From their website (My comments in red):
"HELP PROTECT WEITAS CREEK AND POT MOUNTAIN FROM MOTORIZED MADNESS
Submitted by foc on Thu, 09/17/2009 - 11:16am
Action Alerts orv Person Email Address Quotation
Comments Needed on Forest Service Vehicle Plan
The Clearwater National Forest just released its draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) designating routes open to off-road vehicles (ORVs) and snowmobiles. This “Travel Plan” is supposed to address the problem of unmanaged and unregulated motorized recreation, which has increased dramatically throughout the West in the past decade. The deliberate failure of the Forest Service to close sensitive wildlife habitat, as is required in the 1987 Clearwater forest plan, threatens Weitas Creek, Pot Mountain, Fish and Hungery Creeks and other wild places in the Clearwater National Forest. Friends of the Clearwater has notified the Forest Service many times during the past decade that it must close sensitive areas to ORVs as directed in the forest plan. Nevertheless, places once intended for quiet recreation (horse and foot traffic) are now being used by ORVs.
The Weitas Creek roadless area/proposed wilderness is perhaps the most important wildland in the Clearwater National Forest. This 260,000 acre roadless area is under tremendous pressure from organized motorized vehicle groups that would like every trail be open for motorized abuse.
(Says Who? And what is this groups definition of "abuse"? A motorcyle mearly riding on a trail? I venture into the backcountry on designated trails all the time on my motorcycle and as far as I can see, everyone sticks to the trail and uses the bridges to cross the streams where built - we are as ademate about protecting the plant life and minimizing erosion and thus pretty much only disturbing habitat (and hikers) by sound. Yes, I can see how that disturbs the peace but that's why you have millions and millions of already designated wilderness at your disposal.) To make matters worse, almost every acre in the entire forest is open to winter snowmobile use, threatening rare species like wolverine and lynx.
(How do we threaten them when they can hear us from miles away and thus take shelter? Let alone, we're pretty much here and gone in a few seconds unless we stop for a break.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Forest Service is analyzing 4 alternatives, none of which close all of the Weitas Creek roadless area or other roadless areas to motorized abuse.
(Is this true? Are we really destroying this area or is it one Jack Ars hillbilly that came in his motorcycle and carved up a hillside that he shouldnt have? Another thing, I have seen horses do FAR MORE damage to trails than I have seen motorcycles do. Go to Woodside California's equestrain freindly park and check out that damage! And they ousted mountain bikers because of the damage they would do. Completely hypicrital!!!!! The steep trails are devastated in sections from the horses hooves making it hard for my short legs to even climb up that trail!!!!!) Each alternative would eliminate the wildlife protections promised in the 1987 forest plan. The Forest Service is reneging on its written promises to the public and breaking the law.
(Maybe because they didnt find evidence of the abuse?)
The Wild Clearwater
The Weitas Creek roadless area includes three major stream systems--Weitas, Cayuse and Fourth of July Creeks, all tributaries to the North Fork Clearwater. Wilderness studies in the late 70’s and early 80’s concluded Weitas Creek was the most important unroaded area on the Clearwater for wildlife habitat. The lower elevations around Weitas Creek provide important habitat diversity which compliments the higher ridges that separate the major stream systems. Hemlock Creek, a tributary of Weitas Creek, is a proposed research/natural area. In one of the few, upper-elevation areas--near Weitas Butte- -there is a unique higher-elevation stand of ancient cedars.
(Let me guess, we are destroying the cedars too? Are we shaking the bark off from the noise of our machines?)
Visitors to Weitas Creek have traditionally been those interested in non-motorized recreation: hikers, hunters, anglers, photographers, backpackers, and bird watchers. The explosion of the ORV industry and the intentional failure of the Forest Service to implement its own plan, have allowed for the incremental loss of places for quiet, primitive recreation to take place.
(Uhhh - what about the other how many MILLIONS and MILLions of acres of wilderness that you have to hike, hunt, angle in, photograph, pack and watch birds in peacefully?????)
The Pot Mountain roadless area contains important mountain goat habitat and may be the wildest unprotected area on the Clearwater. It has dramatic changes in elevation and is prone to severe erosion from motorcycles and snowmobiles.
