-Caveat Lector- [HardGreenHerald] # 8 "Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." --Dr. Seuss, 'The Lorax' --A RadTimes production-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: --------------- --High Alert Called on Trafficking in Wild Species --Greenpeace Cofounder Supports Biotech --Foot And Mouth Crisis Exceeds Fears --Easts vanishing forests take a songbird with them --Environmentalists Target Gun Rights --Genetic pollution is threatening consumers' right to choose --Human Being, or Human Folly? --Off Road Vehicles Create Conflict in California =================================================================== High Alert Called on Trafficking in Wild Species <http://ens-news.com/ens/mar2001/2001L-03-08-01.html> CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, March 8, 2001 (ENS) - Wildlife poachers and smugglers, beware! TRAFFIC has mapped out a new three year strategy to protect the most endangered wildlife and fragile ecosystems from predatory traders. Known for its in-depth reports on trafficking in endangered species based on undercover work in the field, the wildlife trade monitoring organization has chosen to focus on a small group of critically threatened species and ecosystems. Based in Cambridge, England, TRAFFIC is a branch of WWF-The Worldwide Fund for Nature and IUCN-the World Conservation Union that works in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This international treaty now includes more than 150 member countries. At the same time, the group will be working to inform decision makers about the impacts of trade on plant and animal species and motivating efforts to guarantee the ecological sustainability of trade in wild species, says TRAFFIC program director Stephen Nash. Both African and Asian elephants, poached for their ivory, will receive special attention from TRAFFIC during the next three years. So will African and Asian rhinoceroses, sought for their horns which are used in Asian traditional medicines. Tibetan antelopes, killed for their fine hair used in making shahtoosh shawls are high on TRAFFIC's list of priorities, and so are the estimated 6,000 tigers that remain in the wild. During the next three years, TRAFFIC will concentrate on policing the illegal trade in marine and freshwater turtles, tortoises, sturgeons and sharks. The organization will also keep a close watch on trade in threatened trees such as the bigleaf mahogany. The needs of humans are not forgotten in the push to preserve wild species. A major objective for the next three years is to ensure the security of wildlife resources of particular value for food and medicine. Nash said, "Our work will encourage governments, industry, consumers and local communities to take appropriate actions to reduce threats to these species. Our regional based programs will contribute to the development and implementation of trade monitoring systems and trade management plans for priority species." "TRAFFIC will be evaluating local and national controls for threatened species in trade, and pushing to strengthen them," he said. The organization will focus on researching and understanding wildlife trade processes that act on specific ecological landscapes, identifying threats and root causes to biodiversity loss, and promoting appropriate solutions. Over the next three years, TRAFFIC will be concentrate on coastal forests and marine areas of East Africa, the Eastern Arc Mountains and Miombo Woodlands of Africa. Other high priority areas include the Lower Mekong River of Southeast Asia, the vast Russian Far East, the Chihuahuan Desert of North America, the Amazon Basin, and the Guyana Shield of northern South America. This is an enormous task, and Nash says that international cooperation in the regulation and management of use of wild resources is essential. There are approximately 200 multilateral environmental agreements in existence, many of which include provisions that regulate harvesting and trade in wild species. The organization will also monitor the application of certification and accreditation schemes for wildlife products, and encourage international development, finance and trade mechanisms that complement efforts to ensure wildlife trade does not exceed sustainable levels. Over the next three years, the TRAFFIC network will mainly direct its efforts towards CITES, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the World Trade Organization, and a variety of regional fisheries and timber trade agreements. ------------- Visit the TRAFFIC Network online at: http://www.traffic.org/ The IUCN website is located at: http://www.iucn.org/ The IUCN 2000 Red List of Threatened Species can be found at: http://www.iucn.org/redlist/2000/index.html The World Wide Fund for Nature, known in North America as the World Wildlife Fund, WWF, has an extensive website on threatened species and ecosystems at: http://www.panda.org =================================================================== Greenpeace Cofounder Supports Biotech <http://ens-news.com/ens/mar2001/2001L-03-08-09.html> AUBURN, Alabama, March 8, 2001 (ENS) - Dr. Patrick Moore, ecologist and co- founder of the international conservation group Greenpeace, stated