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HR 223 – Thompson Wilderness bill
#1) HR 223 - Even though we all assume that Congressman Pombo will not allow this bill to pass the House Resources Committee because of the many violations of the Resources Committee standards for being declared a Federal Wilderness Area, it is still important for Congressman Pombo to hear from those organizations who are opposed to this bill, particularly those who are located in the areas to be closed by Thompson’s bill.
Second issue: The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC). Last year the Legislature created the SNC because the counties thought this would be a way to get state & federal dollars into the economy. It was opposed by off road interests who wanted recreation grandfathered into the bill. The Governor singed the bill authored by Assemblyman Tim Leslie. The SNC is under the Resources Agency. Recently, former Senators John Burton (D) and Byron Sher (D), a leading environmentalist, were appointed to Board of the SNC. This should tell you where the SNC is headed and you probably will not like it. If you live in the counties of the SNC, I suggest you get involved ASAP. Most County Boards of Supervisors have appointments. Most of my clients are in the southern part of California
You can find info on the Resources Agency website at www.resources.ca.gov
Or look up the bill, AB 2600 of 2003/04 at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery or call Assemblyman Leslie’s office at 916-319-2004.
Pete and Terry,
This should make our good friend Paul S... even more happy.
Click on march 8 action summary... I was able to get someone to send me a word copy of the letter to Pombo regarding Wilderness
http://www.countyofdelnorte.us/cf/topic/topic4.cfm?Topic=BOS Meetings&SiteLink=110002.html
March 8, 2005
Chairman Richard W. Pombo,
House Committee on Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Congressman Thompson’s Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act
Dear Chairman Pombo,
We, the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, are writing to inform you that the majority of the Board, and many citizens in our county, are opposed to Congressman Thompson’s Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act including approximately 40,000 acres of Del Norte County to be converted to wilderness. Our Board requested by letter to Congressman Thompson two years ago that no additional lands in our county be converted to wilderness, yet the Congressman chose to include our county as well as many other rural counties in northern California which are opposed to additional wilderness designation.
Del Norte County already includes the Smith River National Recreation Area, a 305,000 acre designation which severely limits multiple-use of forest resources. Our county already contains approximately 50,000 acres of wilderness, plus 27,000 acres in National and State Redwood Parks, with another 26,000 acres added to the State Parks in our county just last year. In fact, over 75 percent of our county is in public ownership.
We and our citizenry feel very strongly that enough of our county is in wilderness or other protected status. We do not see the need for additional wilderness in our area; we have very little visitation to our wilderness areas now. The Forest Service does not have the money they need as it is to keep local trails or roads open and maintaining wilderness trails costs even more.
We are also not pleased with the fact that Congressman Thompson, nor anyone from his staff, visited our county and asked our local citizens if they wanted more wilderness in their backyard.
We would welcome open discussions with the Congressman to explore options, such as reducing the size of the area he has delineated.
At this time we respectfully request that this bill not be allowed to pass through the Resources Committee until either discussions with our county take place, or all areas proposed for wilderness designation in Del Norte County to be dropped. If this is not possible we ask that the Committee vote against this bill entirely. Thank you.
Ms. Martha McClure
Chairwoman, Del Norte County Board of Supervisors
Dan Peterson
CORVA Northern Director
#1) HR 223 - Even though we all assume that Congressman Pombo will not allow this bill to pass the House Resources Committee because of the many violations of the Resources Committee standards for being declared a Federal Wilderness Area, it is still important for Congressman Pombo to hear from those organizations who are opposed to this bill, particularly those who are located in the areas to be closed by Thompson’s bill.
Second issue: The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC). Last year the Legislature created the SNC because the counties thought this would be a way to get state & federal dollars into the economy. It was opposed by off road interests who wanted recreation grandfathered into the bill. The Governor singed the bill authored by Assemblyman Tim Leslie. The SNC is under the Resources Agency. Recently, former Senators John Burton (D) and Byron Sher (D), a leading environmentalist, were appointed to Board of the SNC. This should tell you where the SNC is headed and you probably will not like it. If you live in the counties of the SNC, I suggest you get involved ASAP. Most County Boards of Supervisors have appointments. Most of my clients are in the southern part of California
You can find info on the Resources Agency website at www.resources.ca.gov
Or look up the bill, AB 2600 of 2003/04 at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery or call Assemblyman Leslie’s office at 916-319-2004.
Pete and Terry,
This should make our good friend Paul S... even more happy.
Click on march 8 action summary... I was able to get someone to send me a word copy of the letter to Pombo regarding Wilderness
http://www.countyofdelnorte.us/cf/topic/topic4.cfm?Topic=BOS Meetings&SiteLink=110002.html
March 8, 2005
Chairman Richard W. Pombo,
House Committee on Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Congressman Thompson’s Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act
Dear Chairman Pombo,
We, the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, are writing to inform you that the majority of the Board, and many citizens in our county, are opposed to Congressman Thompson’s Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act including approximately 40,000 acres of Del Norte County to be converted to wilderness. Our Board requested by letter to Congressman Thompson two years ago that no additional lands in our county be converted to wilderness, yet the Congressman chose to include our county as well as many other rural counties in northern California which are opposed to additional wilderness designation.
Del Norte County already includes the Smith River National Recreation Area, a 305,000 acre designation which severely limits multiple-use of forest resources. Our county already contains approximately 50,000 acres of wilderness, plus 27,000 acres in National and State Redwood Parks, with another 26,000 acres added to the State Parks in our county just last year. In fact, over 75 percent of our county is in public ownership.
We and our citizenry feel very strongly that enough of our county is in wilderness or other protected status. We do not see the need for additional wilderness in our area; we have very little visitation to our wilderness areas now. The Forest Service does not have the money they need as it is to keep local trails or roads open and maintaining wilderness trails costs even more.
We are also not pleased with the fact that Congressman Thompson, nor anyone from his staff, visited our county and asked our local citizens if they wanted more wilderness in their backyard.
We would welcome open discussions with the Congressman to explore options, such as reducing the size of the area he has delineated.
At this time we respectfully request that this bill not be allowed to pass through the Resources Committee until either discussions with our county take place, or all areas proposed for wilderness designation in Del Norte County to be dropped. If this is not possible we ask that the Committee vote against this bill entirely. Thank you.
Ms. Martha McClure
Chairwoman, Del Norte County Board of Supervisors
Dan Peterson
CORVA Northern Director
I really think we have enough wilderness for crying out loud.
