Washington, DC – On December 14th, 2001 American Whitewater’s Access Director Jason Robertson joined Bill Meadows, President of The Wilderness Society, Rebecca Wodder, President of American Rivers, and others in a meeting with the Forest Service to advocate for the creation of a Director’s position for Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers. The meeting supported the initial letter reprinted below from the heads of several national conservation organizations. We were well received and are optimistic about the future of our proposal.
AMERICAN RIVERS ¨ THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY ¨ AMERICAN WHITEWATER WILDERNESS WATCH ¨ TROUT UNLIMITED ¨ AMERICAN LANDS ALLIANCEPUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP ¨ EARTH JUSTICE LEGAL DEFENSE FUNDNATIONAL FOREST PROTECTION ALLIANCE ¨ AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION
September 24, 2001
Chief Dale Bosworth
USDA Forest Service
201 14th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20250
Re: Director for Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers
Dear Chief Bosworth:
As leaders of national organizations with collectively hundreds of thousands of members nationwide, we urge you to create a Director for Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers. This directorate is critical to ensuring that the Forest Service fulfills its mandate to protect and enhance the crown jewels of the National Forest system. As you know, stewardship of designated wilderness areas and wild and scenic rivers is one of the Forest Service’s highest callings. Creating a wilderness and wild and scenic rivers directorate is an important step you can take to show leadership in protecting the landscapes and rivers the American public values most.
Wilderness, wild and scenic rivers and other congressionally designated areas make up at least 20% of National Forest lands, and are at the heart of our most valuable remaining intact ecosystems. These areas provide recreational opportunities and places for spiritual retreat, and they are critical sources of clean air and water. They provide important wildlife habitat, and they are rich in biodiversity. Proper management of these complex areas requires leadership and field staff that have the ability, and the authority to protect the many values for which these areas were set aside.
There has never been a better time than now for the Forest Service to take this step forward in wilderness stewardship. The current Administration has placed an emphasis on better management of existing protected areas, and a Director for Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers is critical to ensuring a greater field presence and increased funding for these programs. For nearly ten years, Forest Service employees and conservation leaders have supported creating a wilderness and wild and scenic rivers directorate. It will cost little, and will greatly benefit our nation’s natural heritage.
We would like to meet with you in person to express our support for a Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Director, and to hear your thoughts on how we can help you make it happen.
Sincerely,
Bill Meadows
President, The Wilderness Society
Rebecca Wodder
President, American Rivers
Gene Karpinski
Executive Director, U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Risa Shimoda Callaway
Executive Director, American Whitewater
Tom Weis
Executive Director, National Forest Protection Alliance
Jeffrey Yeager
Executive Director, American Canoe Association
George Nickas
Executive Director, Wilderness Watch
Marty Hayden
Legislative Director, Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund
Steve Holmer
Campaign Coordinator, American Lands Alliance
Steve Moyer
Vice President for Conservation Programs, Trout Unlimited