US Forest Service Proposes Closing Half of all National Forest Roads
July 30, 2008
ATTENTION:
Attention all WBHA Members:
This Alert is part of a new service from WBHA to keep you informed on urgent action items.
US Forest Service Proposes Closing Half of all National Forest Roads
Your help is urgently needed to help stop the US Forest Service from closing half of the roads in Wisconsin’s National Forests!
The so-called “Travel Management Plan” was first proposed last fall. The WBHA, together with our partners in the Hunters Rights Coalition issued a statement opposing the closings at that time and asking for a “road by road” review of each individual closing.
Our comments were basically ignored, except that the Forest Service does now propose an “option” (Alternative 1) that would leave the roads open. At this point, we do not believe that they will adopt Alternative 1. Rather Alternative 2 – which closes 2577 miles of currently accessible roads to all motorized traffic – is the alternative most likely to be chosen.
You can help! All comments are due by August 18th.
Please review the maps at the following website:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/rec/tmr/index.html
Then share with us any comments you have on why a particular road closing will be bad. For example, “Closing the last 3 miles of this road will essentially cut off 12 square miles of area to hunting. National Forests are supposed to be public land – for use by the public!”
Even one small example could be huge when we add them altogether.
The Hunters Rights Coalition plans to comment formally, but we want lots of individual comments going directly to the Forest Service as well.
All comments regarding this proposal should be directed to this email address:
Comments-eastern-chequamegon-nicolet@fs.fed.us
Also your comments should be directed to the following officials:
Jeanne Higgins
715-762-2461 fax: 715-762-5179
Mark Rey – Under Secretary at USDA
202-720-7173
Melissa Simpson – Dep. Under Sec. at USDA
202-720-7173
Abigail Kimball – Chief, US Forest Service
202-205-1661
These 202 numbers are in Washington, DC – but flooding their offices with calls would be very effective.
We will also be contacting our entire Congressional Delegation to ask for their help. Please write or call your local congressman on this issue as well.
Sen. Kohl
800-247-5645
senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov
Sen. Feingold
715-848-5660
Russ_Feingold@feingold.senate.gov
Rep. Ryan
888-909-7926
(Rep. Ryan is co-chair of the sportsmen’s caucus in congress)
Rep. Baldwin
608-258-9800
Rep. Kind
888-442-8040
(Rep. Kind is the co-chair of the sportsmen’s caucus in congress)
Rep. Moore
414-297-1140
Rep. Sensenbrenner
800-242-1119
Rep. Petri
800-242-4883
Rep. Obey
715-842-5606
Rep. Kagen
920-437-1954
Thanks for your attention to this matter. For more information please contact:
Scott Meyer – 715-360-0860, or Rob Stafsholt – 651-247-5540
Remember that even if you don’t hunt in a national forest, once the hunters there are pushed out, they will come looking for a place to hunt by you. This affects us ALL!
Thanks, WBHA Board of Directors