Tuesday that, "the campaign of fear now being waged against genetic modification is based largely on fantasy and a complete lack of respect for science and logic." Moore joined more than 3,000 scientists from around the world in signing a Declaration in Support of Agricultural Biotechnology, sponsored by the nonprofit AgBioWorld Foundation. "In the balance it is clear that the real benefits of genetic modification far outweigh the hypothetical and sometimes contrived risks claimed by its detractors." Moore, who is now an environmental consultant, was a founding member of Greenpeace. He served for nine years as president of Greenpeace Canada and seven years as a director of Greenpeace International. Moore broke with Greenpeace in recent years, accusing the group of abandoning science and following agendas that have little to do with saving the Earth. Reiterating comments he made to the New Zealand Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, Moore said, "Genetic modification can reduce the chemical load in the environment, reduce the impact on non-target species, and reduce the amount of land required for food crops." "There are so many real benefits from genetic modification compared to the largely hypothetical and contrived risks that it would be foolish to ban genetic modification," Moore added. Other signers of the Declaration of Scientists in Support of Agricultural Biotechnology, available at: http://www.AgBioWorld.org, include Nobel Prize winners Norman Borlaug, James Watson, Paul Berg, Peter Doherty and Paul Boyer. The AgBioWorld Foundation is a project of biologist C.S. Prakash, director of the Center for Plant Biotechnology Research at Tuskegee University. Prakash serves on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Biotechnology Advisory Committee and also on the Advisory Committee for the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India. =================================================================== Foot And Mouth Crisis Exceeds Fears Sixteen more cases of foot and mouth disease were recorded today amid warnings of a "second wave" of the disease. The total number of outbreaks now stands at 123, underscoring chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore's comments that there was no end in sight to the crisis. The epidemic, which is thought to have cost the economy more than £1bn in 17 days, is also moving rapidly from sheep to cattle. Full story - Guardian Unlimited http://www.guardian.co.uk/footandmouth/story/0,7369,449240,00.html Related story: Livestock ban 'to be eased' - BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1210000/1210371.stm Comment: Too cool to be kind over nightmare for farming - Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/footandmouth/story/0,7369,448920,00.html Audio: Nick Brown - BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1205000/audio/_1209499_foot17_brown.ram Factfile: Foot and mouth disease - MAFF http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/default.htm Background: Foot and mouth latest - National Farmers' Union http://www.nfu.org.uk/info/f&ml.asp Special report: Foot and mouth disease - Guardian Unlimited http://www.guardian.co.uk/footandmouth/ =================================================================== FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2001 East's vanishing forests take a songbird with them <http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2001/03/09/p2s2.htm> Cerulean warblers have declined by 70 percent since 1966. But Fish and Wildlife says it can't take steps now. By Warren Richey ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor A little blue bird is sending a dire message to mankind. But the US government says it is in no position to heed the warning. Bird-watchers have long lamented the gradual disappearance of the cerulean warbler, a colorful songbird that once was easily spotted in deep forests throughout much of the Eastern half of the US. Its numbers have declined by 70 percent since 1966. And ornithologists say that unless something is done to prevent further degradation of old-growth forests in the US and South America, the tiny cerulean warbler's song may fall silent forever. "Right now, there is no law or regulation specifically protecting the cerulean's forest habitat," says Douglas Ruley, a lawyer with the Southern Environmental Law Center, which is based in Charlottesville, Va. "If the destruction of these forests continues, we will lose this bird in our lifetime." Last fall, a coalition of 28 environmental groups asked the US Fish and Wildlife Service to list the cerulean warbler as a threatened species. Including the bird on the endangered species list would trigger federal protection, including safeguards to critical forest habitat under pressure from lumbering and development. But the Fish and Wildlife Service says it is unable to even read the group's petition, let alone take action to protect the struggling species. Since December, the service has confined its efforts - and its $6.3 million budget - to carrying out court-ordered actions in scores of lawsuits initiated by various environmental groups. The suits involve designating critical