to come.

 

Thank you for providing clarification on the Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) involvement in these plan revisions. I was pleased to hear that separation of motorized and non-motorized users in these forests will not be addressed by the PAC and that no plan exists at all to make such a recommendation in the final revised plans. I am also happy to hear that the PAC will not address the issue of how to manage areas that may possibly be recommended for wilderness during these plan revisions.

 

During our discussion regarding Recommended Wilderness Areas (RWA) we agreed that the current policy in Forest Service Region 6, which includes all national forests in Washington State and Oregon, is that RWA’s should remain open to all uses that do not reduce the areas wilderness potential. There is no Forest Service policy or law that would prevent winter motorized recreation on snowmobiles from continuing to be allowed in RWA’s. If snowmobile use is currently allowed in areas that may be recommended for wilderness in the future, then obviously this use did not diminish the wilderness value of these areas. It is my hope that the Colville National Forest (CNF) Supervisor, Rick Brazell, and the supervisors for the Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revisions, will all have the same understanding of the Forest Service Region 6 policy as it relates to motorized use in RWA’s that you and I both share. It is very important that each of the forests in region 6 be managed consistently, following the same policy and continuing to allow snowmobile use in all new RWA’s.

 

As we are both aware, the National Forest Service policy as stated in Forest Service Manual 1923.03 applying to RWA’s, states that, “Activities currently permitted may continue, pending designation, if the activities do not compromise wilderness values of the potential wilderness area”. Snowmobile use does not “compromise wilderness values” or degrade wilderness character of the land. After all, when the snow melts, so do our tracks.

 

As the Chairman of the Snowmobile Alliance of Western States, I find that the documented facts prove that there is not a need for additional wilderness areas in these forests. As the population ages, and the baby boom generation begin to retire, there is a real need for more motorized use areas and more developed campsites, not less. There is a need for improved trails for physically challenged citizens who may need the assistance of wheelchairs, electric carts, ATV's and bicycles. Forest Service planners also need to keep in mind the hardships put on young working families who can't leave town until after work Friday evenings only to find no vacancies at the few existing campsites when they finally arrive for their planned weekend of fun in the forest. These young families can not afford the luxury of taking a week off work to hike into wilderness areas.

 

There are more than enough areas currently designated as wilderness to satisfy the needs of the few recreationists who visit the existing wilderness areas in these forests. As I am sure you are aware, the 2.2 million acre Wenatchee National Forest (WNF) is already nearly 45% designated wilderness. Per the Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) study, less than 12% of WNF recreationists visit the current wilderness areas in this forest. The 1.7 million acre Okanogan National Forest (ONF) experienced even less wilderness visitors. According to the NVUM results for ONF, only approximately 8% of these forest visitors entered the wilderness.

 

It should also be noted that Forest Service Handbook 1909.12, section 7.2 states “Carefully evaluate the potential addition of roadless areas to the National Wilderness Preservation System to determine the mix of land and resource uses that best meet public needs.  An area recommended as suitable for wilderness must meet the tests of capability, availability, and need”. Section 7.23 further states “Determine the need for an area to be designated as wilderness through an analysis of the degree to which it contributes to the local and national distribution of wilderness. There should be clear evidence of current or future public need for additional designated wilderness in the general area under consideration”. With less than 12% of the recreating public currently using existing wilderness areas in these forests, there is obviously no need for additional wilderness in these forests.

 

Again, it was a pleasure speaking with you this afternoon. Please keep me abreast of how these plan revisions progress over the next year. It is my understanding that the public will have a document available to them for comment by March 2007. I look forward to providing my additional comments at that time.

 

Sincerely, 

 

 

Dave Hurwitz

Chairman, Snowmobile Alliance of Western States

DaveH-WA@Snowmobile-Alliance.org