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What is "Wilderness"?

"Wilderness", as we use the term, is in the context of The Wilderness Act of 1964 which is found at Wilderness.net, a good source for educational material. Quoting from Wilderness.net:  "Wilderness is the land that is - rare, wild places where one can retreat from civilization, reconnect with the Earth, and find healing, meaning and significance." The following is excerpted from the Wilderness Act: A Wilderness... is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor and does not remain, an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable...". Also excerpted from the act: "Prohibited Uses... No commercial enterprise, no permanent road, no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or motorboats, no landing aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation...".

Why CPA Opposes Wilderness

The Nevada Wilderness Project (NWP) has proposed more than 692,000 acres in Douglas, Esmeralda, Lyon, and Mineral counties and Mono County, Ca. be designated as Wilderness Area. CPA members use this land for both productive and leisure activities including: cattle and sheep grazing, woodcutting, mining, military training, researching historical sites, hunting, trapping, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, bird watching, horseback riding, sage grouse or endangered species preservation, land restoration, snowmobiling, grave site visitation, Native American interests, and for OHV purposes. Additionally, much of this land is currently being explored as to its suitability for solar, wind, and geo-thermal energy production. Should any of this land be designated as Wilderness Areas, all of these activities will be either severely restricted or completely prohibited. In addition, restricting and/or prohibiting these uses will have a dramatic negative impact on the economy of the area and the small business owners who rely on the users of these public lands as the main source of their income.

Wilderness Study Areas

From Wikipedia.org: A wilderness study area (WSA) contains undeveloped United States federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, and managed to preserve its natural conditions. WSAs are not included in the National Wilderness Preservation System until the United States Congress passes wilderness legislation.

On Bureau of Land Management lands, a WSA is a roadless area that has been inventoried (but not designated by Congress) and found to have wilderness characteristics as described in Section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and Section 2(c) of the Wilderness Act of 1964. BLM manages wilderness study areas to protect their value as wilderness until Congress decides whether or not to designate them as wilderness. Wilderness bills often include so-called "release language" that eliminates WSAs not selected for wilderness designation.

Some WSAs are managed exactly the same as wilderness areas, and the rules for others permit activities that are generally excluded from wilderness. For example, some WSAs allow mountain bikes and off-road vehicles.

WSAs in Nevada total approximately 2.55 million acres with only .72 million acres "recommended suitable" by the BLM. BLM's Carson City Field Office managed WSAs in Douglas, Lyon, Mineral, Nye and Western Churchill counties total 277,811 acres with 0 acres "recommended suitable", yet these WSAs remain under the protection of wilderness status.

In Nevada

The Federal Legislation creating wilderness areas in Nevada.

Public Law No: 88-577 September 3, 1964
The Wilderness Act Of 1964
This created the first Wilderness in Nevada consuming 111,087 acres of multi-use public land

Public Law No: 101-195 December 5, 1989
Nevada Wilderness Protection Act
This applied Wilderness Designation to 720,049 acres of multi-use public land in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964
Sponsor Harry Reid

Public Law No:103-433 October 31,1994
California Desert Protection Act
This applied Wilderness Designation to 3,253,028 acres of multi-use public land with 125,000 acres in Nevada
Cosponsor Harry Reid

Public Law No:106-554
Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area Act of 2000
This applied Wilderness Designation to 751,851 acres of multi-use public land and established 795,000 acres as National Conservation Areas from multi-use public land
Cosponsor Harry Reid

Public Law No:107-282
Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002
This applied Wilderness Designation to 438,530 acres of multi-use public land
Sponsor Harry Reid

Public Law No:108-424
Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act of 2004
This applied Wilderness Designation to 768,294 acres of multi-use public land
Cosponsor Harry Reid

Public Law No: 109-432 December 20,2006
White Pine County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2006
This applied Wilderness Designation to 536,175 acres of multi-use public land
Cosponsor Harry Reid

