Enviros are kicking you out of the forest

[audsley]

Arizona sporstmen,

 

You're about to lose many of your roads plus several other privileges you've come to think of as rights.

 

Preservationists whose natural habitat is the public meeting room are about to take away 75% of the roads you've been using to hunt on. And they're getting considerable help from inside the forest service.

 

The story below from the Flagstaff paper pertains to the Kaibab forest. But right now there are forest planning meetings going on all over the state, and resulting increased restrictions will soon be coming to a forest near you.

 

Want to do something about it? Find out where your forest's planning meetings are being held, especially the travel management meetings. (My nearest forest, Coronado, has not yet announced the first travel meetings, but they're coming up soon.)

 

Don't expect your game and fish department to win this fight for you. Forest Service listens to them, but they listen better to your Congressman and to members of the public who speak up.

 

The preservationists are coordinating their efforts all over the state. Unless you're ready to experience the outdoors on their terms, you'd better get off your backsides and get involved.

 

I'll post more in the future as I get specifics on travel meetings. Don't let me and a few Game & Fish folks be the only ones attending and fighting for your interests. Now read the story below to get a feel for what's coming.

 

Forest road closures spark clash

By CYNDY COLE

Sun Staff Reporter

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 11:05 AM CDT

 

 

Game and Fish says a proposal to close hundreds of miles of forest roads southeast of Flagstaff is overblown

 

The Coconino National Forest should propose 100,000 acres of new wilderness along Clear and Chevelon creeks and close hundreds of miles of dirt roads southeast of Flagstaff in a crucial bid to protect wildlife, one conservation group has said.

 

Game and Fish officials say the concern for nonendangered wildlife is overblown.

 

As forest planners weigh road closures amid a national directive and a $40.2 million road maintenance backlog, the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council has proposed setting aside 30 special reserves for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, black bears, mountain lions and prairie dogs.

 

The group would like to see up to 75 percent of the dirt roads closed along some parts of the Mogollon Rim, including multiple routes that end at the same destination.

 

They blame to roads for fragmenting the landscape, spreading invasive weeds and wildlife disturbance.

 

"We're going to have to make some changes in how we manage public land if we want to continue to have pronghorn, mountain lion, antelope and bear," said Kim Crumbo, of the Wildlands Council.

 

Local Game and Fish officials disagree with his dire assessment.

 

Closing the smaller dirt roads won't likely do a lot to eliminate the road kill more common to larger highways and freeways, said Game and Fish Regional Supervisor Ron Sieg.

 

"I really just don't see those little two-track roads being much of an impact," he said.

And there are already driving and other restrictions in place for the few animals that have been deemed threatened or struggling -- northern goshawks, Mexican spotted owls and pronghorn antelope.

 

The proposed wildlife reserves would dot Anderson Mesa and run southeast to the Tonto and Sitgreaves national forests, helping to establish statewide wildlife corridors from eastern Arizona to the Grand Canyon.

 

"There's still a lot of roads for people to drive around on, but we say this is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the state," Crumbo said.

 

Global tracking has shown the pronghorn to be more adversely impacted by roads than any other animal, local Game and Fish biologist Rick Miller has found.

 

When a new fence goes up next to a highway, the pronghorn won't jump over, Miller said.

 

Their migration patterns are believed to have changed as a result.

 

The Kaibab and Coconino forests are both planning road restrictions for upcoming years.

 

The Tusayan District of the Kaibab has gone first, but nothing's changed yet.

 

Whatever is decided there could mean major changes for hunters, Sieg said.

 

If hunters are limited to a few main roads and not allowed to allowed to drive cross-country, camping sites in popular areas could be packed.

 

Cyndy Cole can be reached at 913-8607 or at ccole@azdailysun.com.

 

If you go...

 

Travel Management Planning Meeting

 

Date: Saturday, Oct. 14

 

Where: Main Lobby of Coconino High School, Flagstaff

 

Time: 1-4 p.m.

 

What to expect: The October meetings will focus on informing the public

 

about the Travel Management Rule and on how to effectively take part in the

 

Travel Management process.

 

On display: Maps of existing motorized trail system and initial suggestions for changes to that system; the major natural resource concerns related to motorized travel; and the fiscal and

 

management constraints the Forest Service faces in maintaining the motorized routes.

[dave]

Larry,

 

You sould have said that the archery deer tags will be put to a draw or that everyone will have to choose their weapon before applying for a tag. Then some hunter may listen???

 

I kinda like the new forest ideas, park in Phoenix and hike the rest the way.

[DesertBull]

It's not the act of closing roads that bothers me, as I think there are way too many roads in most areas, it's what is likely to come after the road closures that scares me. Closing the roads is the first step in the long term goal of keeping people off their public lands all together.

