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The United States Forest Service (USFS) has proposed massive
countrywide rulemaking changes to benefit outfitter and guiding access
to all USFS lands. Your favorite campsite, hunting blind, fishing hole
or boat ramp, and your access to it, are at risk!
Our longtime readers know that we at River Runners for Wilderness have
followed and mounted opposition to various attempts to pass an
Outfitters Policy Act that grants rights and privileges to public lands
outfitters over the self-guided public.
Past long-term efforts by the outfitters’ lobby have failed, due in
part to your vigilance. This most recent attempt is more sinister. The
outfitters and guides have joined forces with non-profit groups that
lead guided outdoor trips, and are now attempting to re-write the rules
that govern the policies of the US Forest Service to win special access
privileges.
Once again, you can counter these efforts through your comments, due no
later than January 17, 2008. Now is the time to stand up and protect
your right to use Forest Service lands equally with outfitters and
their clients.
If you do nothing, these sweeping changes will impact all
do-it-yourself (self-guided) recreationists, including hunters,
fishermen, off-road enthusiasts, hikers, backpackers, canoeists,
jet-boaters, paddlers, mountain-bikers and river runners. Once the
rights to your favorite picnic area, boat ramp, or wilderness trailhead
are sold, the change is permanent; the self-guided public enthusiast
loses, and also loses the right to comment in the future.
The proposed rulemaking changes include but are not limited to:
* Outfitters and guides would be able to pay a small fee
for sole and exclusive access to prime camping, hunting, fishing and
picnic areas, including boat launch ramps.
* Outfitters, guides and non-profit organizations would be awarded an
allocation of public use for ten-year periods. Commonly referred to as
a “taking,” of public land the rule would give preferred access to the
outfitters at the expense of the do-it-yourself public on all Forest
Service-managed lands.
* This rulemaking would force allocating access in management areas
where access is presently allocation-free, as it now is at Boundary
Waters Canoe Area and the Deschutes River.
* Outfitters, Guides and non-profits become “Priority Users”. The
public, who does not use outfitters, guides or non-profits for access
would no longer have “priority use.”
* The general public would no longer be able to comment on USFS giving
away blocks of access to Forest Service land. Outfitting and guiding in
designated wilderness would not require public comment and review
through an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement.
Additionally, there is no provision to prevent outfitting services from
selling their preferred access rights to their successor companies.
* The new proposed rules do not protect wilderness areas from commercialization.
To see the document in its entirety click here:
Comments on this proposed rulemaking will be accepted until January 17, 2008.
Do you care about your and your children’s access to Federal Land? Or their children’s access?
If so, please take the time to comment on this one, and urge your
friends, no matter what outdoor activities they enjoy, to comment too.
Comments may be submitted by mail to:
U.S. Forest Service, Attn:
Carolyn Holbrook, Recreation and Heritage Resources Staff (2720)
1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1125,
Washington, DC 20250-1125.
You can submit electronic comments, but it is not easy (imagine that!) Start by clicking here.
Under Advanced Search, in the "Document ID" type in FS-2007-0008-0001.
Under "Date Posted" type in 10/19/2007. This should take you to a page
with a comment bubble on the far right of the page. Click the bubble to
get to the comment page.
Here’s what you might want to say in your own words:
* Tell the USFS that ALL outfitters, guides and non-profit
organizations using public lands should compete on an equal footing
with the public for permits in a first-come first-serve or common pool
type of permit system.
* Tell the USFS that allocating access is contentious and already being
fought over in the courts. This rulemaking will lead to more litigation
over who gets to access Federal lands.
* Tell the USFS that you demand that allocation-free areas, like the
Boundary Waters and the Deschutes River, must remain allocation free.
* Tell the USFS there should be no locations, including campsites,
launch ramps, prime hunting and fishing locations specifically set
aside for outfitter, guide or non-profit use.
* Tell the USFS this rulemaking is a “taking” from the public who
recreates on USFS land without guided, outfitted or non-profit
assistance, and that the do-it-yourself American must be the only
“priority user”.
* Tell the USFS that outfitting, guiding and non-profit access permits
must be reviewed in a public process using the National Environmental
Protection Act.
* Tell the USFS that this rulemaking must not commercialize wilderness areas.
Remember, comments must be received in writing by January 17, 2008.
Please send a copy of your letter to your Senator or Congressman as
well, since the outfitting industry has, throughout the years, tried
and failed to get special considerations like these proposed changes
through special interest legislation, and may try again in the future.
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