habitat for plants and animals already on the endangered species list. The net result is that there is no staff or money left to consider placing new plants and animals on the endangered species list, officials say. "We have a literal flood of litigation against us," says Hugh Vickery, a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service. He says the legal logjam has stripped the agency of any discretion in determining how to respond to cases like that of the cerulean warbler. "We don't want to do this," Mr. Vickery says. "It is not a choice, it is reality." It is also a situation likely to trigger more litigation and an even bigger logjam. Mr. Ruley says the cerulean warbler coalition is considering filing its own suit to force the government to protect the songbird. "The cerulean warbler is really a good example of what we should be doing," he says. "Recognizing that a species is headed toward the brink, we should get in there and arrest the decline by maintaining adequate forests for the birds." He adds, "If you do it now, you can do it more effectively and efficiently than if you wait until the species is on the brink." Cerulean warblers migrate between the Eastern US in the summer and the slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America during the North American winter. The birds prefer to build their nests in old-growth forests with tall canopies that offer camouflage and protection from predators. Logging and development have reduced such undisturbed nesting areas in the US. In addition, the birds are under pressure in South America, where the forested mountain slopes they prefer in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru are being denuded and replanted with coca plants for the illicit cocaine trade. Conservationists hope that if the US government takes a leading role in protecting cerulean warblers, it will help trigger international efforts to save the embattled birds. Marty Bergoffen of the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project in Asheville, N.C., says the US government's first action must be to preserve and restore large tracts of mature forest. "We have an ecosystem tottering on the brink, and the cerulean warbler is an indicator of that," he says. Mr. Bergoffen adds that many decades ago cerulean warblers were a common sight in American forests, particularly in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. But he says those days are gone. "I have friends who like to watch birds who have been looking for the past 10 years and haven't seen a cerulean warbler." ----------------------------------- For further information: Cerulean Warbler Atlas Project Cornell (Click on Cerulean Warbler under the "Previous Sounds of the Week" menu to hear the songbird.) <http://birds.cornell.edu/sow/> Cerulean Warbler Audubon <http://www.audubon.org/bird/watch/cer/cer.html> =================================================================== Environmentalists Target Gun Rights <http://www.gunowners.org/opagn0201.htm> by Larry Pratt Feb. 2001 If anti-gun zealots in government are frustrated that they have not yet been able to completely infringe on our right to keep and bear arms, the United States Forest Service (USFS) has found a politically correct issue to use against gun owners. In Azusa, California, there is a shooting range in the city's mountain suburb. The Burro Canyon Shooting Park opened with a bang in November, 1993 on a 76 acre allotment near the Angeles National Forest. Since the Shooting Park is on land unconstitutionally owned and administered by the United States government, Burro Canyon operates with a permit from the USFS, itself an unconstitutional agency desperately in need of elimination. About a year ago, the USFS discovered that the railroad ties in use at the range had to be removed because the creosote in them was disturbing the pristine environment of Burro Canyon. This creosote is apparently different from that in the telephone poles all over other federally protected land. Well, the railroad ties went, but trouble was just starting. Through an alleged irregularity in the deeding of the 76 acres for the Shooting Park, in spite of the USFS's earlier approval, the Rangers managed to whack the Shooting Park down to four acres. Then the Shooting Park was told to be sure that all that horrible human activity that occurs there would not endanger any exotic plants. You see, the natural habitat must not be disturbed. By the way, the Burro Canyon Shooting Park sits on top of a landfill. By October of 2000 the USFS discovered that shotgun shells are an environmental threat, and the Shooting Park was not picking them all up. Next the USFS decided that there was too much picnicking going on, so the picnic tables had to go. Ooops - haven't you gotten rid of all those metal plates the cops used for their long range practice? "Why, you're not in compliance. Those plates are polluting the pristine Canyon." Finally, after months of a death-by-a-thousand-cuts, the Burro Canyon shooting park closed on January 2, 2001. The anti-gun nuts in the bureaucracy have managed to squelch constitutional freedom under the guise of protecting the environment. Doesn't this make