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Support the Forest Service Alternative B for Desolation Wildernessto Keep Area Open for Self-Powered Users
The Forest Service has proposed that no additional areas be added to
Desolation Wilderness. Designating more areas as wilderness would ban low-impact activities like mountain biking, while still permitting high-impact activities like horseback riding. http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20120714/ARCHIVES01/120719935 There's a fundamental problem with the "wilderness" designation, in that damaging forms of transport (horses) are allowed, but low-impact forms of transport (bicycling) is banned. What's needed is a redefinition of "wilderness area." _Only_ self-powered transport should be permitted. No motorized vehicles, no animals other than perhaps a limited number of pack animals (the NPS said they want to phase out pack animals in the high country). Hikers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers are natural allies for the protection of wilderness. These activities have all been proven to have minimal impact on wildlife and on trails. These groups of users need to come together and promote responsible policies. All the experts agree that the impact from these activities are minimal, while the impact from horses, snowmobiles, and motorized off-road vehicles are significant. A recent court decision ruled that National Park officials violated the Wilderness Act by allowing horseback trips in Sequoia National Park http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2012/02/court-rules-sequoia-national-park-officials-violated-wilderness-act-allowing-horse-trips9422. It's sad that we must spend money to force the park service to adhere to policies that they themselves have adopted. NPS officials have cited "the damage resulting from non-native species being brought into parks, the trail damage, the water pollution, and the conflicts with self-powered users. Hiking, biking, and skiing are the only forms of transport that should be permitted in wilderness areas. Send letters and comments to the Forest Service and National Park Service, urging that they allow only self-powered users in wilderness areas. http://www.fs.fed.us/contactus/ http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/contactinformation.htm Cite the studies that show the relative impacts of different users, i.e. http://www.uvm.edu/~snrvtdc/trails/ComparingHikingMtnBikingHorseRidingImpacts.pdf. Two key points (on page 5): 1. Researchers found no evidence that mountain bike impacts to soils, vegetation and trails were significantly greater than impacts from hikers. 2. Several USA studies report that even low levels of horse use results in more severe impacts to soils, vegetation and trails than from hikers or other users. |
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#2
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Support the Forest Service Alternative B for DesolationWilderness to Keep Area Open for Self-Powered Users
On Tuesday, October 2, 2012 3:40:15 AM UTC-7, sms88 wrote:
The Forest Service has proposed that no additional areas be added to Desolation Wilderness. Designating more areas as wilderness would ban low-impact activities like mountain biking, while still permitting high-impact activities like horseback riding. http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20120714/ARCHIVES01/120719935 There's a fundamental problem with the "wilderness" designation, in that damaging forms of transport (horses) are allowed, but low-impact forms of transport (bicycling) is banned. What's needed is a redefinition of "wilderness area." _Only_ self-powered transport should be permitted. No motorized vehicles, no animals other than perhaps a limited number of pack animals (the NPS said they want to phase out pack animals in the high country). Hikers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers are natural allies for the protection of wilderness. These activities have all been proven to have minimal impact on wildlife and on trails. These groups of users need to come together and promote responsible policies. All the experts agree that the impact from these activities are minimal, while the impact from horses, snowmobiles, and motorized off-road vehicles are significant. A recent court decision ruled that National Park officials violated the Wilderness Act by allowing horseback trips in Sequoia National Park http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2012/02/court-rules-sequoia-national-park-officials-violated-wilderness-act-allowing-horse-trips9422. It's sad that we must spend money to force the park service to adhere to policies that they themselves have adopted. NPS officials have cited "the damage resulting from non-native species being brought into parks, the trail damage, the water pollution, and the conflicts with self-powered users. Hiking, biking, and skiing are the only forms of transport that should be permitted in wilderness areas. Send letters and comments to the Forest Service and National Park Service, urging that they allow only self-powered users in wilderness areas. http://www.fs.fed.us/contactus/ http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/contactinformation.htm Cite the studies that show the relative impacts of different users, i.e. http://www.uvm.edu/~snrvtdc/trails/ComparingHikingMtnBikingHorseRidingImpacts.pdf. Two key points (on page 5): 1. Researchers found no evidence that mountain bike impacts to soils, vegetation and trails were significantly greater than impacts from hikers. 2. Several USA studies report that even low levels of horse use results in more severe impacts to soils, vegetation and trails than from hikers or other users. BS. The only "studies" that support mountain biking are those done by mountain bikers. It's patently obvious that mountain biking does far more harm than hiking. How many hikers are able to travel over 20 miles in a day? Mountain biking trips over 100 miles aren't that uncommon. |
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