Wasted Trails magazine March 2014 vol 10 | Page 39

On the other hand, Congressman John T. Doolittle has released a new bill to Release Wilderness Study Areas.
This is wonderful news and fits right in with our efforts to keep public lands FOR the public, instead of FROM the
public.
Senator Boxer’s bill follows the path of other, long-standing anti-access agendas, such as The Wildlands Project.
If you need more on their overall agenda, check out my article on The Vicious Green Circle.
It’s important to understand the connection between efforts like The Wildlands Project (TWP) and Wilderness.
TWP seeks to establish millions of acres of new Wilderness under the guise of habitat connectivity -- corridors
of undisturbed habitat connecting each other. These new Wilderness areas would expand all the way down to
the lowlands (grass country) of many states, especially in California. The truth is, in my opinion, that it is just not
practical, nor is it necessary.
Habitat connectivity in developed States is a thing of the past. Human expansion and development have
changed nature too much. People are not going to stand for being thrown off their property so some critter can
make it from the grass country to the high mountains without seeing a car.
The solution is NOT more Wilderness. The solution is better management of our current Wilderness areas and
wildlands in general. The BlueRibbon Coalition has another solution (keep reading).
It gets even more complicated to understand, when you read about anti-access folks advocating getting rid of
watercraft on our lakes. Then add to the mix the anti-access campaign to rid our country of cattle grazing and
timber harvesting. Now you have a picture that hopefully will spur you to continue to do your part to stop these
outrageous takings of our freedom.
It’s a vicious green circle that keeps coming back on itself. The anti-access folks have one agenda and they’ve all
pulled together to achieve the same thing -- LESS ACCESS FOR US. We must fight them. We must fight for our freedoms and access to public lands for responsible multiple use.
There is a better alternative to Wilderness. It’s called the Back Country concept as put forth by the BlueRibbon
Coalition. Go check it out. I am supporting this effort with everything I’ve got!
Is Wilderness Stealing Our Heritage?
How to get involved.
How the ESA fits into Wilderness.

March 2014

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