Unless something is done, it’s only going to get worse.

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BTW, the picture you see at the top of this website is Glacier National Park. There are probably a few mist forestflies up in those mountains. Not for long though.

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Contact: Kirsten Stade (202) 265-7337

http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1463

PARK SERVICE PLAN MUDDIES WILDERNESS PROTECTIONS

Confusing, Conflicting Guidance on Climbing Anchors and Other Topics

Washington, DC — The National Park Service is circulating new wilderness guidance that in some cases weakens existing protections, sends mixed messages and appears to violate the Wilderness Act itself, according to comments filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). One major departure in the NPS plan would allow fixed rock climbing anchors in designated wilderness, a position not embraced by any other land management agency.

Today ends the comment period on the plan which is in the form of a Director’s Order (a DO provides guidance to Park Service managers). This proposed DO on Wilderness Stewardship would be layered on top of, but supersede, existing agency guidance. Among problems highlighted by PEER is that the DO –

· Authorizes fixed climbing anchors to be embedded in rock in designated wilderness, a step which appears to violate the Wilderness Act precept that wilderness lands be left “untrammeled” by humans. Moreover, NPS cannot adopt such a major policy change by a DO; any change of such magnitude requires formal rulemaking, including public comment and administrative review;

· More than triples road corridors for unpaved roads (from the current 30 to 100 feet) , thus reducing wilderness protections while creating thorny implementation issues; and

· Puts out conflicting, confusing guidance on topics such as cultural resources in wilderness, application of Indian treaty rights, and recommended wilderness.

“Many of these provisions are written as if the Park Service did not even realize it was opening a new can of worms with each step,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting the irony that the stated purpose of the DO is to provide “consistency and continuity”. “As an example, this proposal recommends public involvement in the wilderness eligibility process, yet the Park Service just stripped wilderness eligibility from 40,000 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve without a scrap of public involvement.”

Permanent rock climbing anchors will also draw controversy because the DO does not lay out a clear process or standard for their approval. The draft DO uses inexact terms like “occasional placement” and “norm” that invite dispute. Moreover, it is not clear how climbers can get permission in advance or, with a ban on “power drills”, how anchors could be embedded into a rock face.

The nearly 50 million acres of designated park wilderness comprise more than half of all the lands within our park system and more than 40% of all federal lands within the National Wilderness Preservation System. Yet, NPS has a love-hate relationship with wilderness. For example, the agency for decades has failed to forward wilderness proposals for several major parks to the Interior Secretary or President for recommendation to Congress, conduct wilderness eligibility assessments for many parks, as mandated by NPS policies since 2001, prepare wilderness management plans, or take other steps necessary to properly administer and protect wilderness resources.

“The National Park Service has a staggering backlog of work which, if completed, would increase the wilderness footprint within the park system by more than half – yet this agenda receives no attention,” added Ruch. “This muddled Director’s Order reflects misplaced priorities and an institutional cluelessness. We urge the agency to retract this plan and concentrate on meaningful steps to meet its wilderness mandate.”

http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/

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The new rules will allow Glacier to kill bears without the bears showing agressive behavior.

When you favtor in the recent incomptent moutnain goat tranq deaths in the park, you really have to raise and eyebrow at what the future holds.

I’d like to see Glacier National Park manage some of these “problem” bears simply by closing off their general area to human traffic. We don’t live there full time – the bears do. And we should manage that park with such things in mind.

Good stuff as always from the Buffalo Field Campaign.

Here is the comment form link.

I’m not a big fan of allowing firearms in the national parks. There are several reasons for this. For me, its easier to see wildlife in the national parks and thus easier to poach. personally, I have always found powerful handguns displayed on belts to be a bit much at tourist attractions. Let’s face it, this isn’t western-world anymore. If you have a gun, great. But the rest of the world doesn’t need to fear you. Obviously the exception here is law enforcement.
The final reason is that it is my intrinsic belief that guns cheapen life. Now this doesn’t mean that guns are “evil”, what it does mean is that it’s far easier to kill that rare animal far from its claws, its teeth and its eyes. We don’t get to feel the breath of it. We are removed from the process and this makes it easier when perhaps we should be putting a little more thought into our actions. We’ve already seen one grizzly bear death in Denali from the new gun law.

Death by grizzlies in Glacier are so rare that walking around with a .357 is a bit silly. Not to mention that bear spray works just as well.

Anyway, its good to be back. I missed this place. I hope to continue to push some of your buttons, to make some of you applaud, and of course to learn from you.

I was planning on a redesign but I’m still buried in big projects, and am currently planning a multi-park tour this summer across the west from California to Montana. The updates will be few to start with, but they will grow.

Stewart Udall served as Secretary for eight years (1961-1969) under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, during which time he successfully pressed for landmark environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act, the Wilderness Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Under his watch, the National Park Service added over 2.4 million acres to its holdings,

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