April 30, 2002

NATIONAL NEWS

The Secretary of the Interior Would Allow Special Interests To Manage National Monuments

Dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road vehicles are one of the greatest threats to many National Monuments as they are damaging the land, polluting the air and water, threatening wildlife, and jeopardizing public safety. Despite this fact, the Secretary of Interior Gale Norton announced last week that she is directing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service to give local governments and organizations more proxy in the land management planning process. In a letter she wrote detailing the new management process to be adopted, the Secretary stated that she is both encouraging partnership arrangements for "the management of ongoing traditional activities, such recreation," and that transportation plans developed by the BLM incorporate input from "those who use roads, trails and waterways in the area."

The Presidential Proclamations that establish most Monuments prohibit motorized travel "off road," in order to protect the land, wildlife and visitors. Therefore, limiting and/or managing off-road vehicle travel on the ground is the responsibility of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Secretary's proposal, if implemented, will allow the off-road vehicles industry to exercise influence over monuments management.

This is a particularly dangerous proposal because around the nation, the number of off-road vehicles on public lands has skyrocketed. For example, since 1990, the number of off-road vehicles in Utah jumped from 40,000 to 100,000. Off-road vehicles are damaging monuments and trails are being illegally blazed through sensitive habitats that should be protected.

The Secretary's proposal - if implemented as described in her letter - is a recipe for disaster.

The BLM published notices in the Federal Register to initiate the planning process on 11 monuments. For more information on everything to do with monuments, please visit our homepage!

YELLOWSTONE NEWS

The EPA supports snowmobile phase-out.

On Monday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report that supports the phase-out of snowmobiles at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. This report backs a claim they made three years ago, that removing snowmobiles from the parks is the "best available protection for air quality, wildlife and the health of the people who work and visit the parks." Read the full story on the wire or view the story at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/30/snowmobiles.htm

Jet Ski News - Industry Tried, but did not succeed

The Jet Ski Industry claimed the National Park Service had arbitrarily discriminated against a class of park users…but a federal judge felt differently.

The jet ski industry has tried many times to delay implementation of a National Park Service rule designed to protect 21 National Seashores, Lakeshores and Recreation Areas from the damage caused by jet skis.

On April 19, 2002, U.S. District Judge John Rainey issued a strong decision denying the industry's request for an injunction that would block implementation of those protections in 13 units. Judge Rainey stated that "the Court cannot conclude, based on the scant evidence provided by the Plaintiffs, that their environmental concerns are anything more complete speculation..." The ban went into effect as scheduled on April 22, 2002.

Quote of the Week:
"Although banning PWCs may not eliminate the problems of noise, pollution and harassment of wildlife in the national parks, it may ameliorate these problems,"

- U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey of Victoria, Texas - quoted from is decision regarding the injection.
Associate Press, 4/19/02

For More Information Contact:
Alix Rauschman, Communications Specialist
(202) 429-2672 phone
(202) 549-2860 cell
alix_rauschman@tws.org
www.naturaltrails.org

The Natural Trails and Waters Coalition includes conservation, recreation, hunting and other groups working to protect and restore all public lands and waters from the severe damage caused by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, jet skis and all other off-road vehicles.