Protect the Humboldt-Toiyabe's de facto wilderness!
The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest includes some of the most precious, unspoiled wild places remaining in California. These areas contain cool mountain lakes, classic rocky peaks, and remnants of rich ancient forests. Their natural beauty is a welcome relief to thousands of backcountry visitors.
Unfortunately, these areas are not safe from activities that would degrade their wilderness character. And your help is needed to ensure that the special, but unprotected, wilderness areas of the Humboldt-Toiyabe get the protection they deserve.
The Forest Service has released a draft of the Northern Sierra Amendment to the Toiyabe Land and Resource Management Plan. This plan is the guiding management document for thousands of acres of wildlands.
Under the proposed plan, 9 of 10 potential Humboldt-Toiyabe wilderness areas in California will be open to motor vehicle use, including snowmobiles.
Worse yet, the agency has failed to address the specific management considerations of the region’s potential wilderness areas. When revising forest plans, the agency is required to assess the wilderness attributes of unprotected wilderness areas and make specific recommendations on these areas. The amendment must ensure that these lands qualify for wilderness designation when the new management plan for the Humboldt-Toiyabe is prepared beginning in 2002. The Humboldt-Toiyabe has failed to meet this requirement, and makes no specific mention of the unique values of potential wilderness!
We have a great opportunity to revise the amendment that will affect 10 large potential wilderness areas in California bordering the Mokelumne and Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Areas—a plan that could remain in effect for decades. Your letter is needed to protect these wild areas!
What you can do:
Write a letter to Humboldt-Toiyabe Forest Supervisor Robert Vaught regarding the Northern Sierra Amendment to the Toiyabe Land and Resource Management Plan. Request that Supervisor Vaught ensure that the amendment fully protect the 10 roadless areas in California by designating each of them as “semi-primitive non-motorized” to preserve their wilderness character. Also request that the Forest Service recognize the unique values of these potential wilderness areas, and enact a management plan that fully protects these values.
Your letter must be received by August 31, 2000. Thanks!
Send your letter to: Forest Supervisor Robert Vaught Carson Ranger District 1536 S. Carson Street Carson City, NV 89701
Or, send your e-mail comments to: smorelan01@fs.fed.us and dloomis@fs.fed.us
Fax: (775) 884-8132
|
Just three miles off of Interstate 80, 
