Roadless Rule Deadline is Nov 15th, What is our competition saying?

SAWS Action Alert:

Roadless Rule Deadline is November 15th. What is our competition saying?

Some of the information below was sent out to our SAWS members in early August 2004 regarding Clinton's original Roadless Rule and my concerns with the new Roadless Rule that President Bush has proposed. Since the deadline for comments is rapidly approaching for President Bush's Roadless policy, and our SAWS membership has dramatically increased from when I originally sent this alert out, I felt it was worth a repeat. I have also added some information at the bottom of this alert from our extreme green competition. The distortions and out right lies being told by these groups really ticks me off sometimes.

Click on the http://www.monsterslash.org and you will see how the environmental groups get their thousands and thousands of comments in support of Clinton's old roadless policy and opposing Bush's new roadless policy. These same groups support the banning of snowmobiles from Yellowstone National Park and the creation of millions more acres of wilderness across most western states. I suppose there may be people living in urban areas that believe these groups are telling the truth. It’s disheartening to think that some people will be getting their information from watching this cartoon.

Clinton's original Roadless Rule would have contained three classifications for recreation. Primitive, semi-primitive, and non-primitive. Only the areas designated as non-primitive would have remained open for motorized recreation. This would have literally turned the primitive and semi-primitive areas into de-facto wilderness areas. That is why U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer ruled in July 2003 that the 58.5 million acres of roadless areas nationwide was a "thinly veiled attempt to designate 'wilderness areas' in violation of the clear and unambiguous process established by the Wilderness Act."

Now here comes Bush's version of the Roadless Rule. Although not nearly as painful as Clinton's proposal, even with Bush's new roadless policy, motorized recreation is far from being out of the woods. The new Roadless Rule "would establish administrative procedures to allow a Governor to petition the Secretary of Agriculture to undertake future rulemaking for the management of inventoried roadless areas within a specific State". In some conservative minded states like Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, petitions for roadless areas would most likely not occur, but in the more liberal states of California, Oregon and Washington, watch out!

Even if you are from some of these more conservative states, and your state Governor does not petition the Secretary of Agriculture as the new policy would allow, the roadless areas will then be dealt with during the next Forest Plan Revision. The new rule states, "Until promulgation of the 2001 roadless rule, the Forest Service managed roadless areas based on individual forest plans. Forest plans have been developed for each unit of the NFS through a public notice and comment process, building on years of scientific findings and extensive public involvement in forest planning. Forest plans typically identify and recommend areas that would be appropriate to be designated as wilderness by the Congress, and provide guidance on activities and uses in these areas".

Most of you know my opinion on these forest plan revisions, I believe the forest service plans to convert much of these roadless areas into Recommended Wilderness Areas. You can view my article called "The Common Thread - Forest Plan Revisions and so-called Wilderness Areas" here: http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/uploads/The%20Common%20Thread%20-%20Forest%20Plan%20revisions%20and%20New%20Wilderness.htm

Public comments must be received in writing by November 15, 2004.

Click here for Forest Service News Release regarding Roadless Extension.

Click here for the Partnership for the West website with an easy to submit comment form.

Written comments on the proposed rule may be sent by the following methods.

Mail:
Content Analysis Team
ATTN: Roadless State Petitions
USDA Forest Service
P.O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City , UT 84122

E-mail: statepetitionroadless@fs.fed.us

Fax: (801) 517-1014

Dave Hurwitz

Snowmobile Alliance of Western States

Permission is granted to distribute this information in whole or in part, as long as Snowmobile Alliance of Western States (SAWS) is acknowledged as the source. If you are not yet a member of SAWS and you would like receive these alerts, please sign up on our web site at:

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org.

__________________________________________________________________________

http://www.monsterslash.org/ - Cartoon (Do not submit a comment from this link)

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041026/dctu057_1.html - Article link

Halloween Flash Movie 'Monster Slash' to Save Forests, Wildlife Is an Internet Smash!
Tuesday October 26, 12:02 pm ET

Over 100,000 People View New Version of 'Monster Mash' by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Halloween 2004 has a soundtrack and it is "Monster Slash" (http://www.monsterslash.org), original recording artist Bobby "Boris" Pickett's new version of "Monster Mash" opposing the Bush Administration's controversial plan to permit logging, mining and other commercial exploitation of roadless federal forest areas. The sponsors of "Monster Slash" -- the Campaign to Protect America's Lands (CPAL) and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund -- said today that a much higher than expected 102,229 unique visitors viewed the new "Monster Slash" Flash movie in the first five days of its availability.

As of midnight EDT on October 24, 2004, the "Monster Slash" Web site had generated 10,131 comment letters opposing the Bush administration's widely criticized bid to repeal protections for 58.5 million acres of federal forests, according to the two groups. The comment period for the Bush rule proposal ends November 14, 2004.

Campaign to Protect America's Lands Director Peter Altman said: "It's great to see that 'Monster Slash' is connecting with people in such a powerful way. At the same time that people have some fun, they get a serious message and an opportunity to take action about something that truly is scary: The Bush Administration's plan to turn over millions of acres of federal forest land so that they can be despoiled by timber and mining companies."

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen said: "This president has been scaring the living daylights out of people who care about forests for more than three years, but this Web site gives them a chance to do something about it. Thousands of them have already stood up to the president and said to stop the Slash."

The new song -- "Monster Slash" -- was recorded by Bobby "Boris" Pickett, the co-creator of the 1962 hit "Monster Mash" and also the vocalist on the original recording. The Flash presentation features well-known Halloween horror characters based on photographs of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, as well as key forest-related Bush political appointees U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Ann M. Veneman and USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Mark E. Rey.

Explaining his decision to release a new version of the rock hit with which he is most closely identified, entertainer Bobby Pickett said: "I decided to do this new recording because, like millions of people, I think this president has the worst environmental record in the history of our great nation."

The Bush Administration's scheme to repeal the federal roadless rule would eliminate existing federal protections for 58.5 million acres of wild national forests, and allow road building that assists clear-cut logging and other commercial uses. On his first day in office, President Bush suspended the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which was enacted after three years of public and scientific input that included 600 public meetings and record-breaking citizen input. Of the more than 1.6 million comments submitted, an overwhelming 95 percent favored the strongest possible protection for roadless areas.

Recorded by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Cryptkicker Five, "Monster Mash" still gets a substantial amount of air time every Halloween. The song has been described as "arguably the most popular novelty song ever." Bobby Pickett is believed to be the only active performer who has reached the top 100 music chart three times with the same song. On October 20, 1962, after eight weeks on the charts, the original release of "Monster Mash" hit Number 1 just in time for Halloween. The song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 on August 29, 1970 peaking at Number 91, and then again on May 5, 1972 when it went all the way to Number 10. Over the years, The Monster Mash has sold over four million copies and received three gold records.