USFS Travel Management Bill
If you want to help keep USFS roads open to boondocking and general year round access contact your representatives to voice your support for HR 1555: linky
Forum Discussion
I agree with Dan, and I never thought I'd say that in a political context.
The National Forests were NOT created to serve the localities (hence the word "National" in the name), the State Parks were. When each state was admitted it was endowed with substantial state lands, the income from which was to be used to fund the public schools. Of course, most states squandered their endowments and sold them off for a pittance to the Bundys of their day, and levied income taxes instead.
While I'm no fan of Big Government of any kind, the NFS has done a GREAT job of managing the land trust, balancing local, commercial and national interests. If you want to see a miserably-managed land trust, just look at the NPS and its rotting portfolio, much of which is hidden from public use.
IMO, the real issue isn't the MVUMs, those can and are being revised with additional public/local comment, and the process in place for doing this is fairly robust. More important (IMO), is that the bar be raised for setting land aside as "wilderness". This process has been subverted by scorched-earth radicals who routinely lock land away from ANY discussion of road-building, even for the most benign public access.
As for Nevada, I think it's a shame that a criminal who has trespassed for decades and now thinks that gives him ownership rights can find a public voice among the gullible rabble, but Earth First and similar eco-terrorists have demonstrated that that's a viable course.
The National Forests were NOT created to serve the localities (hence the word "National" in the name), the State Parks were. When each state was admitted it was endowed with substantial state lands, the income from which was to be used to fund the public schools. Of course, most states squandered their endowments and sold them off for a pittance to the Bundys of their day, and levied income taxes instead.
While I'm no fan of Big Government of any kind, the NFS has done a GREAT job of managing the land trust, balancing local, commercial and national interests. If you want to see a miserably-managed land trust, just look at the NPS and its rotting portfolio, much of which is hidden from public use.
IMO, the real issue isn't the MVUMs, those can and are being revised with additional public/local comment, and the process in place for doing this is fairly robust. More important (IMO), is that the bar be raised for setting land aside as "wilderness". This process has been subverted by scorched-earth radicals who routinely lock land away from ANY discussion of road-building, even for the most benign public access.
As for Nevada, I think it's a shame that a criminal who has trespassed for decades and now thinks that gives him ownership rights can find a public voice among the gullible rabble, but Earth First and similar eco-terrorists have demonstrated that that's a viable course.
