Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011 - HR 1581

[ddechri]

In summary, HR 1581 will release for public use all the lands that are still tied up even though the wilderness studies determined they were unfit for wilderness status. Here's more details from ARRA's website:

"Legislation to Expand Multiple Use Access to Public Lands Introduced

22 Members Have Already Cosponsored H.R. 1581 – We Need Your Help to Enlist More!

Before leaving for Easter break, U.S. Representative and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) formally introduced H.R. 1581, the “Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011.”  Earlier this month ARRA asked you to send an email urging your Representative to sign on as an original cosponsor to this legislation prior to introduction. 21 Members of Congress, including National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Western Caucus Chairman Steve Pearce (R-NM) are currently listed as cosponsors. 

Now that the bill has been introduced, it is time to reach out to your Representative again to urge them to sign on!

As you will recall, this very important draft bill would release all Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) and Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) that have been recommended or evaluated as not suitable for wilderness by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Forest Service from restrictive management practices and direct that they be managed for multiple use, including recreation. 

As is stands, the BLM currently manages nearly 7 million acres of WSAs as de facto wilderness despite the fact the BLM itself has already determined these areas as not suitable for wilderness designation by Congress.  The situation with the Forest Service is even worse, as access is restricted to over 36 million acres of IRAs that have been deemed unsuitable for ultimate designation as wilderness.  Current law and regulation dictates that these lands must be managed to protect wilderness characteristics.  H.R. 1581 would release these areas from restrictive management and require the agencies to ensure increased access."

Use this link to contact your legislators:

https://secure3.convio.net/arra/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=293&JServSessionIdr004=c2ecrnha67.app331a

- Dave

[Rick_Bear]

It's gathering strength and requires more.....

As you will recall, U.S. Representative and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) introduced H.R. 1581, the "Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011," in April. Now Senator Barrasso (R-WY) has introduced identical companion legislation (S. 1087) in the Senate. These important draft bills would release all Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) and Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) that have been recommended or evaluated as not suitable for wilderness by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Forest Service from restrictive management practices and direct that they be managed for multiple use, including recreation. 

As it stands, the BLM currently manages nearly 7 million acres of WSAs as de facto wilderness despite the fact the BLM itself has already determined these areas are not suitable for wilderness designation by Congress. The situation with the Forest Service is even worse, as access is restricted to over 36 million acres of IRAs that have been deemed unsuitable for ultimate designation as wilderness. Current law and regulation dictate that these lands must be managed to protect wilderness characteristics.  S. 1087 would release these areas from restrictive management and require the agencies to ensure increased access.

[ComChewy]

Some more information for you to digest, I had posted on several forums back on July 27th;
For those of you that would like to watch the proceedings and the outcome of the Hearing on H.R. 1581 from the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Oversight Hearing on "Opportunities for Outdoor Recreation on Public Lands", Wednesday, June 22, 2011 10:00 AM , and H.R. 2578 & H.R. 1581 Hearing Tuesday, July 26, 2011 10:00 AM, also a Written Report from NOHVCC.
So you know thing will be getting better once certain reports get into the hands of the Sub-committee members, these are reports that were to have been completed & submitted prior to the hearing but had been omitted, just a ploy from the other side of the aisle. We actually had a Pro-Motorized Recreating hearing, so you know this was a first, and as I have been telling you we do have friends inside the Beltway and that we are still actively recruiting too building our numbers.
If I may instill one last comment for this posting and a very Special Thank You, too Rep. Rob Bishop R-Ut-1stCD for Chairing this Hearing and having the fortitude to steer it where it needed to go, so come on send him an e-mail and let him know the excellent job that he has done, as I have said we are a little more hard core in Utah and led the nation on taking back our Public Lands……….