The fight just got a lot harder for us....

[IntrepidXJ]

The new Obama administration and Congress will give us an unprecedented opportunity to protect the redrock country.

I was deeply moved last night watching President-elect Obama’s acceptance speech. His words brought hope to those of us watching in Moab, as they did to the crowd in Chicago. In the midst of all the challenges facing our nation - the economy, the wars, a declining environment - I can believe again in a better future for my children.

Yes, we still must work hard to reverse the awful legacy of the Bush administration. But after eight long, hard years, we are about to face perhaps the best opportunity for wilderness protection in SUWA’s 25-year history.

The next Congress also brings us new opportunities for redrock wilderness designation. We have enormous work ahead to educate these new senators and representatives, but with your help, I know we can do it.

President-elect Obama recognizes the threats from climate change and understands we can’t drill our way to energy independence. His thoughtful views are welcome as these issues bear heavily on the future of the Colorado Plateau. And, he will bring a welcome change in leadership to key public land agencies. If he surrounds himself with appointees who understand the importance of wild country, wildlife, healthy landscapes, and a fit planet for our children, wilderness should do well.

We will encourage the new Secretary of Interior and staff at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect southern Utah’s wilderness, including such places as Labyrinth Canyon, the Dirty Devil, the San Rafael Swell and Cedar Mesa by:

Reviewing disastrous last minute Bush administration decisions for legal violations, including the six awful land use plans the administration just approved, which open millions of acres of redrock wilderness to oil and gas leasing and ORVs.

Reforming the BLM, which manages more of our most spectacular western public lands than any other agency and which folded like a house of cards in a tornado to anti-wilderness interests under pressure from Bush appointees.

Giving meaningful protection to the redrock, by re-instating the process, born under President Clinton and killed by the Bush administration, that gives Wilderness Study Area protection to lands identified by the BLM as having wilderness character.

Please join us at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance in celebrating this long-awaited political change! We’ve fought hard for eight years just to hold onto Utah’s Redrock: now we’re excited to move forward, with you, to protect this extraordinary landscape.

Thanks for all your support and work towards protecting the Redrock.

Sincerely,

Scott Groene

http://www.suwa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Election2008_EDMessage

 

[JeepXJ93]

...here we go, maybe its time to start putting our money together to buy our own piece of land somewhere so we can do what we want w/out politics getting in the way.

 

[ren]

These idiots need to actually stop and think about what they are advocating: If the wild is left alone, you end up with a HUGE over-population of wildlife, due to restricted hunting, increased danger of fire, and harder to control/put out due to overgrowth in the lower parts of the forest (scrub, saplings, old trees that are now rotten instead of being harvested in a controled manner) and reduced access for people to thier own national lands. That seems a little bit discriminatory, esp. towards folks that are restricted to mech. traffic. (wheel chairs, scooters, etc...). Most of the "advocates" seem to not care/ think about how they are phrasing the "suggestions" for land access/ management.

 

[Crabapple]

Why am I not surprised by this?!

 

[Jump This]

The fight is different than it has been in the past, I'm not sure how much harder it will be. Just different.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

It will be harder or sure.....Obama's Chief of Staff is a co-sponsor of the Red Rocks Wilderness Bill that SUWA has been trying to pass for over a decade...

I envision Obama signing in some wilderness on his way out of office, just like Clinton did

 

[DrMoab]

It's time for to turn into a giant letter writing machine.

It's also time for members to tell everyone they know, naxja member or not about this and get them involved...even if you have to drag them kicking and screaming.

This is too important not to take drastic action.

 

[karstic]

It will be harder or sure.....Obama's Chief of Staff is a co-sponsor of the Red Rocks Wilderness Bill that SUWA has been trying to pass for over a decade...

I envision Obama signing in some wilderness on his way out of office, just like Clinton did

You think he's going to wait till he leaves office?

 

[IntrepidXJ]

You think he's going to wait till he leaves office?

Maybe I'm 'hoping' he will wait that long.....it will at least give me a few years to get to those areas before they are closed....

 

[goodburbon]

uke:

 

[builder]

BLM couldnt manage a rock let alone all the land they control. go to a state like wyoming where if a sign says dont venture off designated road you better pay attention!or lose your vehicle and pay a big fine. BLM in cali posts signs then ignores people just running a muck all over the desert and mtns. this includes national forest here also.We all need to do the right thing and stick to designated trails and roads.seems to me all government agencies not just forest service and BLM have a very hard time managing anything! they are awful good at designating land a national park or wilderness.which just shuts us all out. and is easier than considering all the different uses and how best to try and accomidate them.while deer hunting on blm and national forest this rear i was really disappointed to see ATV and yes 4 wheelers in areas they are not supposed to be in and the destruction it has caused.never saw one blm ranger or forest service worker during a 30 day deer season.could go on forever but i won't. we all need to do the right thing and that includes the idiots in government. my .02

 

[DrMoab]

It's a double edged sword.

They don't police it like they should because they don't have the budget to.

If they had the budget however they would just spend it to close a lot more roads and make it harder to go where it is legal now.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

...and part of the reason they don't have the budget is because they are always defending themselves in court...

 

[pantherchams]

These idiots need to actually stop and think about what they are advocating: If the wild is left alone, you end up with a HUGE over-population of wildlife, due to restricted hunting, increased danger of fire, and harder to control/put out due to overgrowth in the lower parts of the forest (scrub, saplings, old trees that are now rotten instead of being harvested in a controled manner)

Hahaha are you serious? :huh:

 

[goodburbon]

I think he was, are you?

 

[pantherchams]

Do you think the natural world was spinning out of control and destined for disaster before humans started "managing" it? Management errors are what have led to our current forest/fire situations. Im not sure where to start on the overpopulation point...

 

[DrMoab]

Do you think the natural world was spinning out of control and destined for disaster before humans started "managing" it? Management errors are what have led to our current forest/fire situations. Im not sure where to start on the overpopulation point...

We wouldn't know...we weren't here.

Did you know there is mounting evidence that the Anasazi actually managed the forrests around the South West?

 

[pantherchams]

I am aware that the Anasazi gathered dry material to use for fire. In any case, i digress. My intentions were not to derail this thread, as I find it very interesting. As a proud owner of a modded XJ who loves wheeling, and a biologist for the NPS, I have many opinions about public lands management.

Ben

 

[pantherchams]

Also, I just want to mention that public comments are a HUGE deal. You might think your voice won't be heard, but it will. They are ALL read and taken into consideration in the planning process. PLEASE scan your local public lands sites for commenting periods on planning/environmental documents.

The annoying squeek gets its grease...

Ben

 

[DrMoab]

The annoying squeek gets its grease...

I've been squeaking that for years. Nobody listens.