Wilderness Designation for Glacier National Park? The National Park Service, for more than 35 years, has recommended 95% of Glacier NP's one million acres for Wilderness designation, and the nearly 100-year-old park is overdue for that recognition, according to its superintendent, Chas Cartwright.

But Cartwright seems to have some unusual ideas about managing Wilderness. According to a Daily Interlake article, Cartwright believes, "the park would have the flexibility to continue with many practices that are prohibited in other wilderness areas...Trail crews would continue to use chain saws because the short field season would require it...Helicopters would continue to be necessary to haul sewage waste from the park's two backcountry chalets, because there are no reasonable alternatives..."
Photo by DavidRestivo, NPS

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New meaning for Pack it in-Pack it out at Conundrum Hot Springs: The Forest Service is urging Conundrum Hot Springs visitors to pack out their poop, by providing 2,000 bags in the popular Maroon Bells Wilderness spot. According to an Aspen Times article, "A 2006 study found that 71 percent of campsites had partially unburied solid waste within a short distance of the core camping area... The water at the springs have tested positive in the past for fecal coliform."

When a Wilderness site becomes so crowded and impacted that packing it out is necessary, isn't it time to consider other measures, like maybe limiting use?
Photo by Steve Boutcher

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Mountain Bikes in Wilderness? It's spring! Must be time for the annual debate. Two recent editorials have taken issue with the argument that mountain bikes belong in Wilderness:

The Missoulian: Wilderness exception a bad idea - Wednesday, May 20, 2009
It seems disingenuous to claim to be advocates for wilderness but then raise a stink when your particular form of recreation is excluded.  After all, it's easy to support wilderness in theory if, in reality, you can continue to use it however you want. Most ATV riders would probably be willing to support new wilderness if they could ride ATVs on those lands. And oil companies would undoubtedly support new wilderness, too, if only oil rigs weren't excluded.

George Wuerthner on newwest.com: Is it wise to compromise strong wildlands protection to garner support from users who have no interest in wildlands other than using it as an outdoor gymnasium?  Those mountain bikers who genuinely care about wild country-which I count myself as one-are going to support wilderness designation whether we can ride a bike there or not.
Read the rest here...

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National Research Council Releases Report on Drakes Estero Commercial Oyster Farm in Phillip Burton Wilderness: A National Research Council report on a commercial oyster farm operating at Point Reyes National Seashore north of San Francisco, CA, has concluded there is a lack of evidence showing severe impacts to the sensitive estuary. While the Council found the National Park Service in its assessments sometimes overstated the farm's negative effects, the Council concluded there isn't enough information to determine the real environmental effects.

Once the oyster farm permit expires in 2012, the 1976 Point Reyes Wilderness Act mandates that Drakes Estero be added to the Wilderness. The report emphasizes that the ultimate decision hinges not upon scientific findings, but on policymakers' interpretation of the law.
Photo by Peter Druschke

For more about the Drakes Estero controversy–
Read this article: Ag interests, enviros spar over Calif. wilderness plan by Greenwire

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Congress Takes Up the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act: NREPA would designate nearly 25 million acres of roadless lands in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as wilderness, saving taxpayer dollars and creating restoration jobs. On May 5, George Nickas, Executive Director of Wilderness Watch, testified on behalf of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (H.R. 980). Click here to read George's testimony, view an archived video on the hearing, and take action. 

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Comment Period Extended to June 27 for Copper/Silver Mine Proposed for Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, Montana:  The public comment period for a second mine proposed for the 94,000-acre Cabinet Mountains Wilderness in MT has been extended 30 days to June 27. This Wilderness provides critical habitat for lynx, threatened bull trout, and a small population of grizzly bears. For more information and to take action, click here.

Photo by Steve Boutcher

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U.S. Forest Service Considering Prescribed Burns for Black Elk Wilderness: The U.S. Forest Service is considering prescribed burns for the Norbeck Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota, including the 13,500-acre Black Elk Wilderness. This would be the first prescribed burn for this Wilderness. The Forest Service is presenting this action as one alternative in its Norbeck Wildlife Project.
Photo courtesy wilderness.net

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Talk about a huge subsidy for a few...U.S. Postal Service Reverses Decision to End Last Wilderness Air-Mail Service in Lower 48: Bowing to pressure from Idaho's Congressional delegation, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has renewed its $46,000-per year air-mail service contract which serves 20 addresses in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (FC-RONR). The last air-mail delivery in the lower 48 states was set to end on 6/30/09, due to economic realities and the need to cut $6 billion from the USPS budget.
Photo by Doug Tims

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 Just for fun: Kayaker breaks world record at 186-foot Palouse Falls

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