P.O. Box 1046 Virginia, MN 55792 218-365-BWCA (2922) November 17, 2005
Office of the Governor Re: Roadless Areas of the Superior and Chippewa National Forests of Minnesota Dear Governor Pawlenty: Conservationists with Common Sense (CWCS), an organization with over 4,000 members, works to preserve access to and multiple recreational uses of public lands and waters. We submit the following to you, to aid your decision as to whether or not to petition the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on the management of 62,800 to 90,000 acres within the Superior and Chippewa National Forests. CWCS most definitely recommends that you do not support the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2005, as the Friends of the Boundary Waters has requested. CWCS agrees with the Bush Administration"s decision to overturn the Clinton Administration"s 58 million acre Roadless Rule, which was pushed through in the final hours of Clinton"s Administration in 2001. Bush"s decision allows the Roadless Areas of each State"s National Forests to be reviewed individually, as each State is unique and a blanket ruling does not fit all. Input from State, County and local governments, along with that of experienced loggers and resource professionals, will be used to make a final decision. There has been some confusion concerning Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized (SPNM) areas which were included in the new USFS Forest Management Plan of the Superior and Chippewa National Forests and the actual inventoried Roadless Areas, which are a part of or adjacent to the SPNMs. Further confusing the issue, and the reason why CWCS uses varying figures, is the fact that the Friends of the Boundary Waters have determined that 90,000 acres be designated as wilderness in northern Minnesota. These 90,000 acres came out of the Clinton Administration"s 58 million acres Roadless Rule. Three of these proposed wilderness areas were recently included in the new USFS Forest Management Plan as Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized areas. One such SPNM area north of Ely near Big Lake is an area through which local snowmobile clubs have been trying to establish a snowmobile trail from Ely to Buyck. This trail was first suggested by the late Senator Paul Wellstone at the 1995 Forest Field Hearings in International Falls. Since that time, snowmobile clubs have been working to get this trail on the ground. Another SPNM, the Vegetable Lake area, has also raised concerns of access to Cucumber Lake. The inventoried Roadless Areas are to the west of the Big Lake SPNM and on the western side of Vegetable Lakes SPNM. It is understood that motorized uses will continue on the lakes within the Roadless Areas and the SPNMs, as the State has jurisdiction over State waters outside of the Boundary Waters. It is also understood that the inventoried Roadless Areas and SPNMs will be managed according to the Forest Plan management designation, which allows for timber management within these areas. CWCS has determined that it would be best to work with the U.S. Forest Service to amend their new Forest Plan to address the recreational concerns over the SPNM areas in both the Superior and Chippewa National Forests, rather than recommend the Governor petition the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on the Roadless Areas of Minnesota. The petitioning process of the Roadless Areas may end up opening a Pandora"s box, leading to further restrictions that most people would not want to see happen. Although this discussion concerns the petitioning of the Roadless Areas within the two National Forests of Minnesota, there is a concern to people living elsewhere of future restrictions to Federal lands in Minnesota. CWCS has over 2,800 signatures from people from all over the United States who oppose the 62,800 to 90,000 acres of Roadless Areas within the Superior and Chippewa National Forests, as well as any expansion and/or buffer zones to the Boundary Waters. These signatures were gathered over the past twelve months. Governor Pawlenty, if the above can be assured, CWCS recommends that you not petition the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on the Roadless Areas of Minnesota. But, we also urge you to have the Minnesota Forest Resources Council stay involved in all future land management decisions that may affect the access, safety, forest health, and recreational uses of these lands. Sincerely,
Nancy McReady |