Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act moves forward
by Pinedale Online!
October 8, 2007
The Monument Ridge Wilderness Area? The Commissary Ridge Wilderness Area? The Little Sheep Mountain Wilderness Area?
Under the proposed Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, a bill introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives, some 5 million acres would be designated as wilderness in Wyoming, in addition to 7 million acres in Montana, 9.5 million acres in Idaho, 750,000 acres in eastern Oregon, and 500,000 acres in eastern Washington.
The U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands will hold a hearing October 18 on the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act. This bill is sponsored by New York Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Connecticut Republican Christopher Shays.
It also includes designation of wild and scenic rivers in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Land being considered includes certain sections of National Forest, National Parks and Bureau of Land Management-managed land. It includes land on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the Wyoming and Gros Ventre mountain ranges.
A BILL: To designate certain National Forest System lands and public lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, wildland recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors, and for other purposes.
The bill reads, in part:
“The wildlife treasures of the Northern Rockies are of international significance and contain remarkably intact large mammalian fauna and rare and unique plant life. Wildlife habitat fragmentation due to roadbuilding, timber harvest, mining, oil and gas exploration, lack of interagency cooperation, and other activities has severe effects on the wildlife populations.”
“The overemphasis on resource extraction from National Forest System lands and public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management has compromised ecosystem integrity and detracted from economic diversification opportunities.”
“The economic value to the Nation of most of these undeveloped areas, left in their natural state, greatly exceeds any potential return to the Treasury of the United States from timber harvest and development.”
In the act, “development” is defined as “activities that eliminate the roadless and wilderness characteristics of the land and includes ski resort facilities and such activities as roadbuilding, timber harvest, mining, and oil and gas drilling.”
PROPOSED NEW WILDERNESS DESIGNATION (On the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming)
- Monument Ridge Wilderness, consisting of approximately 17,720 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Commissary Ridge Wilderness, consisting of approximately 177,691 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Little Sheep Mountain Wilderness, consisting of approximately 14,884 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Salt River Range Wilderness, consisting of approximately 238,996 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- South Wyoming Range Wilderness, consisting of approximately 85,774 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Little Cottonwood Wilderness, consisting of approximately 5,448 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- North Mountain Wilderness, consisting of approximately 9,951 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Grayback Ridge East Wilderness, consisting of approximately 17,822 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Lake Mountain Wilderness, consisting of approximately 16,750 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest or the Bureau of Land Management.
- Munger Mountain Wilderness, consisting of approximately 12,827 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Palisades Wilderness, consisting of approximately 223,578 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton or Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
- Mt. Leidy Highlands Wilderness, consisting of approximately 173,572 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Grayback Ridge Wilderness, consisting of approximately 282,976 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- Gannett Hills/Spring Creek/Raymond Mountain Wilderness, consisting of approximately 135,436 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton or Caribout-Targhee National Forest or Bureau of Land Management.
Proposed in the National Parks:
- Yellowstone Wilderness, consisting of approximately 2,032,721 acres administered by Yellowstone National Park.
- Grand Teton Wilderness, consisting of approximately 122,604 acres administered by Grand Teton National Park.
Wild and Scenic River Designations in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming - Designations proposed for Wyoming:
SALT RIVER, WYOMING—The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 12 miles to forest road 10072, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Salt Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be ad
ministered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
SWIFT CREEK, WYOMING—The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 8 miles to Periodic Spring, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Swift Creek Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
HOBACK RIVER, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 10 miles to the end of forest road 30710, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Hoback Wild River’ and dated January 2003,
which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
WILLOW CREEK, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 20 miles to the confluence with the Hoback River, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Willow Creek Wild River’ and dated January
6 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
GROS VENTRE, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 12 miles to Horn Ranch, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Gros Ventre Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river, and the segment from Horn Ranch downstream approximately 28 miles to the forest boundary, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Gros Ventre Scenic River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a scenic river.
CRYSTAL CREEK, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 12 miles to the Gros Ventre Wilderness boundary, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Crystal Creek Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river; and the segment from the end of the road downstream approximately 3 miles to the confluence with the Gros Ventre River, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Crystal Creek Scenic River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a scenic river.
PACIFIC CREEK, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 25 miles to the Teton Wilderness Boundary, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Pacific Creek Wild River’ and dated January
11 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river; and the segment from the wilderness boundary downstream approximately 8 miles to the confluence with the Snake River, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Pacific Creek Scenic River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a scenic river.
BUFFALO FORK, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest upstream from Turpin Meadows for approximately 68 miles, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Buffalo Fork Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river; and the segment from Turpin Meadows downstream approximately 16 miles to the boundary of Grand Teton National Park, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Buffalo Fork Scenic River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agrculture as a scenic river.
SNAKE, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source down stream approximately 7 miles to the boundary of Yellowstone National Park, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Snake Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
THOROFARE, WYOMING —The segment of the main stem within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 25 miles to the confluence with the Yellowstone River, and the source of Open Creek downstream 10 miles to the confluence with the main stem, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Thorofare Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
ATLANTIC CREEK, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the Parting of the Waters downstream approximately 10 miles to the confluence with the Yellowstone River, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Atlantic Creek Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
YELLOWSTONE, WYOMING —The segment within the Bridger-Teton National Forest from the source downstream approximately 28 miles to the boundary of Yellowstone National Park, as generally depicted on the boundary map entitled ‘Yellowstone Wild River’ and dated January 2003, which shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river.
National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System
The bill establishes the National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System. These lands are to be managed so as to restore their native vegetative cover and reduce or eliminate invasive non-native species.
It facilitate native species diversity to the extent possible with climate change,stabilize slopes and soils to prevent or reduce further erosion, recontour slopes to their original contours, remove barriers to natural fish spawning runs, and generally restore such lands in their entirety to a natural roadless and wild condition.
In Wyoming, one such area is the Leidy area, consisting of approximately 69,912 acres administered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Recovery System lands shall be managed using methods such as road obliteration, planting of trees and other vegetation native to the lands, and removal by heavy equipment of sediment from streambeds. Once recovery has been achieved on these lands, the Forest Service shall evaluate the suitability of such component for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System or for other uses consistent with the purposes of this Act.
The National Wildland Recovery Corps:
The bill would create a special unit of the Forest Service, to be known as the National Wildland Recovery Corps. The National Wildland Recovery Corps would be able to hire the necessary personnel and purchase the necessary equipment to carry out its land recovery responsibilities under this title. Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the National Wildland Recovery Corps shall develop a wildland recovery plan for each area of the Recovery System.
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