[azryan]

i dont mind then closing some roads either....more work...but then it will bring in the factor of one more law being broken...you know people are still gonna drive those roads no matter if they are closed or not....there is always the unethical yahoos that hunt with us....thats the only issue i see with it...

[Dodger2]

"When a new fence goes up next to a highway, the pronghorn won't jump over, Miller said."

 

So why do the antelope in Wyoming jump fences? I saw this happen on my antelope hunt in Wyoming last month. Must be a different gene pool, or maybe a new sub-species...It sounds to me like some facts are missing or being misrepresented here.

[missedagain]

I wouldn't mind a few small roads closed either but like DesertBull said this could be a slippery slope to some areas being designated wildlife preserve no hunting areas.

 

Besides we have to many laws and rules as it is

[audsley]

I don't mind a few roads being closed either, but 75%? That's what's being considered for some of the best hunting areas.

 

Someone who has looked at the maps tells me the same thing Game & Fish is saying - that road closures of this magnitude would really impact hunters.

 

You guys need to go to your forest's travel management meetings and look at the maps. Then see whether you like what's being done.

[coueskiller]

This is a BAD,BAD deal. The road closures proposed for the Kaibab and Coco are huge, I aslo agree that some of the roads need to be closed but this is more than that as some have said it is the first step to a sad ending. We need to attend these meeting and be heard, I have seen the proposed closure maps and it's bad, unless of course you and your kids want to leave 2 days early so you can hike 15mi. into your old hunting grounds. Camping will also be a nightmare as everybody will be limited to small areas just off the main roads besides the fact that if you have a late elk or coues tag and we get some snow the few roads that remain open will then be closed due to being wet. This is alot bigger than just stoping off road travel!!

 

Later,

Geoff

[muleybull]

They might close all the roads.........but its still legal to drive cross country on forest land.

 

Make sense???????????????????????????????

[40-year-AZ-hunter]

They might close all the roads.........but its still legal to drive cross country on forest land.

 

Make sense???????????????????????????????

 

It wont be after this goes into effect. In fact, you may not be able to drive to a kill. It will also severly restrict where you can camp. "Dispersed" camping is in their sites too.

 

Bruce

 

PS. Larry, sorry I started another thread with the same article before I saw yours.

[CouesWhitetail]

Bruce,

 

If you want I can delete the other thread you started and we can keep discussion in one place here.

 

Amanda

[TLH]

Folks, this can really be a bad thing. I agree there are enough--more than enough--roads in the woods right now so i have no problem with not building any more roads. At this point and time there are laws in place for people but they still break them--why? because there is not enough law enforcement out there to stop them, also, people who see these people violating our land will not report them!

 

My concern is that there may be some people out there that are set to do whatever they can to close these woods for their own agenda--three or four people or even three thousand or four thousand people shouldn't make the rules for the majority--this is where we come in--you must be a part of this or you will have to live with the consequences of your apathy.

 

Get involved folks--it is the only way we can keep control away from the greenies in this world. It isn't a bad thing to be a little green but when you excrete green then you have a huge problem!!

[Noel Arnold]

I agree with desertbull.The one thing that I have felt has hurt the future closure of road's is the abuse of quad's.I have nothing against them and have finally broke down and bought one myself.But there are enough people out there that drive off the roads and abuse the land that it is going to screw it up for all the law abidding people.

Noel

[TexasHunter]

The sad reality is that no matter how many of us get involved there isnt much we can do. The media, usually , sides with the greens ,and even if the greens are not the majority we are out numberd by the people who dont care who have been persuaded by the media. Its a tough battle. If we all fight though we definatly stand a better chance then if we dont.

[audsley]

To be truthful, Bruce is the one who sent me the story in the first place and filled me in on more details. I suggested he put it on the forums. When I didn't see them, I guessed he was up against too many other things he has going, so I hijacked his material and ran with it.

 

We'll soon have our own story to tell down here in Tucson. When the travel management meetings are announced, I'll put out a schedule. And I expect to see some of you there!

 

NOTE: Stand-up guys and gals who spoke for sportsmen at the Tucson Coronado Forest meetings in September included Jim Warren (NWTF State Director), Joe Sheehy of the Az Bighorn Sheep Society, various Game & Fish personnel, and Brian Murphy of Murphy's Guns who was there as a grazing lease holder as well as a hunter. Last but not least was ex-Game & Fish Commissioner Frances Werner who came in on newly replaced knees to fight for what she believes makes sense. That puts to shame those no-show hunters who expect AG&F to fight all their battles for them.