November 19, 2013 The Honorable Ron Wyden, Chairman 304 Dirksen Senate Office Building The Honorable Joe Manchin, Chairman Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, & Mining 304 Dirksen Senate Office Building The Honorable Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member 304 Dirksen Senate Building The Honorable John Barrasso, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, & Mining 304 Dirksen Senate Office Building Re: November 20, 2013 Subcommittee Hearing on Misc. Public Lands Bills Dear Chairman Wyden, Chairman Manchin, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Ranking Member Barrasso: We are writing to express our strong support for the wilderness and other public lands conservation bills being heard tomorrow in the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, & Mining, and respectfully request that this letter be included in the November 20, 2013 hearing record for the Subcommittee. In particular, we would like to express our support for S. 483, S. 776, and S. 481, which provide communitysupported protections for outstanding wild landscapes and watersheds in California, New Mexico, and Colorado. We would also like to express our opposition to S. 1479, which acts as a Trojan horse to override basic environmental and public participation protections in order to facilitate intensive logging and grazing of our public lands under the guise of wildfire management. The 112th Congress was the first Congress since 1966 that failed to protect any wilderness, leaving us with a large backlog of public lands conservation bills. We appreciate the
Committee s continued leadership in driving forward the many locally-supported wilderness bills and other conservation measures pending before the Senate, and hope your efforts will lead the 113th Congress to a more successful conservation record than the 112th. However, we are disappointed that taking up these citizen-crafted conservation bills comes at the price of considering a measure that would undermine the most basic protections for forests, including roadless lands and wilderness study areas. This approach directly contradicts the lessons taught by polling released just this week, which shows that voters don t believe either Democrats or Republicans are doing enough to protect public lands. 1 S. 483 Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area Act The Wilderness Society supports the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area Act, and we commend Senator Boxer for introducing this legislation. S. 483 would establish a national conservation area in the Berryessa Snow Mountain region of California s interior Coastal Range. The region s lush oak savannahs, free-flowing rivers, and healthy ancient forests provide a wonderful outdoor playground easily reachable from Sacramento and the Bay Area. This largely undiscovered national treasure is home to a wealth of recreation opportunities, a wide range of plants and animals, and beautiful scenic views. The Berryessa Snow Mountain region is a wonderland rich in natural features including waterfalls, lakes, and rocky outcrops with lovely views. The region is also home to a dazzling variety of native and rare plants and provides habitat for dozens of iconic California birds and animals. Bald and golden eagles, black bears, mountain lions and herds of wild tule elk call the region home and Cache Creek contains the state s second largest wintering population of bald eagles. S. 483 would ensure that the Berryessa Snow Mountain region is permanently protected for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Benefits: A conservation area designation will keep the Berryessa Snow Mountain region the way it is so that the public can continue to enjoy and use these lands for activities like hunting, grazing, hiking and rafting. The designation will also provide important economic benefits to local communities by increasing property values, providing new opportunities for recreation and tourism, creating a more desirable place to live and work, and bringing new residents and visitors into the area. S. 483 would help address important land management priorities within the conservation area by restoring local lands, addressing the spread of noxious weeds, advancing marijuana eradication, and identifying new recreational opportunities. Preserving existing land uses: This legislation has been carefully crafted to ensure that existing land uses may continue. Existing grazing, motorized vehicle use, horseback riding, mountain bicycling, and other recreational activities may continue within the conservation area. The legislation makes clear that fire management activities may continue within the conservation area. The legislation further makes clear that the conservation area designation will not affect 1 Source: Public opinion polling, Hart Research Associates, November 18, 2013, available at http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/me11044-public-lands-memo.pdf
