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As an Idaho river outfitter for more than 30 years and with previous professional fisheries and wildlife work, natural resource management has always been important to me, personally and economically. I remember attending the first public hearing in Lewiston for potential dam breaching to save anadromous fish. The final determination was that of the four H's, habitat would be one of the preferred methods of fish recovery.
A new coalition representing nearly 65,000 Pennsylvanians has been formed to advocate for increased wilderness in the Allegheny National Forest.
Six different conservation groups Friends of the Allegheny Wilderness (FAW); The Sierra Club's Pennsylvania chapter; the Pennsylvania division of the Izaak Walton League of America; Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited; the Wilderness Society; and the Campaign for America's Wilderness of the Pew Environment Group have thrown their support behind FAW's Citizens' Wilderness Proposal for Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest.
Although the conservation challenges facing others across Montana vary, the fact remains that grassroots efforts have sprung up where folks have chosen to set aside their differences and work together. They say all politics is local and that's certainly the level where the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act originated. The compromises and agreements forged by the many folks involved were done so in an open fashion, through years of hard work, lengthy debate, and input from many different types of people.
The economy is still slumping. Elections are coming. It's time to talk about jobs.
That is the impetus for House Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to host a hearing Thursday to discuss how public lands can be used to create jobs in rural communities.
It has been five years since the debate about wilderness in Doña Ana County began in earnest. These discussions have taken many twists and turns over the years but, thankfully, have resulted in the development of a sound and widely-supported proposal for protecting sensitive wildands in our community. As a wilderness supporter, I have been proud to participate in a diverse coalition of organizations and citizens who have fought for the central vision of protecting the Organ Mountains and nearby public lands.
My 10th-grade biology teacher at Central High School in Memphis opened up a magical world to me decades ago -- encouraging our class to get out and experience nature. The field trips we took gave me my first real introduction to nature.
So does U.S. Sen. Jim Risch still support his colleague Rep. Mike Simpson's Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act bill?
Risch remains a co-sponsor of the legislation that would preserve 332,775 acres as wilderness in Custer and Blaine counties, but the Idaho Statesman reported this week that the first-term Idaho Republican has backed off his support for CIEDRA.
That support is critical if Simpson's epic 10-year-long effort at a central Idaho wilderness compromise is to become law.
Supporters of designating 342,000 acres as federal wilderness in western Colorado are urging Rep. Jared Polis to introduce a bill to start the process.
Proponents say more than 3,000 voters and residents have signed a letter of support for the Hidden Gems Wilderness proposal in Eagle and Summit counties. The proposal includes public land in Pitkin and Gunnison counties, too.
Supporters of designating 342,000 acres as federal wilderness in western Colorado are urging Rep. Jared Polis to introduce a bill to start the process.
Proponents say more than 3,000 voters and residents have signed a letter of support for the Hidden Gems Wilderness proposal in Eagle and Summit counties. The proposal includes public land in Pitkin and Gunnison counties, too.
Businesses, including the Aspen Skiing Co., have endorsed the Hidden Gems plan. The Eagle County commissioners and the town of Breckenridge are among the local governments supporting it.
Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, will propose additional language to the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act currently being reviewed in the U.S. Senate.
The language, according to a letter drafted by the congressman on July 2, would preserve the state of Idaho's right to land helicopters and use motorized vehicles in the bill's three proposed wilderness areas, so long as the purpose is to manage wildlife.
