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Stop The Land Grab!

Thursday, 03 September 2009 14:48
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Please read the following information to see what we are doing to save the public lands from the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal.

Forests are for people ... Don't let them be taken away!

Have any of you ever driven to a high country lake to go fishing, taken an ATV up a mountain road, gone Snowmobiling in the White River or Gunnison National Forest? What about taking a great mountain bike ride or doing some knarley mountain climbing? Do you know someone that can't access the mountains because they are handicap, and the only way they can is by a motorized or mechanical mode of transportation to do so? What about cutting wood with a chainsaw, or using certain tools or driving a ATV to maintain your fence. Do you have incredible memories of being up there camping, hunting, fishing, picnics or driving around in a Jeep or other four wheel drive?

How would you feel if a group of well-organized people with deep pockets legally locked you out of our public lands and took away your access? That is exactly what they are trying to do.

Can you imagine no access to the Flattops, Basalt Mountain, Red Tables, Thompson Creek and other areas in the White River National Forest? Look at the map in the internet link below to see what these people want to make into wilderness, where the only access would be by foot or horse. Read their website too, but study their maps … it is shocking what they are trying to do. Their intention is to go to congress with their proposals and try to push it through what they feel will be “friendly lawmakers.” This bill is proposed to hit our congress in 2 MONTHS! Our time is now to get together and fight for our rights!

This group, in which they call themselves is “The Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign.” I think everyone that has any interest in maintaining open access to our public lands and enjoys or has memories from spending time in our high country should be aware. There is a group of us that plan to learn more about their plans. If we can create the necessary awareness of this situation, hopefully, we can stop it in its tracks! Please pass the word on to everyone you know that would not want their public lands taken away from them. Please bookmark this website and keep checking back for updated information!

Here is the link to the "Hidden Gems Website" showing the map of what they hope to accomplish.

Last Updated on Friday, 11 September 2009 09:44
 
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The White River Forest Alliance would like to extend a thank you to everyone
who attended the public dialog and forum held on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Dos
Gringos in Carbondale. Thanks also to Nelson Oldham and the staff of Dos
Gringos who graciously kept the place open late for this forum.

More than 100 wilderness advocates were present, representing a wide
spectrum of user groups, including ranchers, the disabled community,
mountain bikers, dirt-bike riders, hikers, snowmobilers, 4-wheel drivers,
and cross- and backcountry skiers. The forum primarily focused on what is
the true definition of Wilderness, what it means to us as a community and
how we can better work together and develop protocols to preserve our wild
lands while still being able to continue to utilize them.

Scott Fitzwilliams of the White River National Forest and Perry Will from
the Colorado Department of Wildlife were on hand to answer questions
pertaining to their specific organizations. Fitzwilliams spoke directly of
how we can all help augment the staff of the White River National Forest in
maintaining our public lands and educated us as to the process of the WRNF
Travel Management Plan. Will explained in detail the effect of what might
happen to funding for and care of wildlife in the event of blanket closures
of wilderness lands to Wilderness designation.

The White River Forest Alliance is a purely volunteer, Wilderness advocacy
group representing the multiuser in working for protection of our public
wild lands. The goal of the White River Forest Alliance is to create
awareness through education that alternative ways of protecting public lands
exist while still maintaining access and encouraging individuals to take
personal responsibility in gaining a better understanding of and
collaboration between user groups. We encourage the community to become
educated as to what Wilderness means and the processes of what constitutes
Wilderness designation.

White River Forest Alliance