URGENT: Please stop the Forest Service from shutting down hunting in Cascades

[Jfm]

Hello, I am new to this forum and hope this post is in the right place.

The Forest Service is in the process of implementing a plan to decommission nearly 15 miles of road in the Illabot Creek Drainage. The given reason is to reduce road maintenance needs and the risk of road failure and sediment delivery to Illabot Creek.

Many locals believe this is a political move spearheaded by groups that want to reclassify an enormous area of National Forest as National Park, including the area around Baker Lake, Glacier Peak Wilderness and Ross Lake. A quick Web search for North Cascades Park Expansion will provide official confirmation. For example http://www.npca.org/northwest/north-cascades.html

Whether intended as an assault on hunting and gun culture or not, these initiatives will be devastating to hunting, fishing and even hiking.

Illabot Creek Road is now up for decommissioning. This involves the complete removal of access to several fishing lakes - Marten, Slide, Enjar, King etc. It will also completely prevent hunting for grouse, deer and bear.

The period for public comment is currently open. Hiker forums are up in arms but the hunting world is strangely silent. Please help save our hunting and fishing from this devastating proposal.
http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=29892

Here's what you can do: Contact the following Forest Service officials. Talk to each one of them even if you are repeating yourself. Please ask plenty of questions about why this is happening. Politely state your opposition as a hiker, hunter and fisherman. Remember, these guys are decision makers but not politicians. They are just doing their jobs. Follow up with a written email. Call your state representative also.

Mount Baker Forest Service: 360 856 5700
Rob Iwamoto, MBS Forest Supervisor, riwamoto@fs.fed.us
Jon Vanderheyden, Mt Baker District Ranger, jvanderheyden@fs.fed.us ** (Spelling corrected 10/11/11)
Don Gay, NEPA, dgay@fs.fed.us - ** (Not a decision maker - now retired).
Carol Gladsjo, Recreation, cgladsjo@fs.fed.us

Fellow hunters, we are all going to have to become great at activism in coming years if we wish to see our kids have the right to use our National Forests as they were intended. Supporters of the park expansion have a strong cause - they rightly point out development encroachment as a key concern. However, one cannot hunt or fish in National Parks. 

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/10/09/1856155/coalition-proposes-to-expand-north.html

Please, please take the time to get informed and start emailing and calling. Thank you for reading.



See for example: http://www.npca.org/northwest/north-cascades.html

[Elkaholic daWg]

 Snowest, Backcountry Rebels, ATV connection, and Pirate 4x4  forums will get a link to this also. They are very active in access issues

[huntrights]

Thank you for posting this notification.  I think you found a good place to get the word out.  Hopefully the people participating in this forum will do their research and write a few emails to the Forest Service and their representatives.  It appears we need to continually battle to keep our rights to actively enjoy our outdoor areas such as you described.  Hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. should not be excluded from these areas and access should be maintained.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Didn't they already start doing the road removal?

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I definitely do not support this road closure but there are several hunting organizations that would probably prefer the road be closed.

[Jfm]

The road has not yet been removed. I cannot imagine hunting organizations supporting its removal, DBHawthorne, can you please elaborate? If there is a benefit to hunters, I cannot imagine it.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Like I said they would "probably" support the road being closed but I can't guarantee it. If I look at recent positions taken by members of the RMEF and BHA I would say there is a possibility they may support it. Not sure though.  It's a crap shoot. Maybe they will support the closure or maybe they won't. If it is deemed best for the Elk then I would say RMEF would likely support it and all other users be damned.  I never know what people are thinking in the first place when they choose to restrict our liberties but you have my support on this issue.

[bigtex]

It should be noted that the area around Ross Lake is already owned and operated by the National Park Service as the Ross Lake National Recreation area. The proposal to expand North Cascades Natl Park would simply put all of those lands within the recreation area into the park and essentially eliminate the Ross Lake NRA.

[Mark Brenckle]

It should be noted that the area around Ross Lake is already owned and operated by the National Park Service as the Ross Lake National Recreation area. The proposal to expand North Cascades Natl Park would simply put all of those lands within the recreation area into the park and essentially eliminate the Ross Lake NRA.