you want to go hug a tree? =================================================================== International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements March 9th 2001 PRESS RELEASE Genetic pollution is threatening consumers' right to choose Despite the organic movement's stringent efforts to keep GMOs (genetically engineered /modified organisms) out of organic production, some US organic farmers have found their corn (maize) crops, including seeds, to contain detectable levels of genetically engineered DNA. "Those who claim ownership rights to these genes should be held liable for their uncontrolled spread in the environment and into our food," says Gunnar Rundgren, President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which unites 730 member organisations in 103 countries. The organic movement is firm in its opposition to any use of GMOs in agriculture, and organic standards explicitly prohibit their use. The farmers, whose seed is contaminated, have been under rigid organic certification, which assures that they did not use any kind of genetically modified materials on their farms. Any trace of GMOs must have come from outside their production areas. While the exact origin is unclear at this time, it is most likely that the pollution has been caused by pollen drift from GMO-fields in surrounding areas. However, the contamination may have also come from the seed supply. Seed producers, who intended to supply GMO-free seed, have also been confronted with genetic pollution and cannot guarantee that their seed is 100% GMO-free. "This is more evidence that GMOs are polluting the environment in a way that is outside the control of society or the companies that have released these GMOs, and we are outraged. It means that consumers could soon be deprived of their right to choose GMO-free food, if this unwanted spread of genetically altered genes is not stopped," Gunnar Rundgren continues. Organic products remain the best option for consumers who wish to avoid GMO-food and resist their use in agriculture. Organic farmers and independent certification agencies will take all reasonable measures to prevent contamination. However, IFOAM, organic farmers and certifiers can not do this job alone. Unless action is taken immediately, it may soon be impossible to produce uncontaminated organic corn crops in the US. This is equally true for conventional farmers who want to produce corn without GMOs. The problem of pollution not only has direct consequences for organic farmers; it also means a dramatic loss of the cultural heritage of agricultural varieties, which has huge implications for populations around the world. For thousands of years, humans have selected and bred natural varieties adapted to unique climatic zones and regional properties, in order to provide us with quality food. It is the aim of organic agriculture to preserve this natural way, based on sound scientific and ecological principles. IFOAM calls on governments and regulatory agencies throughout the world to immediately ban the use of genetic engineering in agriculture and food production, while there is still a chance to stop this unwanted pollution. IFOAM further holds genetic engineering industries responsible for the damage they have inflicted on organic farmers. Governments are therefore urged to pass legislation that makes GMO companies liable for all genetic pollution caused by the products they own. Anaheim/USA and Tholey-Theley/Germany ---- Contact for further information: Northamerica: Suzanne Vaupel (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone/fax:+1-916-444-1877) Annie Kirschenmann (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: +1-701-486-3578/fax-3580) Latinamerica: Alberto (Pipo) Lernoud (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone +5411-48621424/fax -47775082) Europe: Luise Lutikholt (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone +31-30-2339970/fax -2304423) Asia: Prabha Mahale (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone +91-124-6388900/fax -6388769) Australia: Liz Clay (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone+221-634-1837/fax +221-956-4202) =================================================================== Human Being, or Human Folly? <http://www.wirednews.com/news/culture/0,1284,42338,00.html> Reuters Mar. 9, 2001 Hundreds of couples have volunteered for an experiment to create the first cloned child despite strong religious and scientific opposition, a team of scientists said on Friday. Since the international team said in January it would work to produce the first human clone, between 600 and 700 couples have come forward and the number is rising, said American doctor Panayiotis Zavos. "Interest has come from all over, from Japan to Argentina, from Germany to Britain," Zavos told reporters after saying his team was ready to start cloning in the next few weeks, principally to help infertile couples bear children. "Being infertile is like a stop sign," he said. "You face the deficiency and ask God 'Why me? Why do I have to go and get sperm cells from someone else in order to have a child?'" Zavos, attending a cloning conference in Rome, deflected mounting