Alaska: McNeil River Game Sanctuary

Alaska BHA commented before the Alaska Board of Game in March, supporting reinstating a closure on brown bear hunting near the famous McNeil Game Sanctuary and Katmai National Park. The Board of Game had previously voted to allow brown bear hunting in the small Kamishak Special Use Area. The Board overturned their previous decision and kept the Kamishak closed. Local BHA members believe exposing this bear population to hunting would be a black eye for hunters, far outweighing the little real gain.

Alaska: Black Bear Management

Alaska BHA opposed a new and controversial black bear control proposal in unit 16B near Anchorage that unfortunately was passed by the Board of Game. This new program allows for the killing of sows with cubs, or cubs, with no bag limit. Co-chairs Dave Lyon and Mark Richards were quoted in the Alaska media on this issue, saying the bear kill was scientifically unjustified and a waste of a valuable game species, black bears.

To get involved with Alaska BHA issues email David Lyon or Mark Richards at:

alaskabha@starband.net

Read more at: www.alaskabackcountryhunters.org

Oregon: Senate Bill 30

Oregon BHA supports Oregon Senate Bill 30, which would prohibit resorts from being built within three miles of the Metolius River in central Oregon. SB 30 was authored by State Sen.Ben Westlund D- Bend, in response to the planned construction of a massive resort which could build 3,000 homes on 3,500 acres near this famous Oregon river. The spring fed Metolius supports healthy mule deer populations and one of the finest redband and bull trout fisheries in the West and will play an instrumental role in the reintroduction of sockeye salmon and summer steelhead beyond Round Butte Dam-populations that have been missing for more than 30 years.

Oregon: Backcountry Horsemen Packing Clinic

Holly Endersby drove 16 hours roundtrip from Idaho to table at the Wilderness Packing Clinic and Convention operated by the High Desert Trail Riders chapter of Backcountry Horseman in

Klamath Falls. She signed up new members and handed out brochures, stickers and newsletters.

Oregon: Sled Springs OHV Proposal
Oregon BHA joined several conservation-minded sportsmen groups including Trout Unlimited, Northwest Steelheaders and the Izaak Walton League to oppose the Wallowa-Whitman National Forests’ plans to build a 130-mile OHV trail in the Sled Springs unit in northeast Oregon. This hunting unit is extremely popular with both archery and centerfire rifle hunters and nearby Mud Creek supports spawning and rearing for redband trout and summer steelhead. With nearly 5,000 miles of open roads in the forest it makes no sense to create a new road system in a sensitive area that is woefully short on law enforcement.

Oregon: Copper-Salmon wilderness

BHA members Richard Wolfe and Jim Rogers traveled to Washington D.C. with Trout Unlimited to lobby the Oregon congressional delegation to support the proposed Copper-Salmon wilderness near Port Orford. The 12,000-acre proposal is home to one of the healthiest salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing streams on the Pacific Coast.

To learn more go to: www.sportsmenforcoppersalmon.org

Oregon: Field and Stream Conservation Hero  

BHA board member Brian Maguire was named a Conservation Hero by Field and Stream magazine for his stellar conservation work in southeastern Oregon and on additions to the Mt. Hood wilderness bill, which recently had a Senate hearing. To get involved with Oregon BHA issues email Mike Beagle at mbeagle@tu.org

Colorado: Browns Canyon Wilderness

Colorado BHA Co-Chair David Lien had the opportunity to meet with Representative Doug Lamborn (R-5th Congressional District) in April, along with stakeholders from other groups supporting the proposed Browns Canyon Wilderness Area in Chaffee County, near Salida.

Lien was quoted by The Mountain Mail, in Salida, explaining to Rep. Lamborn that: “The loss of prime wildlife habitat and hunting grounds is accelerating and that’s the biggest threat to hunting.  These days it doesn’t seem you can get very far from a motorized trail or a road in the state.”

Indeed, today statewide only 8 percent of the national forest acreage in Colorado lies beyond one mile of a road (only 4 percent for BLM lands).  The Pike-San Isabel National Forests alone have 1,750 miles of system trails and 3,600 miles of system roads.

Front Range CBHA members followed-up after the meeting by writing letters to Rep. Lamborn in support of the proposed wilderness area.

Here are links to excellent letters-to-the-editor from BHA members. (“Obey the law when driving ATV or ORV”) about ATV abuse by Front Range CBHAer Paul Vertrees out of Canon City: www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/speaking_out_letter.asp?ID=6630

“Public Lands on the Chopping Block, Again” in The Denver Post about the government’s ongoing attempts to sell off our public lands heritage: http://blogs.denverpost.com/eletters/2007/03/12/public-lands-on-the-chopping-block/

One in the Colorado Springs Independent addresses the conservation of roadless backcountry: http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2007-03-08/letters.html 

Colorado: ATV Abuse

BHA is helping lead a campaign to stop ATV abuse and over-use of public lands there.  David Lien and Dave Petersen spoke at a regional OHV summit attended by 100 reform advocates, including more than 20 officials from land and wildlife agencies. BHA is also working on motorized problems directly, with county commissioners, forest supervisors, the Division of Wildlife, and state officials.
 