  The area in question is on the west side of the park, north of Darrington.  The park expansion plan includes Ross Lake NRA on the east, but there's a whole lot of acreage on the west side that is currently open to hunting (or armed hiking in my case ), horse back riding and hiking with dogs.

[CAMPMEAT]

Sounds fishy to me. Another covert operation by greenies trying to look like sportsmen/women ? Be careful of such postings my friends. Just a hunch........

[Elkaholic daWg]

It should be noted that the area around Ross Lake is already owned and operated by the National Park Service as the Ross Lake National Recreation area. The proposal to expand North Cascades Natl Park would simply put all of those lands within the recreation area into the park and essentially eliminate the Ross Lake NRA.

 

  True, But the area of road closure seems to be west and north of Rockport.  That NP proposal extends all the way to Baker Lake

[Jfm]

Hi, After leaving another round of calls this morning, I have a couple of corrections:
Rob Iwamoto can be reached at 425 783 6010

Don Gay is listed as the official contact on the FS site. He has retired so if you have emailed him, please resend your email to Jon Vanderheyden. Jon is apparently the main decision maker. I misspelled Jon's email address in my earlier post, it is jvanderheyden and not jvanderheyded as I wrote. jvanderheyden@fs.fed.us

I am also asking that the comment period be extended because of the incorrect contacts on the FS site. I also asked that they do more publicity as word has not gotten to all interested parties yet. According to the FS, all comment should be in writing to be considered. There must be a good reason given by each commenter to influence the decision. The FS has used the sign in sheet at Slide Lake trail to estimate usage. I have never used the sign in and regret that now. If like me, you have also neglected the sign in, please state that in your communication also. Lastly it is important to refer to the EA document.
Thanks to the 297 viewers of this post, it is my strongest hope that 297 of you have written or are writing an email to Jon Vanderheyden urging the Forest Service to continue to invest in this corner of paradise.

PS to Campmeat, damn right I'm a greenie...a heavily armed and well trained greenie. Come talk smack to me when I'm packing out my buck on Saturday before 8am 

[BOWHUNTER45]

I have been reading up on this and it just wont happen ....and if it did this county would be turned up side down .... Hunters up here are really getting fed up with all this sheet ....they have us locked up 360 degrees around us and it is about to come to head 

[Jfm]

Hi Bowhunter45, with due respect, it IS happening and unless there is a public outcry formally and constructively channelled to Jon Vanderheyden, Illabot Creek road will be decommissioned. Here are the "facts" the FS has:
1. As measured by sign-ins at the Slide Lake trailhead, there are very few users, i.e. this does not impact many people. Unfortunately for us, almost nobody bothers to sign in.
2. There are strong cost and environmental reasons to support the decommissioning.
3. Only 100 comments have been made from the public since the publication of this proposal.

Get fed up all you want. Then, please write the coolest email you have ever come up with. Here's the outline of mine:
- I have hunted, hiked and fished the lakes up Illabot Creek for many years.
- I take my children to Slide Lake to fish
- I have never signed in at the trail head - sorry, I didn't realize the importance.
- Closing the road will remove access to several fishing lakes which are kid and senior friendly.
-Closing the road will remove grouse, deer and bear hunting opportunity which will force increased hunting pressure in remaining areas and create potential conflict with hikers in heavily trafficked areas such as Sauk Mountain
- The high lakes - Slide, Enjar, Marten, Upper and Lower Jordan, Falls and King are a critical resource for American family activities such as hunting, hiking and fishing. Taking these beautiful areas away prevents people in urban areas from developing any appreciation for wilderness, hunting, fishing and outdoorsmanship.

We must speak their language. We must stand up as a coherent hunting community that can constructively jump on local issues like this and negotiate good compromises. I will still be hunting in 30 years time, and I hope you will too. Write the million dollar email today and enjoy it for the next 30 years!

[CAMPMEAT]

I don't talk smack. I tell it like I see it. Too many covert operations run on hunting sites as good ol' boys. Don't work for me.