Please read "Shovel Brigade" on the "Land . . ." forum; along those lines here's an AMA press release:

G00023 Contact: Bill Kresnak
July 6, 2000
Phone: (614) 856-1900
For Immediate Release
Fax: (614) 856-1920

DEADLINE near for comments on clinton forest plan
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The deadline is rapidly approaching for motorcyclists
to lodge their objections to the Clinton administration's Roadless
Initiative
that could close off some 60 million acres of public lands to a variety of
recreational activities, reports the American Motorcyclist Association
(AMA).
The draft proposal now being considered by the U.S. Forest Service would
ban all road construction and reconstruction on an area of national forest
land
equal in size to the state of Wyoming. Over time, that would eliminate the
dirt
access roads on that land, many of which have been in use for generations.
Without those roads, recreational activities such as camping, fishing,
hunting,
mountain biking, off-highway motorcycle riding and even hiking would be
gradually choked off.

The comment period for this controversial proposal ends July 17, meaning
there are just days left for those interested in outdoor recreation to make
their concerns known to the Forest Service.

The AMA has filed its comments on the proposal, objecting to the short time
period set aside for the public to understand and comment on a plan that
runs
more than 700 pages. The AMA also notes that the plan appears to circumvent
the
Forest Service's mandate, established by Congress in 1960, to manage public
lands according to the principle of "multiple use." And it notes that
further
protection for these areas is unnecessary, since they are already subject to
a
plethora of laws and regulations governing their use.
"Basically, we've told the Forest Service that it should not be attempting
to impose another set of rules further restricting activities on these
lands,"
said Robert Rasor, vice president of government relations for the AMA. "This
proposal takes no account of the history of uses on these lands and the
impact
of essentially closing a whole network of existing roads.
"By eliminating these roads over the next several years," Rasor continued,
"the Forest Service will be closing the door on many types of recreation and
shutting the public out of public lands."

The complete draft proposal is available through the Forest Service website
at roadless.fs.fed.us. Comments can be sent to the Forest Service by mail at
USDA Forest Service--CAET, Attention: Roadless Area Proposed Rule, P.O. Box
221090, Salt Lake City, UT 84122. Or you can fax comments to the Forest
Service
at (877) 703-2494 or e-mail them to: roadlessdeis@fs.fed.us.

-30-
The American Motorcyclist Association is a 266,000-member non-profit
organization. Established in 1924, the Association's purpose is to pursue,
protect and promote the interests of motorcyclists, while serving the needs
of
its members. For more information, visit the AMA website at
http://www.AMADirectlink.com.


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Forwarded by Tree Farmer

 

For mouse potato's.AMADirectlink