Colorado: Roan Plateau Gas and Oil Development

The Roan Plateau, in the White River NF in north-central CO, which provides essential watershed and wildlife habitat and cherished backcountry hunting and angling opportunities, has long been under attack by energy developers. In a lightning push during May, BHA and allies helped to convince U.S. Reps. Mark Udall and John Salazar to move to withhold funding from BLM required to issue drilling permits. If successful, this will delay the destruction of the Roan for at least another year, buying time to work for permanent protection.

To get involved with Colorado BHA issues email David Lien at dlien@yahoo.com or David Petersen at elkheart@hughes.net

Minnesota: Protecting Peace and Quiet

 Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Minnesota chapter members submitted comments to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding the state’s forest classification and motor vehicle route designation proposal for the Pat Bayle and Grand Portage state forests in Cook County, as well as for thousands of acres of “scattered lands” outside of state forest boundaries throughout the county.

Minnesota: Superior NF Travel management

BHA also submitted comments on the Superior National Forest’s proposed action addressing motorized travel management (East Zone Motorized Travel Management Project) on the Gunflint and Tofte Ranger Districts in northern Minnesota.. Finally, comments were also submitted for the Chippewa National Forest’s (CNF) Off-Highway Vehicle Road Travel Access Project Environmental Assessment (EA). 

The payoff for some of this hard work was realized when Minnesota lawmakers passed a bill that Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed into law limiting ATV trail riding to designated routes listed on maps.  Under the law, riders not on mapped trails are subject to penalties.

To get involved with Minnesota BHA issues email David Lien at dlien@yahoo.org

Montana: Illegal Heli-Fishing

BHA members were gratified when local prosecutors filed charges against a Montana man who had promoted helicopter fishing trips in the beloved Badger-Two Medicine area between Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. The Montana Outfitters and Guides Association also ordered the man to stop. The case received front-page news coverage. Montana BHA board member Ben Long was quoted as saying “Legitimate outfitters and guides do a real service for the people of Montana and the people who enjoy Montana. We have to be vigilant and aware of people who want to cut to the front of the line at everyone else's expense.”

Montana: Lewis and Clark NF Travel Plans

BHA is also concerned about illegal ATV riding in the Badger-Two Medicine and supports Lewis and Clark National Forest proposals to close the area to motors. Read more:  http://missoulian.com/articles/2007/04/22/news/mtregional/news05.txt

Montana: Flathead NF Travel Plans

BHA also supported keeping motorcycles off several high-country trails just north of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The trail limits were part of the travel planning process of the Spotted Bear District of the Flathead National Forest. The trail limits protects secure habitat for elk, mule deer, mountain goat in the northern Swan Range, as well as non-hunted species such as grizzly bear.

To get involved with Montana BHA issuese email Ben Long at ben@resource-media.org

Wyoming: Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range

The effort to conserve wildlife and fisheries habitat in the Wyoming Range has been gaining momentum. As of early May, the network of sportsmen’s groups united to withdraw the range from oil and gas exploration stood at 24, nearly double the initial network of 13 when the Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range launched its campaign in January. Wyoming Backcountry Hunters and Anglers was one of the very first groups to sign on.

“We knew from the get-go that the Wyoming Range was a place where hunting and fishing values should be first and foremost among the multiples,” said Dave Glenn, Wyoming BHA chair. “We don’t think that gas exploration is compatible with backcountry hunting and angling and it certainly doesn’t mesh well with a quality outdoors experience.”

Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range is seeking to withdraw more than a half million acres of the Bridger-Teton National Forest from consideration for gas exploration. Although some gas companies already hold leases in the range, the sportsmen's group is seeking federal legislation that would make it possible for gas companies to sell or donate their leases to hunting and fishing groups so those leases could be retired. Areas that haven’t been leased in the past would also be withdrawn under this legislation.

“Wyoming is more than pulling its weight for the nation’s energy needs,” said Glenn. “We’d like to see at least one place in the state where the needs of sportsmen come first.”

Wyoming BHA has an advertising announcement on Wyoming Public Radio in support of the Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range. That announcement, which plays several times a day, touts the effort and plugs BHA in Wyoming.

To learn more go to:

www.wyomingrangesportsmen.org

To get involved with Wyoming BHA issues email Dave Glenn at    dave_glenn@nols.edu