criticism of his plans, saying people would eventually get over opposition to human cloning. "Historically, this is normal but once the first baby is born and it cries, the world will embrace it," he said. "Now that we have crossed into the third millennium, we have the technology to break the rules of nature." But the proposal has come under serious fire from mainstream scientists and religious groups. On Friday, Father Gino Concetti, a moral theologian whose views are thought to reflect those of Pope John Paul II, reiterated the Vatican's position. "These proposals contradict the truth of mankind, man's dignity, man's rights ... especially the right to be conceived in the human way," Concetti said. Italian team member Severino Antinori, who gained notoriety by helping a 62-year-old woman give birth, also sought to dispel the flood of disapproval. "Cloning may be considered as the last frontier to overcome male sterility and give the possibility to infertile males to pass on their genetic pattern," he told a packed auditorium of scientists and journalists. "Some people say we are going to clone the world, but this isn't true.... I'm asking all of us to be prudent and calm. We're talking science, we're not here to create a fuss." Bishop Elio Sgreccia, head of the John Paul II Institute for Bioethics at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, said human cloning raised profoundly disturbing ethical issues. "Those who made the atomic bomb went ahead in spite of knowing about its terrible destruction," he said. "But this doesn't mean that it was the best choice for humanity. "The forecasts (about human cloning) sadden us but don't scare us," he said, adding it would be a betrayal if the Roman Catholic Church's voice was not heard in the debate. Scientists have also slammed the plan. A director of Rome's La Sapienza university wrote a letter disapproving of the cloning conference being held in one of its halls. "I consider it disgraceful ... and I dissociate myself from the meeting," professor Ermelando Cosmi wrote. Scientists have warned that 97 percent of animal cloning attempts have been unsuccessful and that those embryos which survive to birth are often deformed. Dr. Ian Wilmut, who created Dolly, the world's first cloned sheep, said it took 277 attempts to get it right. Zavos said that might not be the case with humans, firstly because they were a different species and secondly because the embryos would be scrutinized for any deformity. The team said it would start work within weeks but would not say where they will set up their cloning laboratory, citing security reasons. When the team announced their plans in January, they said they would work in a Mediterranean country. Zanos added they had "unlimited funds" from private donors but again would not elaborate. "We have plenty of money, I can assure you. There are no financial restrictions," he said. Zavos said he believed that governments should develop further legislation on human cloning to keep it under control but at the same time said his experiments should not be subject to government scrutiny. "We don't want the government involved in this project," he said. "This is a high-tech, serious project and we're not going to bring in the technocrats if they are not needed." Last year, Britain proposed allowing human cells to be cloned for research purposes while other European countries, including Spain and France, have banned human cloning altogether. Predominantly Roman Catholic Italy has looked into the therapeutic cloning of stem cells in order to combat degenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. "The genie is out of the bottle," Zavos said. "We need to make sure it is bottled and disseminated responsibly." =================================================================== Off Road Vehicles Create Conflict in California By Cat Lazaroff DAVIS, California, March 9, 2001 (ENS) - Many public lands in California, ranging from national forests to wilderness areas, are becoming too damaged - and in some cases too dangerous - for the public to enjoy, finds a first of its kind report. The study by the California Wilderness Coalition blames dirt bikes and other off road vehicles for damaging and despoiling the state's public lands. Based on an exhaustive examination of state and federal records, the 68 page study by the Davis based California Wilderness Coalition contains numerous on the ground case studies of areas throughout California that have been spoiled by off road vehicles (ORVs). "It was shocking to unearth the widespread, off road vehicle damage to our deserts and forests," said Teri Shore, report author. "With so few wild places left to find peace and quiet, and so many animals disappearing from our landscape, it's time to reign in the motorized takeover of Californian's favorite places." The report concludes that California's public resources, including soil, watersheds, habitat and water quality, are being severely degraded by poorly managed off road vehicle use. In addition, the outdoor experiences of numerous hikers, campers, equestrians and skiers are being ruined by conflicts with dirt bikes, snowmobiles and other ORVs, the report