Forum Index > Public Lands Stewardship > Wild Olympics Wilderness Act passes House
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
altasnob
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 1382 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tacoma
altasnob
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 8:40 am 
The Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act could pass as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill authorizes budget appropriations for Department of Defense programs but an amendment to the bill included Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Adding the land actions to another bill was done to seek approval in this current legislative session, similar to how Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representatives Reichert and DelBene attached legislation in 2014 to expand Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers in the Alpine Lakes and Ilabott Creek, the last major wilderness & wild and scenic bills for WA, which were passed in the 2014 NDAA. The Wild Olympics legislation would permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries – a total of 464 river miles – as Wild and Scenic Rivers. This legislation would designate the first new wilderness in the Olympic National Forest in nearly three decades and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. Logging and building roads in more than 125,000 acres of the Olympic National Forest would be illegal under federal law in a bill passed by the House this week. The land within the Olympic National Forest is already protected federal land. Under Forest Service rules loggers, cannot currently use it and roads cannot be built on it. But the legislation would make that rule a federal law, preventing future presidential administrations from being able to change those rules unilaterally. The House passed the protections Tuesday as an amendment attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, a budget bill that Congress is required to pass. The Senate has not passed its version yet. The bills will likely look different and have to be sent to conference to resolve the differences. If it is passes and is signed by President Donald Trump, 126,500 acres and 464 river miles in the Olympic National Forest will be designated wilderness. In a statement Wednesday, advocacy group Wild Olympics Campaign praised the bill and added, “no roads would be closed, and trailhead access would not be affected.”
https://www.kxro.com/wild-olympics-plans-added-to-national-defense-act-could-pass-alongside-military-spending/ https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article244419872.html https://www.wildolympics.org/

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Brian R
Member
Member


Joined: 10 Feb 2018
Posts: 501 | TRs | Pics
Brian R
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 10:43 am 
altasnob wrote:
In a statement Wednesday, advocacy group Wild Olympics Campaign praised the bill and added, “no roads would be closed, and trailhead access would not be affected.”
Does anyone really believe this?

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!



Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 10:52 am 
Only every sane person.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
reststep
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Dec 2001
Posts: 4757 | TRs | Pics
reststep
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 10:54 am 
I don't considering that the history with some groups supporting this bill were greatly responsible for the Dosewallips River Road not being open.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist



Joined: 07 Sep 2018
Posts: 2410 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle
Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 10:58 am 
altasnob wrote:
The House passed the protections Tuesday as an amendment attached to the National Defense Authorization Act
I wonder if there was some "giveaway" in order for these protections to get attached to the NDAA, like continuing to allow the Whidbey NAS flyboys to continue conducting war games over the park. huh.gif I'm all for rivers protection but it seems another ramification of these new protections will be that some of the roads that cross NFS land and go into ONP which are now in disrepair will for certain never ever be considered for fixing. The Dose road comes to mind. I could grudgingly live with the first washout, having discovered how great the road walk is, but the 2nd, farther east washout (which I've not even seen yet), is just too much.

"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Brian R
Member
Member


Joined: 10 Feb 2018
Posts: 501 | TRs | Pics
Brian R
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 11:06 am 
Slugman wrote:
Only every sane person.
...and a handful of obese paddlers. agree.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Ski
><((((°>



Joined: 28 May 2005
Posts: 12797 | TRs | Pics
Location: tacoma
Ski
><((((°>
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 11:49 am 
Brian R wrote:
Does anyone really believe this?
Not for a minute.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
altasnob
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 1382 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tacoma
altasnob
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 1:14 pm 
I believe the rivers that would have segments designates as wild and scenic under the act include: Elwha River, Dungeness River, Big Quilcene River, Dosewallips River, Duckabush River, Hamma Hamma River, South Fork Skokomish River, Middle Fork Satsop River, West Fork Satsop River, Wynoochee River, East Fork Humptulips River, West Fork Humptulips River, Quinault River, Queets River, Hoh River, Bogachiel River, South Fork Calawah River, Sol Duc River, and Lyre River.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
altasnob
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 1382 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tacoma
altasnob
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 1:16 pm 
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
altasnob
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 1382 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tacoma
altasnob
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 1:23 pm 
And regarding the claim by Ski that expanding wilderness will close roads and trails, the proposed wilderness wasn't something that they came up with overnight. There were years of discussion and compromises that went into the final proposal. And if you zoom in on the proposed wilderness areas, you will see that all of the areas are adjacent to major access roads, but do not include those roads. So I am not sure how one can argue that this wilderness expansion would close roads. As I understand, any existing logging roads within the new wilderness are already closed today to both motor vehicles and logging. And none of this is law yet. It has just passed the house.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Ski
><((((°>



Joined: 28 May 2005
Posts: 12797 | TRs | Pics
Location: tacoma
Ski
><((((°>
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 4:06 pm 
Nice try, counselor, but try not to embarrass yourself by putting words in my mouth. Perhaps if you were even remotely aware of the history of the organizations and individuals behind this scam, you might have some inkling of why those organizations and individuals cannot be trusted. But do feel free to run your mouth - it's an endless source of amusement. up.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
altasnob
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 1382 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tacoma
altasnob
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 6:05 pm 
Can you provide any evidence to support your argument that this wilderness expansion is a "scam?" Wild Olympics seems to have scammed an awful lot of powerful entities out there. Here is a list who support this legislation. http://www.wildolympics.org/endorsements/

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Brian R
Member
Member


Joined: 10 Feb 2018
Posts: 501 | TRs | Pics
Brian R
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 7:03 pm 
These will be the same folks who file lawsuits to prevent repairs after inevitable, future washouts. If this nonsense passes, I'd look for Graves Creek, North Fork Quinault, HamaHama, Dungeness access to end permanently after the next washout. So much for promises. The money will be there for the repairs--but not to fight the lawsuits from $$$$ extortionist green orgs.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
altasnob
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 1382 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tacoma
altasnob
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 7:27 pm 
I'm not understanding your argument. You are suggesting that if a road that is not in a wilderness washes out, that somehow the fact that there is a wilderness area nearby will prevent the road from being fixed? Wilderness areas are not run or managed by environmental groups. It is a land use designation. Wilderness areas cannot have any roads in them, only trails. Typically, groups who oppose wilderness are resource extraction industries. Mountain bikers sometimes oppose wilderness because they are banned from wilderness. But the State's largest mountain biking group, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance supports this wilderness expansion. I am struggling to understand why so many people who post on a hiking blog oppose wilderness. Do you prefer to hike in clear cuts and gravel pits? Please educate me.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
reststep
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Dec 2001
Posts: 4757 | TRs | Pics
reststep
Member
PostThu Jul 23, 2020 8:29 pm 
You could start by looking into the history of what went on with the Dosewallips River Road after the washout.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Public Lands Stewardship > Wild Olympics Wilderness Act passes House
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum