LETTERS NEEDED TO PROTECT POTENTIAL WILDERNESS FROM
IRRESPONSIBLE OFF-ROAD VEHICLE USE
Furnace Creek is a beautiful perennial stream draining the backside of the
White Mountains toward Fish Lake Valley. This slow moving creek creates rare desert wetlands and nurtures a mature forest of gigantic cottonwoods and water birch thickets.
The second largest roadless area in the lower 48 states and America's highest desert
mountain range, the White Mountains are one of California's most wild and diverse
ranges.
Although and old road up Furnace Creek washed out in the early 1980s, off road vehicles
have punched through the creek, trees, bogs and all, leaving a muddy mess in their wake.
The federal agencies need to hear your support for closing this creek to vehicles and
placing a priority on protecting the ecological values of the White Mountains over
environmentally irresponsible ORV use.
Please write the Inyo National Forest and tell them that you support protecting riparian
areas from damaging off-road vehicle use. There are plenty of other places to drive
(over 8300 other miles of roads & routes on Eastern Sierra public lands, for example) that
do not have such a damaging effect on our publicly-owned lands. The Forest Service and
Bureau of Land Management are bound by numerous regulations to do the right thing, but
they need our support!
Visit www.friendsoftheinyo.org
for more information.
Points for your letter:
- The health of riparian habitat is critical to all desert wildlife. Protection of these rare habitats
should take precedence over damaging recreational use.
- With over 8300 miles of roads on public lands in the Eastern Sierra, there are plenty of places
to drive that do not harm rare wildlife habitat.
- "Rebuilding" any route up Furnace Creek will be a waste of taxpayer dollars. Why should
taxpayer money be used to rebuild a rarely used road that will undoubtedly wash out time
and time again?
Please send your letter to:
Mary DeAguero, White Mountain District Ranger
798 North Main Street
Bishop, California 93514
mdeaguero@fs.fed.us
Also, please send a copy of your letter to:
Congressman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon
23929 Valencia Blvd. Suite #410
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Please, also send a copy of your letter to
paulmc@friendsoftheinyo.org so we can track
your comments!
|
Just three miles off of Interstate 80, 