existing water rights, use of or access to private land, or any activities outside the boundary of the conservation area. Local input: The legislation is the result of many years of community input. Conservation area supporters have worked closely with local communities and stakeholders in Lake, Napa, Yolo, Solano, and Mendocino counties to ensure that the conservation area designation has strong local support and does not adversely affect important land uses. S. 483 requires the establishment of a new management plan, which will address important land use issues within the conservation area, and will be crafted with local input. The legislation also establishes an advisory council, to include local stakeholders from a wide variety of backgrounds, including agricultural, private land-ownership, environmental, recreational, tourism, and other non-federal land interests. This advisory council will provide an important forum for local interests to provide input in the management of the conservation area. Supporters: The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area is supported by a wide array of local stakeholders, including: Local elected officials: Yolo, Napa, Solano and Lake Counties, the cities of Davis, Winters, West Sacramento, Clearlake, Calistoga, and St. Helena, and dozens of individual elected officials. Hunters and Anglers: California Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation and others. Business: Over a hundred local businesses. Recreation: Blue Ribbon Coalition, Motorcycle Industry Council, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Back Country Horsemen of America, and others. Chambers of Commerce: North Valley Hispanic, Napa Valley Hispanic, and Calistoga Chambers of Commerce. Farmers, Ranchers, and Landowners: Napa Valley Vintners and dozens of local farmers, ranchers, inholders, and other private landowners. Conservation: Sierra Club, National Hispanic Environmental Council, and others. We urge the committee to advance S. 483, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area Act as expeditiously as possible. S. 776 - Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act New Mexico depends on its wild landscapes for clean and flowing water, jobs from the booming outdoor and tourism industries, and quality of life. The Wilderness Society supports S. 776, the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, which would protect 45,000 acres of incredible wildlife habitat, an important source of clean water, and a prized hunting and fishing destination around Taos, Questa and Red River, New Mexico. The Columbine Hondo Wilderness Study Area is the last remaining portion of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to be designated as wilderness. Congress formally recognized the wilderness values and character of the Columbine Hondo area in 1980 and gave it interim protection as a wilderness study area (WSA). It is crowned by 13 miles of high alpine ridges and peaks that
tower above 11,000 feet, including its high point, Gold Hill, at 12,711 feet elevation. The area is home to elk, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain lions, black bear, pine marten, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Columbine Hondo is a significant clean water source for the central Rio Grande Corridor of New Mexico, supplying water to two of the larger Rio Grande tributaries the Red River and the Rio Hondo. The area also waters many acequias used by the local agricultural community. In addition, northern New Mexico s incredible wildlife, natural beauty, and outdoor recreation opportunities attract locals and visitors alike to the area. Outdoor recreation generates $6.1 billion in consumer spending and supports 68,000 jobs in New Mexico alone. Protecting Columbine Hondo is a community-driven effort. A diverse coalition including business owners, ranchers, sportsmen, Acequia parciantes, mountain bikers, elected officials, conservationists and others have worked together for years to preserve this natural treasure. Community support for safeguarding the Columbine Hondo is broad and deep. Supporters: The Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act is supported by a wide array of local stakeholders, including: Local Governments: Taos Pueblo, County of Taos, Town of Red River, Town of Taos, Village of Questa and Village of Taos Ski Valley. Sportsmen Organizations: New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, National Wildlife Federation, and 30 local sportsmen organizations. Business: Over 350 local businesses. Recreation: International Mountain Bicycling Association, Back Country Horsemen of America, and others. Land Grant and Acequia Associations: Arroyo Hondo Arriba Community Land Grant, El Rito de la Lama Acequia Association, Acequia de la Plaza, and others. Chambers of Commerce: Taos County Chamber of Commerce, Taos Green Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce. Organizations: League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Sierra Club, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Environment New Mexico, Conservation Voters New Mexico, Rivers & Birds, and many others. Newspapers: Albuquerque Journal, Taos News, Santa Fe New Mexican Individuals: Livestock permitees, over 300 community members, and over 600 sportsmen have signed letters of support. We urge the committee to move S. 776, the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, forward as quickly as possible. S. 841 - Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act of 2013 The Wilderness Society supports the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, which is the result of four years of community discussion and negotiation to protect one of Colorado s largest unprotected landscapes. The Hermosa Creek watershed is revered for its clean water,
wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities including mountain biking, hunting, hiking, and fishing. S. 841 is based on the recommendations of the Hermosa Creek Workgroup, a community-based collaborative group that formed to discuss options for protecting the area, and to ensure that all local stakeholder concerns were addressed. Regular participants included sportsmen, mountain bikers, hunter and anglers, water developers, conservation groups, motorized recreation interests, and local governments, and the final legislation is one that truly works for all concerned. S. 841 will protect the entirety (approximately 108,000 acres) of the Hermosa Creek watershed north of Durango, CO as a Watershed Protection Area. Within this, the wildest part will be designated as the 37,000-acre Hermosa Creek Wilderness. The remaining lands will be designated as a Special Management Area, with motorized and mountain bike use continuing, but a prohibition on new roads and other development. A world class mountain biking destination, all popular mountain bike trails remain open for use. Ninety-eight percent of the watershed will be withdrawn from mineral entry. Four areas near the City of Durango (Perins Peak, Animas Mountain, Lake Nighthorse, and Horse Gulch), totaling approximately 13,000 acres, will be withdrawn from mineral entry. In addition, approximately 111 acres of Bureau of Land Management land southeast of Durango will be conveyed to La Plata County for recreational facilities and 461 acres of the approximately 1,200-acre West Needles Contiguous WSA will be released, to allow for the continuance of historic snowmobile use. We urge Congress to protect one of Colorado s largest unprotected landscapes by advancing S. 841 as quickly as possible. S. 1479 - Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2013 The Wilderness Society strongly opposes S. 1479, which acts as a Trojan horse to override basic environmental and public participation protections in order to facilitate intensive logging and grazing of our public lands including wilderness-quality lands - under the guise of wildfire management. Although S. 1479 purports to protect public lands from wildfire, in reality, this proposal would result in serious and irreparable harm to our nation s treasured landscapes. This bill would eviscerate longstanding common sense protections by authorizing extensive logging and grazing to go forward in backcountry areas with limited environmental review and public input, while also eliminating protections for roadless areas, wilderness study areas (WSAs), endangered and threatened species habitat, and other ecologically sensitive areas, along with making major changes to the implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The bill mandates that the Forest Service and BLM implement authorized wildfire protection projects in any forest that is deemed at-risk. Section 3 of the bill provides definitions for both at-risk forest and authorized wildfire protection project that are so broad that virtually any fire-adapted ecosystem (which constitutes most of the West) could be designated at-risk, and virtually any project could qualify as wildfire protection. While we agree that forest thinning can be an important element of a fire management strategy, it is not an across-the-board solution to mitigating wildfire risk, and is only effective when done in the right places, in the right way, at
the right time. In regards to grazing, there is little to no scientific support for utilizing it as a fire management tool, and in fact, some research suggests that grazing can even contribute to increased fire risk. In contrast, S. 1479 seeks to define both logging and grazing as an acrossthe-board, one-size-fits all solution to fire across a broad swath of our western public lands. The bill specifically overrides all existing legal protections of the Roadless Rule and Wilderness Study Areas to allow implementation of these projects in some of the most pristine and remote parts of our public lands (see Section 3(4)(B)). Section 5 of the bill creates a series of arbitrary deadlines and streamlined review provisions that would effectively eliminate meaningful public input and environmental review. Review for logging and grazing is particularly limited, and once completed, automatically deemed sufficient for 10 years (for grazing) or 20 years (for timber harvest). In addition, compliance with the bill s limited public input and review requirements results in automatic compliance with NEPA, the National Forest Management Act, the ESA, and the Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act, regardless of any substantive conflicts. The Wilderness Society strongly opposes S. 1479. While we believe that addressing wildfire risk is an important issue, this bill does nothing to further that policy discussion and should be rejected. Sincerely, Alan Rowsome Senior Director of Government Relations for Lands The Wilderness Society