charges. California contains a diverse range of natural habitats, ranging from a mountains to forests, rocky shorelines to desert lands. The Golden State is also among the most traveled regions of the U.S. tortoise Crushed desert tortoise in the Desert Tortoise Natural Area in the Mojave desert (Photo by Kristine Berry) Each year, millions of tourists visit California to enjoy its scenic treasures. But many find it impossible to escape the din of motors, either on roads or off. "No corner of the state has been spared the destruction of natural places by out of control off road vehicle use," said author Shore. "It's tragic how much permanent damage has been done to our lands by unmanaged off road use." RIDING LEAVES PERMANENT SCARS Motorized off road vehicles are made to be ridden in the backcountry. But their tracks are visible for generations, and their impacts often permanent. Hundreds of thousands of these vehicles travel California's backcountry each year. When irresponsibly used, or improperly managed, they cause damage to sensitive soils, degrade critical wildlife habitat, trespass onto private property and closed areas, and shatter the quiet. In the Jawbone and Dove Springs open riding areas, 20 miles north of the town of Mojave, decades of overuse have cleared topsoil from some areas, leaving behind bare bedrock. All but the largest shrubs have been stripped from more than 1,000 acres, and another 500 have been completely denuded. The use is so heavy that, according to one report, after a rainfall, "the water formed a thick slurry of the loose soil, which flowed out over the canyon floor much like a lava flow, burying plants and trapping burrowing animals." Another study found that some upper slopes lost as much as one foot of surface soil over 13 years due to motorcycle use. Wildlife has largely disappeared as well. Off road vehicles race across the land, crushing desert tortoises and their burrows, and impacting the kangaroo rat and pocket mouse populations as well. In the Algodones Dunes of southeast California, considered California's off roading mecca, out of control ORV use has turned dangerous. Hundreds of thousands of off roaders visit the Algodones Dunes each year, creating a land management and public safety fiasco. On crowded holiday weekends, lawlessness escalates to the point where near riot conditions prevail. The dunes have become unsafe for family recreation activity due to the use of drugs and alcohol, and the problems of lawlessness that occur with such use, according to a Bureau of Land Management report. BLM rangers have been threatened and deliberately run over. "The problem has advanced to the stage that the normal, law abiding citizens are fearful of using the area," said a recent BLM report. ORV RULES HARD TO ENFORCE Off road vehicle users regularly disregard the law and trespass into wilderness and other closed areas, as well as onto private property, the study found. Irresponsible off road vehicle use poses special problems for law enforcement, and irresponsible riders are extremely difficult to catch. The case studies featured in the report describe damage to California's natural areas, but also detail how California residents, visitors and landowners are literally being run out by off road vehicles. "The very places where California residents and visitors go to enjoy the peace and quite of the great outdoors are the same places where the silence is shattered by noisy dirt bikes and aggressive all terrain vehicles," said California Wilderness Coalition executive director Paul Spitler. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, for example, illegal off road riding is rampant, the Coalition found. In recent years, land managers in the basin have reported increased complaints about riding close to or inside residential areas, trespass into closed areas and wilderness, destruction of wet meadows and other highly sensitive areas, and new trails being cut into rehabilitated trails and roads. According to the U.S. Forest Service, off road vehicle users have created new, unauthorized routes, creating erosion and sedimentation that may further diminish the clarity of California's most famous lake. At the Knoxville Recreation Area, near Clear Lake, federal officials have abandoned their management and law enforcement responsibilities, opening the door to widespread abuse and lawlessness. For more than 15 years, the remote chaparral hillsides and serpentine barrens of Knoxville Recreation Area have been subjected to mostly unregulated motorcycle riding, four wheeling and random target shooting. Appliances, TVs, computers and other large items have been found blown up and riddled with bullet holes. Long time landowner Jim Erasmy warns his wife and women in general not to hike the area alone. "Families come to the Knoxville area thinking that they have a safe place for their children to learn to ride. Instead they've entered an area with no rules, no road signs, and no real BLM presence," said Erasmy. "The risk of getting shot while riding off road vehicles, hiking, horseback riding ... is a real and ever present danger." Sometimes, ORV use may have disastrous effects. The Willow Fire, which burned 