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| Recreational Access and Conservation - Conservation and Public Service Activities | ||||
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Dedicated to conservation and multiple use of public lands for recreation opportunities. Edited by: John Stewart |
News Release -- Memo Exposes Green Roadless/Anti-OHV Agenda
BLUE RIBBON COALITION, INC. NEWS RELEASE
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2000
POCATELLO, ID -- A 1999 memo obtained by the Blue Ribbon Coalition exposes an effort by green preservationist groups to persuade one of Clinton's top environmental advisors to close legal recreational roads and trails on Forest Service System lands.
The July 22, 1999 communiqué from national road closing advocates, Charles Wilkinson and Michael Anderson, advises presidential eco-policy wonk, George Frampton, that "under Section 9 (b) of the executive orders, the Secretary of Agriculture theoretically could adopt by regulations a broad policy to close 'roadless' areas of the national forests to recreation off-road vehicle (ORV) use."
This letter from last summer also shows that radical green organizations were working hand-in-glove with the administration to develop Clinton's roadless scheme well in advance of any public scoping as required by elements of the National Environmental Policy Act. (NEPA).
Anderson, an apparent legal expert for The Wilderness Society, also urged the Administration to consider issuing an Executive Order to specifically ban recreational ORV use in 'roadless' areas.
According to Don Amador, the western regional representative for the Blue Ribbon Coalition, "This memo clearly shows that multiple-use recreationists are working against a stacked deck regarding legitimate public participation in the roadless debate."
"The fact that the general public is having a front-loaded NEPA deficient process being forced on us by road closing advocates and their friends in the Clinton/Gore administration is an affront to local residents, county governments, recreationists, hunters, and rural tourism interests who have spent a great deal of time commenting on the Forest Service's roadless program." Amador continued.
In a May 1995 (rev. August 1996) publication by ROAD-RIP, now known as the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads, the document Road-Ripper's Handbook exposes the true agenda behind efforts by national preservationist groups to close public roads and trails.
The booklet states that "...the most insidious of all effects of roads is the access they provide to humans... Let's face it, the vast majority of humans do not know how to behave in natural environments..." They go on to say that "...the more inaccessible we can keep our remaining 'wild' areas to these cretins, the safer and healthier these areas will be..." They also say "...If this is an 'elitist' attitude, so be it..."
Amador concludes, "After reading this memo and other road closing documents, it has become even more clear as to why the eco-groups are trying to peddle their snake oil remedies (closing and ripping recreational access roads) to the American public."
The Blue Ribbon Coalition is a national 501 (c) (3) non-profit recreation group that champions responsible multiple-use access to public lands. It represents over 800 businesses and organizations with 600,000 members.
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Contact: Don Amador |
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