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Topic: BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!
BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT! > IDAHO, Call your Senators on CIEDRA before they return to Washington > DC > Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber in Idaho, > What was your reaction to the news that Idaho Senators Mike Crapo > and Jim Risch recently introduced Congressman Mike Simpson's Central > Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA) in the Senate? > Were you shocked? You should have been. Idaho has 5 million acres of > Wilderness already. More than any other state except Alaska. > Wilderness bans all mountain bike and motorized recreation. Yet, > Idaho's entire congressional delegation is now supporting a bill > that designates 332,775 new acres of wilderness in the Boulder White > Clouds (BWC). > I hate to say this, but the story on this CIEDRA bill is getting > worse. A comparison between the 2009 House version and the 2010 > Senate version will turn your shock into outrage. > The Idaho Recreation Council recently put the two bills side-by-side > and found the new 2010 version considerably worse than its > predecessor. See: Comparison of the 2009 House CIEDRA VS 2010 Senate > CIEDRA > First of all, the new bill has more Wilderness. A lot more. Over > 20,000 acres of "new" Wilderness has been added to the White Clouds > Wilderness. The new bill also throws out language that gave > permanent protection to the motorized routes in the Sawtooth > National Recreation Area but outside the proposed Wilderness. Rep. > Simpson started out with a basic premise of wanting to settle the > issue once and for all and that is no longer being accomplished. > The new bill also eliminates language that secures motorized access > to the very popular and scenic Germania Creek-East Fork/Grand Prize > trail. The new bill not only takes away the East Fork/Grand Prize > section, it also allows closure of the entire route "for non- > motorized recreation purposes." > Similarly, the new bill paves the way for the closure of the Frog > Lake loop. In the "old" bill, Simpson included language that secured > motorized access but the new bill says it will remain open only "if > the Secretary allows motorized use." > There's more. The OHV park near Boise was stripped out, as was > authorization for $1 million to the Idaho Parks and Recreation to > develop and manage it. And the trail between Redfish Lake and > Stanley for non-motorized use in summer and snowmobiles in the > winter, including parking areas at each end was stripped out. > The only thing this bill protects the land from is YOU. Simply > because you ride a mountain bike, enjoy snowmobiling or ride off- > highway vehicles, you don't have a right to view these lands. > That's not Idaho. We can do better. > Senator Risch and Crapo have scheduled June 16, 2010, for a Senate > Subcommittee hearing on the new bill. Congress is in recess until > June 4 for local district work sessions. That means the next few > days is the best opportunity to contact the Senators with your > concerns prior to the June 16 hearing. > Please make your call today. We've put together some talking points > you can use below. And tell you friends and family to make their > calls by the end of the week. > As always, thanks in advance for your action on this important > issue. Please call or email if you have any comments or suggestions. > Brian Hawthorne > Public Lands Policy Director > BlueRibbon Coalition > 208-237-1008 ext 102 > BRC ACTION ALERT: > Idaho Senators on board with a "new" Boulder White Clouds Wilderness > Bill - that's even worse than previous versions. > Please call the senators during Memorial Day recess and express your > concern. > Situation: > Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch recently introduced Congressman > Mike Simpson's Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act > (CIEDRA) in the Senate. Idaho's entire congressional delegation is > now supporting this bill that designates 332,775 new acres of > wilderness in the Boulder White Clouds (BWC). > See: Boulder-White Clouds wilderness bill to be reintroduced today > http://www.mtexpress.com/vu_breaking_story.php?bid=9195 > Simpson's wilderness bill gets Senate introduction > http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=12406221 > What you need to do: > The Memorial Day recess (May 31 - June 4) gives Idaho's > recreationists a golden opportunity to express concerns about the > new bill. > Sen. Mike Crapo > Boise Office: (208) 334-1776 > Pocatello Office: (208) 236-6775 > Idaho Falls Office: (208) 522-9779 > Coeur d'Alene Office: (208) 664-5490 > Lewiston Office: (208) 743-1492 > Caldwell Office: (208) 455-0360 > Twin Falls Office: (208) 734-2515 > Sen. Jim Risch > Boise Office: (208) 342-7985 > Coeur d'Alene Office: (208) 667-6130 > Idaho Falls Office: (208) 523-5541 > Lewiston Office: (208) 743-0792 > Pocatello Office: (208) 236-6817 > Twin Falls Office: (208) 734-6780 > Please be polite. > With 5 million acres already set aside, Idaho has enough Wilderness. > I oppose CIEDRA and I am calling to ask the Senator to reconsider > his decision to promote this bill. > There is no threat to these lands. No massive clear cutting project > is in the works. No giant mining operation proposed. Mountain bikes, > off-highway vehicles and snowmobiles are not harming these lands. > CIEDRA will kick out motorized and mountain bike recreationists who > will take their dollars with them, having a negative impact on the > local economy. > The Sawtooth National Recreation Areas provides protection and > balanced management while still allowing recreational uses. > I am opposed use of the Omnibus package to pass CIEDRA or any public > lands bill. > The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national (non-profit) trail-saving > group that represents over 600,000 recreationists nationwide The > Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season is beginning. Federal > employees, please mark BlueRibbon Coalition and Check #11402 on your > CFC pledge form to support our efforts to protect your access. Join > us at 1-800-258-3742 http://www.sharetrails.org > _______________________________________________________ > As a non-profit, grassroots organization funded primarily by > membership dues and donations, we greatly appreciate your support. > Visit http://www.sharetrails.org/make-a-difference-now to help fund > our efforts to protect your trails!