View Full Version : Senators move to protect parts of Cherokee National Forest
Great news for a change!
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jun/02/senators-move-protect-parts-cherokee-national-fore/
Rain Man
06-03-2011, 10:18
Great news for a change!
"The bill will have no effect on privately owned lands and will cause no change in access for the public, as each of these areas is owned entirely by the U.S. Forest Service and managed as a wilderness study area, the release stated."
Hmmm... what's the catch?
Rain Man
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Buffalo Skipper
06-03-2011, 10:20
Yes great news! I have not been to all these areas, but I have been to Joyce-Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness for dayhiking a few years back. The BMT passes through some of these areas, right?
Buffalo Skipper
06-03-2011, 10:22
"The bill will have no effect on privately owned lands and will cause no change in access for the public, as each of these areas is owned entirely by the U.S. Forest Service and managed as a wilderness study area, the release stated."
Hmmm... what's the catch?
Rain Man
.
If I understand the wilderness designation correctly, it affects how the land may be used commercially. National forest land may be harvested or mined, but the wilderness designation prevents that. There is more to it than that, I belive, but that is the skinny of it. No?
Leanthree
06-03-2011, 12:15
It is taking protected lands and making them more protected.
There are plenty of roads in national forests & parks but you can't build a road through a wilderness. (Obviously, if someone really wanted a road, the gvt could strip the wilderness designation and then build the road, but it is an additional set of hoops to jump through). e.g. SNP has a lot of wilderness but skyline drive is all in non-wilderness portions
WingedMonkey
06-03-2011, 12:29
Wilderness designation among other things means: no motorized vehicles or bicycles, no chainsaws for trail maintenance, no buildings or cabins, no timber harvest or mining or roads built.
In 2009 President Obama designated an additional two million acres in nine states as wilderness, representing the largest expansion of wilderness lands in over 25 years.
This may be praised by the hikers who will have the areas free of cutting and roads however for the maintainer who has to carry hand operated saws and weedwhackers up to 16 miles to keep the blowdowns and stinging nettles off the trail there is little to celebrate
Seems to me they're still wilderness study areas within wilderness areas, recommended for wilderness protection. They probably have all the protection of a wilderness area but without the official designation.
SassyWindsor
06-03-2011, 21:37
These designations should keep at bay the USFS tree cutting activities, which is a good thing. It keeps the woods and streams from being at the mercy of loggers who win bids on tracts put up by the USFS.
Tennessee Viking
06-03-2011, 22:39
This may be praised by the hikers who will have the areas free of cutting and roads however for the maintainer who has to carry hand operated saws and weedwhackers up to 16 miles to keep the blowdowns and stinging nettles off the trail there is little to celebrate
Sarge that is why I was always glad that I had to work those Iron Mtn days.
Tipi Walter
06-03-2011, 22:48
This may be praised by the hikers who will have the areas free of cutting and roads however for the maintainer who has to carry hand operated saws and weedwhackers up to 16 miles to keep the blowdowns and stinging nettles off the trail there is little to celebrate
The importance and priority is wilderness, not trails. Backpackers and hikers who want to go into a wilderness can learn to negotiate blowdowns and briars like the other mammals. And the boys I know who do wilderness trail work have little trouble with their Felco saws and crosscut saws. And further, when there's a bad blowdown a decent sidetrail eventually gets worn around it.