Tags
Boulder Mountains, Boulder-White Cloud Mountains, CIEDRA, Federal Lands, Idaho, Mike Simpson, mining, National Monument, Outdoor recreation, wilderness
Fifteen years after Congressman Simpson’s introduction of CIEDRA, the Boulder-White Clouds (BWC) are still unprotected. Despite the best efforts of Idaho’s most respected political leaders on both sides of the issue, there is little hope on the horizon. The negotiation process has shrunk the originally proposed boundaries of the protected area. Recognizing the real possibility that the dilly-dallying of the wilderness objective would eventually spell disaster for this special area, while mining interests press on and motorcycles plow through dry and fragile landscapes, the Idaho Conservation League (ICL) has done the unthinkable. ICL and other conservation-minded organizations have shifted their focus from wilderness designation to national monument designation.
How does a National Monument differ from a Wilderness Area?
- A wilderness area provides the highest level of protection possible for public lands and is “recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man.” In other words, no roads, no motorized equipment (not even chainsaws), no mechanical transportation. Wilderness designation is a lot like a safe deposit box. Everything within the boundaries is locked down tight.
- A national monument allows for a broad mix of uses. Hunting and fishing would be allowed according to current management plans, no changes in pre-existing water rights, fire management and managed grazing would be allowed, mechanized travel would be allowed in areas that are not currently deemed “roadless.” What was roadless before national monument status stays roadless; Use of pre-existing roads will be managed with local input and best use needs.
What does National Monument status mean to BWC?
- National monument designation can happen with the stroke of the President’s pen, thanks to the Antiquities Act of 1906.
- Monument status would provide one unified plan to protect the entire BWC ecosystem and watershed, rather than current piecemeal platter of different plans for different areas that are now managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
- National monument status allows for a more flexible approach to managing various components of the area, while still protecting the most pristine and thus far untrammeled regions.
How Does the National Monument designation protect the BWC? The most important aspect is the ability to manage the entire almost 600,000-acre area, containing the largest current roadless area in the lower 48 states, as one connected ecosystem, thus providing comprehensive protection for wildlife and fisheries while also maintaining historic uses and providing local input for management rules.
Is a National Monument the best solution for the BWC? Monument status does not guarantee the deep level of protection that wilderness advocates might wish for. But it does ever so much more to protect the area than the 40 years’ worth of bickering and grandstanding that has occurred. The current boundaries of the potential wilderness area have been whittled down to nearly half the size of the proposed national monument. The size of the National Monument may frighten Fed skeptics, but given that the public will have more say so in how most of that land is managed should sweeten the pill.
So, why should I care? What can I do? In the final analysis, this issue comes down to your perceptions about public lands administration and who owns what and why? I believe that federal lands, most of which park in western states, belong to all Americans. Some understandably grouse about the burden of western states having to support public lands for the entire nation. Many believe that the federal government sucks up land and taxes, squandering all those resources in an ever-growing pit of corruption. There is truth in that idea. However, I don’t believe that the state of Idaho is any less corrupt than the federal government and due to our small population base, we have far fewer resources with which to protect public lands. When forest fires gobble up public and private land, it’s the federal government that steps in with resources to help. When natural disasters occur, it’s the feds who clean up the mess—wastefully maybe, but the job gets done.
The Boulder-White Clouds are our nation’s savings account. They will not continue to nourish anadromous fish and wildlife without proper care. The peace, the beauty, the experience of being cradled by 10,000 peaks will be lost if this land is carved up by mining, grazing, and off-road recreating. Only delicate balancing will protect the pristine areas while giving all of us a place to recreate and to benefit from the grace of a place that has “retained its primeval character and influence.”
If I have moved you to care, please sign the petition asking President Obama to protect the BWC as a National Monument.
Sources:
Absolutely stunning ! As a non-American, can I sign ?
LikeLike
Oh darn it, Sybil. I suspect your signature would probably get tossed in the dust bin. But I heartily appreciate your gusto. If you have any American friends, perhaps you can pass along your enthusiasm! Muchas Gracias, mi Amiga.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sybil, I just spoke with a representative of the Idaho Conservation League who said the petition may be signed by anyone who feels strongly about the issue. (In other words, perhaps one day you would actually come to Idaho to experience the BWC, which would support the economic development argument! Thanks so much for asking this question.
LikeLiked by 1 person
An avid walker all my life, in both city and country, it pains me to see a lone motor vehicle in some beautiful spot, to which I have made my way on foot, whereas those in the vehicle don’t. Good luck with this, Linda.
Like Sybil. I also wonder if my signature will be valid?
LikeLike
By the way, congrats on being freshly-pressed.
LikeLike
I know JUST how you feel about seeing a vehicle in an area you’ve trudged through for the peace and quiet and exhilaration of being there. I feel that way too,and I also feel like crying when I see a cigarette butt or an old beer can, plastic water bottle, etc in an area where I have been imagining myself as the sole biped.
I will make some phone calls about the signature issue today. I tried to find specific rules online, but never found them. I do rather doubt that a non-citizen’s signature would be acceptable.
Freshly-Pressed? What? Me? Not again? I don’t think so. I was FPed about 2 years ago. It was a brief moment of excitement and fun to watch my stats soar. But in the final analysis, my core followers stuck with me while all the star seekers passed on by looking for their next flash-in-the-pan celebrity. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bryan, I just spoke with a representative of the Idaho Conservation League who said the petition may be signed by anyone who feels strongly about the issue. (In other words, perhaps one day you would actually come to Idaho to experience the BWC, which would support the economic development argument! Thanks so much for asking!
LikeLike
Well, though the representative’s intentions may be good, the advice is wrong, as a US state is a required field to fill and there are no countries outside the US named. I tried, but got refused.
Thanks for asking, Linda. We all should be allowed to sign as we all ought to have a say in what happens to OUR PLANET!
LikeLike
Thanks for this feedback Bryan. And also, thanks for caring enough to try. I should have noticed that field when I signed the petition. I will pass this information back. Maybe they can change the form.
LikeLike
Great post.
I however remain unsure if changing the designation would lead to an upsurge of conservation oriented actions in favour of CIEDRA.
For efforts to sustain and achieve multiplier effect, need to delve into the true concerns of the political establishments too. So what could be done to get such concerns brought onto the table for discussions? Without doing this, it would be past baggage which would continue to be carried…..sometimes unsaid, mostly unaware of even….. and the external manifestation would be same discussions and in-actions happening again and again.
Shakti
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Shakti. If you are speaking of the “hidden” political concerns, I think that is a very real problem. If we look deeply enough, we can uncover personal motivations on all sides. It is, really, a personal issue to each on of us who is impassioned about it.
The benefit of the monument designation is that it is possible to get it done NOW rather than enduring another round of 20 – 30 years of discussion and inaction. Of course, even after the document is signed, we’d have years of negotiations to agree on best practices for much of the land. But meanwhile, we could at least ensure that new roads and new mines and new ATV trails don’t encroach upon the pristine heart of this ecosystem. I hope that makes sense. I sat on the fence for a while, until I understood this aspect.
LikeLike
Linda, this is well done. Do you have easy access on data regarding tourism in Idaho to see the sights? I am wondering if someone said this industry brings $xxx million to our state on top of its other benefits to wildlife, health, water, etc. then maybe you could fight off mining development in areas where they shouldn’t. BTG
LikeLike
Absolutely, those economical arguments are being promoted. In my heart, I believe this comes down mostly to a prevailing distrust of the federal government amongst the very independent people of the land. It’s pretty ironic, really, because the very independence and ability to live off the land is more threatened by state control than by federal control, in my view. But convincing entrenched thinking is a slow and uphill process. Meanwhile, I’m hoping a majority of people who think the way I do will step up to the plate and scream from the highest peaks. 😉
LikeLike
Thanks for putting the information together. I hope Boulder-White Clouds will be protected before it’s too late.
LikeLike
I hope so, too Otto. Thanks.
LikeLike