Wilderness Vs. Camping

Camping in the Humbolt Toiyabe Forest, at present, is permitted in improved campgrounds with toilets, stoves, and other amenities. Another type of camping allowed is called dispersed camping. This means that a camper can use any vehicle on any road to find a site to camp following only a couple of rules. You may not camp within 100 feet of any source of water, and you must dispose of human waste in a hole six inches deep. A camper should have a campfire permit which is free. In the proposed wilderness, there are few sources of water. Campers must haul the water they will use, usually in a pickup. Camping trailers and tent trailers are acceptable as far as the road allows them to go. Groups of campers in the forest may include the very young and our elder citizens. In a wilderness, camping becomes severely limited and highly regulated. A survey of nearby wilderness areas shows rules vary according to how much use the area receives. A wilderness camper must apply in person for a wilderness permit and pay a fee. Reservations may be required, and these are given on a quota system. Fires may be prohibited in some areas. Dogs may be prohibited or a leash-only regulation may apply. The size of the group may be limited. No motorized travel is allowed in wilderness so backpacking and horseback are the only means of transportation. To take horses into the wilderness, the owner must feed the horses certified weed-free hay before entering and while in the wilderness. Certified weed-free hay is very expensive and difficult to find. Male backpackers generally carry fifty pounds while women and children carry considerably less. Water would be the main detractor for camping in a wilderness which has very few streams. The weight and bulk of water limits the amount that can be carried. Water is necessary for rehydrating freeze-dried food, washing dishes, drinking, and a limited amount for personal hygiene. As you can see, camping in the national forest is a recreation that can be enjoyed by all. Camping in the wilderness would be limited to the young and to those who can afford the fees. Wilderness requires a large force of rangers to ensure the enforcement of the rules, all at taxpayers expense.

Wilderness Vs. The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990

The National Council on Disability (NCOD) in 1992, pursuant to The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) conducted a study and submitted a report to Congress “on the effect that wilderness designations and wilderness land management practices have on the ability of individuals with disabilities to use and enjoy the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), which includes Wilderness Areas, et al, as established under the 1964 Wilderness Act of 1964.

In ADA Congress affirmed that NOTHING in the Wilderness Act is to be construed as prohibiting the use of a wheelchair. However, United States Forest Service (USFS) policy prohibits the use of electric (motorized) wheelchairs in the NWPS, presumably because motorized vehicles are PROHIBITED in Wilderness Areas.

Respondents to the survey were asked if restrictions on mechanized use within the NWPS diminished their ability to enjoy the Wilderness. 21% said yes. Typical comments of these respondents were:

The study makes several recommendations, one of which was: All Federal agencies that manage the NWPS should adopt policies consistent with those stated in Section 507 (c) of the ADA. This means MOTORIZED wheelchairs WOULD be ALLOWED in Wilderness Areas.

Here we have a classic example of what happens when special interests are allowed to write law. Conflicts are created, that will not be resolved so the fight and the lawsuits go on, and people who should be entitled to access are denied it. This begs the question, how can we prevent such conflicts? One solution would be not to allow the conflict to develop in the first place. This could be accomplished by simply not designating Wilderness Areas, thereby allowing ALL the people access to Public Land. Additionally, this would eliminate the need for studies and reports such as this one that cost we the taxpayers unknown amounts of money. It would also reduce the amount of controls (and enforcement thereof) required by land managers (BLM, USFS), which also costs we, the taxpayers, dearly.

Another simpler way to put it is: What will be harmed IF the Public Land in question is NOT designated Wilderness and remains as it is, Public Land to be used, as is, for our enjoyment and for our livelihoods? The answer is, nothing. There is already in place sufficient laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures & guidelines to protect the land. Will some people break the law and abuse the land? Yes. Will placing another layer of law, administered by understaffed Federal land management agencies prevent this from happening? No. What will? The stronger enforcement of existing laws, and the EDUCATION of those who use this land to prevent abuses.

References:
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Titles I and V
National Council on Disability - Wilderness Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Wilderness Vs. The Economy

This section is coming soon.

Wilderness Vs. The Environment

The Environment; another reason why Wilderness Designation is not the solution but the problem.

Expansion of Pinon-Juniper Woodlands in the Intermountain West (USFS & USDA study, Jan., 2008.) This study examines six areas in the Great Basin and agrees with previous studies, that the explosion of growth by Pinon and Juniper woodlands needs to be managed now, or within 30 to 50 years, it will be too late. Too late to save the various understory plants, habitat and some animal species. And, it will be too late to stop the fuel build up that will lead to conflagrations. With the increased fuel beds and inability to use mechanized equipment (aircraft and fire apparatus) in Wilderness areas, these catastrophic fire will go unchecked. (In 2006, a fire in California burned nearly one-half of the 219,700-acre Sespe Wilderness Area over a two month period.)

