ACTION
ALERT
***********************************************
WORLDWIDE
FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Protect
Denali Wilderness from Snowmobiles
***********************************************
Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org
http://forests.org/ -- Forest
Conservation Archives
http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest
Conservation
1/15/00
OVERVIEW
& COMMENTARY
Snowmobiles
and other outdoor recreation vehicles continue to wreak
havoc
on pristine ecological systems. They
are loud, smelly beasts
that
trample native vegetation and disrupt wildlife. There may be a
place
for such motorized vehicles, but not in National Parks that are
intended
to protect biological systems and species.
Please respond
to this
action alert that seeks to exclude snowmobiles from the Denali
National
Park that includes Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in North
America. Even here in this sacred monument,
snowmobiles tear through
the
foliage and desecrate the protected status of the land. Please
respond
to this important action alert.
g.b.
*******************************
RELAYED
TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Take Action! Protect Denali from
Snowmobiles!
Source: Sean Smith <seansmith@earthisland.org>
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for
permission to reprint
Date: January 14, 1999
Dear
Friends of the National Parks:
The
National Park Service (NPS) at Denali National Park in Alaska is
taking
comments on snowmobile regulations. The
proposed regulations
would
permanently close the heart of Denali to these noisy, dangerous
and
highly polluting thrill-craft.
Unfortunately, snowmobile
advocates
are gearing up to flood the park with pro-snowmobile
comments. Recently, the Alaska Congressional
delegation weighed in
and
pressured the National Park Service to extend the official comment
period
until January 25th. This gives
snowmobile advocates an
additional
2 weeks to flood the park with pro-snowmobile letters.
However,
the extension also allows people interested in protecting
Denali's
wilderness from these highly polluting and dangerous
machines. So if you haven't already, please take a
moment to visit
the
following link which allows one to send an automatic e-mail in
support
of protecting Denali from snowmobile impacts.
Protect
Denali National Park from Snowmachines!
Posted
on December 20, 1999 by Bluewater Network
Background
Mount
McKinley, the tallest peak in North America, was designated a
National
Park in 1917. In 1980, the Alaska National Interests
Lands
Conservation Act (ANILCA) renamed the park Denali National Park
and
Preserve and expanded its boundaries to include millions of
additional
acres. Section 3121 of ANILCA permits the subsistence use
(i.e.,
for fishing, hunting) of snowmachines in these new acres. More
importantly,
where snowmachine use is allowed, ANILCA requires that
such
use "be limited to local residents, [and] subject to reasonable
regulations."
In
1998, a snowmobiler was killed in the park when an avalanche buried
him.
The avalanche was triggered by the snowmobiler while he was
engaged
"highmarking." The racing up the sides of mountains causes
tremors,
which provokes avalanches. In response to this death, the
National
Park Service prohibited highmarking in this area. Snowmachine
advocates,
hoping to reverse this restriction, are asserting that the
NPS is
powerless to prohibit any snowmobile activity since ANILCA
authorizes
"recreational" snowmobiling throughout all of Denali
National
Park. Some snowmachine groups are even threatening to
trespass
into Denali's wilderness areas.
To
protect the park and the public, Denali Superintendent Steve Martin
issued
notice of a Temporary Regulation. The regulation reiterates
that the
original portions of Denali National Park have always been
and
will remain closed to snowmachines.
Over
the past few years, the National Park Service (NPS) at Denali
National
Park and Preserve has worked to ban snowmachine / snowmobile
use in
the original acreage of the park. Last year, the NPS received
hundreds
of letters supporting the Park Service's efforts to
temporarily
ban snowmachine use. In November, Superintendent Steve
Martin
issued notice of the Park Service's intent to make the
temporary
ban on snowmobiles permanent.
Take
Action Now!
Take
the final step to keep snowmachines out of Denali -- write the
park
Superintendent today! In order to close the original acreage of
Denali
permanently to snowmachines, the Superintendent needs to hear
from
you.
Tell
him that immediate adoption of permanent regulation is critical
to
protect Denali's unique and fragile resources. To make the
strongest
impact, we strongly encourage you to personalize the letter
with
your own thoughts and concerns.
The
comment period ends January 25, 2000. Use the automatic e-mail
tool
below to send your letter to Superintendent Steve Martin.
(Or see
the sample letter and contact info below to send a letter via
the
postal service.) Send email messages
directly from:
http://www.earthisland.org/takeaction/actionalert_bw22.html
or send
a revised sample letter as below.
SAMPLE
LETTER:
[INSERT
DATE]
Superintendent
Steve Martin
Denali
National Park
PO Box
9
Denali
Park, AK 99755
Dear
Superintendent Martin:
[PLEASE
ADD YOUR OWN COMMENTS HERE]
I
strongly support the National Park Service's (NPS) effort to
permanently
close the original acreage of Denali National
Park
and Preserve to snowmobiles. Snowmobiles are multiple impact
thrill-craft
which cause lasting damage to air and water quality, area
wildlife,
public safety, scientific studies, visitor enjoyment and
natural
peace and quiet.
I urge
the Park Service to adopt Alternative Four of the Environmental
Assessment
which calls for a permanent prohibition on snowmobile
activity
in the original sections of the park. However, this
alternative
fails to protect the remaining acres of the park from
snowmobile
impacts. In addition to Alternative Four, I urge the NPS to
extend
the snowmobile closure throughout the entire park.
Thank
you for your consideration. I look forward to your prompt
response.
Sincerely,
[Your
Name and Organization, If Applicable]
[Street
Address]
[City,
State, Zip]
Bluewater
Network, a project of Earth Island Institute, is a non-
profit
organization dedicated to reducing polluting and ecological
degradation
from vehicles, vessels, and craft.
###RELAYED
TEXT ENDS###
This
document is a PHOTOCOPY for educational, personal and non-
commercial
use only. Recipients should seek
permission from the
source
for reprinting. All efforts are made to
provide accurate,
timely
pieces; though ultimate responsibility for verifying all
information
rests with the reader. Check out our
Gaia's Forest
Conservation
Archives & Portal at URL= http://forests.org/
Networked
by Forests.org, Inc., gbarry@forests.org