(How do snowmobiles cause erosion? And again, I've seen horses do far more damage to trails than motorcycles!!!!!)Fish and Hungery Creeks are the most important steelhead streams in all of Idaho. This roadless area should be closed to motorized recreation in order to protect spawning grounds and other watershed values.
Certain areas adjacent to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness are closed to ORV’s and motorcycles, but open to snowmobiles.
(Possibley because snowmobiles do not cause erosion? Or maybe I'm wrong.)
When Bob Marshall first gained protection for this area in the 1930s, the old primitive area went all the way
down to the present-day trailheads. Illegal snowmobile use is taking place in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness because it is allowed to occur in the adjacent roadless areas.
(If so, as a fellow snowmobiler, I say hang 'em! But why punish all of us who abide by the rules? Should we ban all hikers from the trails because one left their empty plactic water bottle out there? Or what about our Salmon and Snake Rivers that are hugely popular for multi-overnight rafting trips - shouldnt we ban these guys because they often leave several traces behind of their visitation? We are often picking up junk from the the sandy beaches in these canyons.... BBQ grills, toilet paper, wrappers, bottles.... yes, it could be fellow jet boaters too but most jet boaters have plenty of room for all their trash, it's much easier for us to pack our stuff and we are already highly senstivitive to our limited use, knowing very well we are hated and we often take extra care in upholding a good reputation. There's always the jack arses though.)
Clearwater National Forest roadless areas are crucial recovery habitat for wolves, grizzlies and wolverines. In order for grizzlies to recover, these areas must be closed to motor vehicles.
(Is it proven that these species are not recovering because of motorized recreationists in this area?)Already, the Clearwater National Forest has dedicated areas such as Deception Saddle, Clarke Mountain, Sheep Mountain and almost all of the Palouse Ranger District to offroad vehicle access. The roadless areas must be closed to motor vehicles to give rare species the chance to recover.
Take Action!
Your voice is critical in this issue because the Forest Service has the misperception its proposal is widely accepted.
(Misperception by who?) An inexperienced representative from a conservation organization in Boise, who is apparently ignorant of the wild values of Weitas Creek, Fourth of July Creek, Fish Creek, and Elizabeth Lakes told the newspapers, “Certainly the plan does well to protect wilderness values and non-motorized recreation values . . .” The damage from that uniformed misstep needs to be countered by your voice.
(Isn't it funny how we could say the same exact thing about these guys?!?! I personally believe that these types of agencies often feed on the ignorance of those who really dont know a thing about the areas these argencies are so called "protecting".)
There will be a letter writing-potluck party on Tuesday September 29th at 6:30 pm in Moscow. Call the FOC office at (208) 882-9755 for details.
Points To Consider
Motorized/mechanized vehicles should not be allowed in any roadless areas on the Clearwater National Forest, including Weitas Creek, Pot Mountain, Kelly Creek, Mallard-Larkins, the Upper North Fork and the areas adjacent to the Selway- Bitterroot Wilderness.
Weitas Creek is the largest roadless area on the Clearwater National Forest and arguably the most important potential wilderness. It contains unmatched lower elevation wildlife habitat.
The unmaintained 555 route in the Weitas Creek drainage should be closed at the Weitas Guard station (the bridge). It bisects crucial elk calving and wolverine habitat.
The trail to Scurvy Mountain should also be closed.
The Elizabeth Lakes area in Mallard-Larkins proposed wilderness, the Fish Lake area in the Kelly Creek (Great Burn) proposed wilderness, and the trails in Fish Creek—the most important steelhead stream in Idaho--must all be closed to motors.
Send comments by October 2 to:
Kamiah Ranger Station
ATTN: Lois Foster, Travel Planning IDT Leader
Attn: Designated Route and Area for Motor Vehicle Use Planning
Route 2 Box 191
Kamiah, ID 83536
or by email to:
comments-northern-clearwater@fs.fed.us"
Article URL:
http://www.friendsoftheclearwater.org/articles/help-protect-weitas-creek-and-pot-mountain-motorized-madness
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