The study cites, “The increase in pinon and juniper dominance within the Intermountain plant communities can have significant impacts on soil resources, plant community structure and composition, forage quality and quantity, water and nutrient cycles, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and fire severity and frequency (Miller and others 2005, Miller and Tausch 2001).

“Since 1860, the area occupied by pinon and or juniper has increased 125 to 625 percent.... Prior to 1860 two-thirds of the landscape was treeless..... Today, less than one-third of the landscape remains treeless and more than 90 percent of the trees have established since the 1860's.” And, further, “The lack of active management will potentially result in continued decline...”

This study and many of the previous studies cited in the document, conclude that management is needed to protect our environment. Wilderness Designation of huge tracts of land in the West is not 'saving the land for future generations' as Wilderness proponents like to state. It is a death sentence to many species and much of the environment.

Without the option of modern management techniques there will be great and irreversible changes to vast parts of our public land environment.

Wilderness Vs. Firefighting

The Wilderness Act of 1964 sets forth certain prohibited activities on any land designated as Wilderness. The most troublesome of these prohibitions is that “No Motorized Equipment is allowed.” Additionally, lands that have been designated as Wilderness Study Areas by the Bureau of Reclamation also prohibit Motorized Equipment. When one reads the actual definitions of what land can be designated as Wilderness the “no motorized equipment” prohibition makes sense.

Unfortunately, Wilderness proponents (Nevada Wilderness Project, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and the Wilderness Society), have, as a matter of policy, worked to designate as Wilderness Areas many hundreds of thousands acres of public land that do not meet the definition of Wilderness as prescribed in the 1964 Act. Many such Wilderness Areas border populated areas, state highways, and county roads where considerable development has occurred and many people reside.

So, what happens when a wildfire starts is such an area? One would think the proper reaction would be to extinguish the fire by the fastest means possible to reduce harm to humans, man-made structures, wildlife habitat, and the land itself. However, since “motorized equipment” is prohibited in Wilderness Areas, these fires are not extinguished by the fastest means possible, if they are extinguished at all. Wilderness proponents argue this is not the case. They state; “Motorized equipment can be used to fight fires in Wilderness Areas”.

Given these contradictions, what actually happens when a wildfire erupts in a Wilderness Area? To find out we need only look to the recent fires that occurred in the Six Rivers National Forest located in the Siskiyou Mountains in Northern California. These fires threatened several homes and other buildings. As to how these fires would be fought Tyrone Kelley, the Forest Service Manager in charge of this Wilderness Area, was quoted as saying: “Because the fires are in a Wilderness Area, fire lanes are built by hand not with bulldozers.” Hence, firefighters were reduced to building fire lanes with hand tools only. It is reasonable to conclude that the statement of a Forest Service Manager trumps the statements of Wilderness proponents. It should be noted that several structures and homes were destroyed as a result of these fires. Fortunately, no human life was lost.

As long as Wilderness advocates continue to seek of any and all public lands for such designations even though the lands do not meet the congressional definition of Wilderness and our elected federal representatives allow such nonsense, federal land managers and the public at large will be plagued by this dangerous, destructive and potentially life threatening policy of fighting wildfires in Wilderness Areas with hand tools.

Coupled with the fact that many areas should not be Wilderness Areas in the first place, such a practice is a prime example of how the welfare of the public is endangered by the radical environmentalists that seemingly dictate what is “good” for this nation.

Wilderness Vs. Geocaching

Geocaching is an outdoor activity that began in 2000 when accurate GPS units became available to the public. It has mushroomed in the ensuing years not only in the US but globally. There are nearly 560,000 active caches worldwide. There are dozens of sites within a few miles of the Smith, NV zipcode. Geocaching is an increasingly popular, inclusive, fun, and healthy pastime for people of all ages. It is great for groups like families, friends, classes, and youth groups working as teams. The core of the sport consists of using a handheld GPS unit to guide you to a destination where a hidden container is stored. You then log your visit in the logbook and trade one of the "goodies" inside for one of your own. This is all coordinated on one of several websites devoted to the sport. While some caches are in cities, most are found in public access areas of federally managed land. People use the dirt roads, and some caches require hiking. Obviously, cutting acces to lands and roads would have a detrimental effect on this popular activity. Geocachers are encouraged to minimize environmental impact by sticking to roads and trails and to pick up trash in a "Cache in-Trash out" program. All things considered, geocaching is a great activity for multi-use public lands.

Wilderness Vs. Public Access

This section is coming soon.

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