63,000 acres in and around San Bernardino National Forest and destroyed several homes in 1999, "was strongly suspected to be from OHV riders leaving an unattended campfire," according to a government report. WINTER PROVIDES NO RELIEF Each winter, the Reds Meadow area of the eastern Sierra Nevada becomes a popular snowmobile playground. Numerous snowmobilers ignore the rules and cross into campgrounds, wilderness areas and even Devil's Postpile National Monument. In most cases, the offenders are never cited or even confronted by law enforcement officers. Dozens of other violations have been reported to the Inyo National Forest, including willful trespass into wilderness, Devil's Postpile, and closed campgrounds; destruction of property; damage to vegetation; and physical threats to area residents. Tops of trees were snapped off. Campgrounds, signs and private property were routinely wrecked by rogue riders. Sometimes the polluting machines crashed and overturned into creeks and streams, spilling gas and oil into waterways. Bob Sollima, caretaker at Reds Meadow, describes the scene he witnesses in winter. "It seems that all the snowmobile pilots had 'moto-jump mania,' getting air off anything including buildings and vehicles. In one winter, I tallied damages to fences, hitch rails, a stone barbecue, a roof, my truck, windshield, two tree squirrels, a pine marten, and a fire hydrant [that] was sheared off," Sollima said. "Some of the snowmobile abuses I've seen in the Reds Meadow Valley over the years, in times of low snowpack, are environmental damage to treetops, meadows, trails, creeks, lakes and the river," Sollima continued. "I've seen two snowmobiles stuck in the San Joaquin River, two submerged in Sotcher Lake and three overturned in creeks, spilling gas and oil into the water." A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE A recent ORV policy issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is "absolutely toothless," doing little to correct existing problems, charges Coalition executive director Spitler. "We have done what the federal land management agencies have long failed to do: document the severe and widespread environmental impacts of unmanaged off road vehicle use," said Spitler. "Just as you would not allow a dirt bike to tear up your front yard, we should not allow dirt bikes and other off road vehicles to destroy California's unique national forests and other public lands." The Coalition's report presents a 15 point plan for creating a more balanced and fair off road vehicle policy in California. This plan aims to: * Minimize damage to California's landscapes, * Reduce conflicts between motorized recreationists and other public land users, * Prevent the harassment of landowners by motorized recreationists, * Reduce illegal riding and trespass into wilderness areas, and * Balance motorized recreation with other public land uses, such as hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting, fishing and camping. The plan proposes federal reforms, state legislative reforms and state administrative reforms aimed at determining appropriate ORV use and mapping approved areas, enforcing existing rules, and restoring damaged areas. California's state government should increase state funding for repairing ORV damage and preventing future damage, the report suggests. Currently, the state provides millions of dollars each year to support the acquisition, development and operations of ORV facilities and areas on federally managed lands, through its ORV grants program. But some of the responsibility for paying for ORV damages should fall on the users themselves, the Coalition proposes. Registration fees for ORVs should be linked to emissions levels, the report argues. Higher emission vehicles - usually older models with less efficient engines - should be charged higher fees. The group says that this would create a positive incentive to reduce emissions from ORVs. "This report documents for the first time how people and places across the state of California are suffering from out of control off road vehicle damage," said author Shore. "The deserts and forests that we all love and want to enjoy are being scarred forever and may never recover from decades of irresponsible off road vehicle use." The report and supporting materials are available online at: http://www.calwild.org/pubs/reports/orv/presscenter.htm =================================================================== "Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children." -Kenyan Proverb ====================================================== "We cannot solve the problems that we have created with the same thinking that created them." -Albert Einstein ====================================================== "The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders." -Edward Abbey ______________________________________________________________ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send appropriate email to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. ______________________________________________________________ <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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