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Several days ago I alerted this group to an effort by another group to
undermine the funding for trails that comes from the NRTFA (also known as
the Symms fund) This is a follow up on that E-mail.
A letter was sent to Idaho's Congressional Delegation responding to the
false allegations made by the Western Ancient Forests Campaign. Thought it
would be useful for those of you who are (and I hope many of you are) also
responding to the attack on NRTF.
Senator Dirk Kempthorne
Unites States Senate
367 Dirkson
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Kempthorne:
Recently, you probably received a letter from the Western Ancient Forest
Campaign asking you to oppose the Steve Symms National Recreational Trails
Fund Act (NRTFA), Part B (Section 1301-1303) of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991. The NRTF is up for
reauthorization this year and is contained in the Section 1028 of the
Transportation Efficiency Act (S. 468). This letter is full of inaccuracies
and outright lies on how the NRTF is managed in Idaho.
The letter alleges that the NRTFA strips trail projects of normal
environmental safeguards guaranteed by the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and allows massive motorized trail systems to be developed on federal
lands by state agencies without sufficient public input or environmental
evaluation. The letter further alleges that motorized trails damage
wildlife habitat, cause erosion, degrade scenic values and contribute to the
spread of noxious weeds.
The NRTFA does not strip trail projects of normal environmental safeguards
guaranteed by NEPA. There is nothing in the NRTFA which circumvents NEPA or
the land management process on federal lands. In fact, National
Recreational Trails Fund projects face several steps in NEPA that they must
go through to qualify as an eligible project.
First, in order for a NRTFA fund project to be built on National Forest
System lands or Bureau of Land Management lands, the lands have to be
apportioned for uses other than wilderness by an approved Forest land and
resource management plan or BLM resource management plan, or have been
released to other uses by an Act of Congress. All National Forests in Idaho
and all BLM Resource Areas in Idaho have approved land management plans.
The development of land management plans or even revisions of land
management plans is a long, lengthy process which requires extensive public
involvement and an Environmental Impact Statement.
After the land management plan is approved, the proposed NRTF projects must
go through NEPA. Many times if the project is an environmental mitigation
project, such as building a bridge to reduce sedimentation to streams, the
project is categorically excluded which means it is not subject to the
Forest Service*s appeal process. If the project is new trail construction,
which few projects are in Idaho because of the immense backlog of trail
reconstruction, an environmental assessment must be completed. In any case,
the public has the opportunity to comment on any proposed NRTF project.
In addition, all projects in Idaho must go through the public involvement
process. The applicant for NRTF funds must contact known interested user
organizations and include any responses about the project in the grant
application. The grant applicant must also have a organized trail user sign
on as a sponsor of the project. Our department routinely sends out the list
of proposed projects to the Idaho Conservation League (ICL). The ICL or
anyone they contact is allowed to address both the Idaho NRTF Advisory
Committee and the Idaho Park and Recreation Board about any concerns they
have on proposed projects. If the project impacts wildlife, then the Idaho
Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) must be contacted, and any letter
received from IDFG must be included in the project application.
The letter from the Western Ancient Forest Campaign alleges that motorized
trails damage wildlife habitat. This is a broad based statement that is
false. Our department has data that shows in Idaho Hunting Unit #39, which
has some of the heaviest Off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation and motorized
trail densities, elk harvested from 1980 to 1989 during the general elk hunt
steadily increased from 100 in 1980 to almost 600 in 1989. The primary
result of this increased harvest was the increased herd size. While the
herd size was increasing, so was OHV use. Also, Hunting Unit #43 on the
Fairfield Ranger District is one of the highest trail bike use areas in the
state and it is still the number one producing controlled elk hunt in Idaho.
If OHV recreation damages wildlife habitat, then why does wildlife thrive
in areas with heavy concentrations of OHV recreation?
The Western Ancient Forest Campaign also alleges that motorized trails cause
erosion. All trails that were incorrectly constructed cause erosion whether
they are motorized or non-motorized. Some of Idaho*s most severe trail
erosion problems are found in the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness which never
had any motorized use. In addition, the trails with the most severe erosion
have very light use. Study after study demonstrates the main cause of trail
erosion is the design of the trail, not the use allowed on the trail.
The Western Ancient Forest Campaign alleges that motorized trails degrade
scenic value. As anyone knows, scenic value is in the eye of the beholder.
If NRTF projects did impair scenic values, then why do grant applicants get
letters thanking them for reconstructing the trail and telling how beautiful
the trail was. A small minority of the public will always regard any area
having motorized use as impairing scenic value.
The Western Ancient Forest Campaign blames motorized use for spreading
noxious weeds. A wide variety of sources spreads noxious weeds including
hikers, equestrians, bicyclists, birds, and even the wind. The noxious weed
problem in Idaho is serious, but, eliminating one use from an area will not
cure or significantly reduce the problem.
The Western Ancient Forest Campaign claims that up to 70% of NRTFA
allocation are spent on motorized trails in western states. That allegation
in Idaho is false. Idaho has only allocated 30% of its NRTFA to motorized
trail uses. The remaining 70% were allocated to non-motorized or multiple
use projects which include both motorized and non-motorized trail uses. In
Idaho, our department only funds the projects deemed most worthy of funding
by a priority rating process developed by our NRTFA advisory committee.
This committee is composed of 10 members each representing a different user
group. This committee reflect the national NRTFA committee.
The Western Ancient Forest Campaign claims that the NRTFA trades away safe,
quiet, family-oriented outdoor opportunities which should be protected for
our children and grandchildren. This allegation is an outright lie. Trails
open to a variety of recreation uses including motorized trail use do not
trade away safe, quiet, family-oriented outdoor recreation opportunities.
Idaho off-highway vehicle recreation groups are also looking for safe, quiet
, family-oriented outdoor recreation opportunities. How many recreation
activities can one find where three or even four generations of a family can
enjoy together? The 1994-95 Idaho Winter Sports and Recreation Survey found
that 83% of snowmobilers thought snowmobiling brought their family closer
together while 74% of cross country skiers thought that cross country skiing
brought their family closer together. This study clear shows that both
motorized and nonmotorized trail activities are family oriented.
The Western Ancient Forest Campaign (WAFC) alleges that the NRTF Act funds
motorcycle and snowmobile trails in and adjacent to proposed wilderness
areas in the National Forest System. The NRTF Act prohibits the
construction of motorized trails in these areas. In Idaho, the NRTF has
never been used to fund a motorcycle or snowmobile trail project in a Forest
Service recommend wilderness area. Please reference our letter of July 2,
1997 for further information. The WAFC also declares that millions of acres
of proposed wilderness are under threat of NRTF motorized trails. The WAFC
is referring the proposed Rocky Mountain Ecosystem Protection Act, which the
Idaho Congressional Delegation has opposed since it*s inception. This act
basically proposes every Forest Service roadless area in Idaho as wilderness
. Our department has funded some multi-use motorized projects in roadless
areas, but, all NRTF projects in Idaho were located in areas allocated to
uses other than wilderness by approved Forest Service land management plans.
Finally the WAFC states that opposing the reauthorization of the National
Recreational Trails Fund is common sense, wise fiscal planning, good for the
environment, and supported the majority of National Forest users. That
statement is complete nonsense. Common sense dictates that the National
Recreational Trails Fund should be reauthorized. The NRTFA provides Idaho
with much needed trail funding. Idaho*s backlog of trail reconstruction and
maintenance on Forest Service lands is $40 million. The NRTFA provides a
mechanism where a citizens advisory group decides where trail funding is
needed the most, not some agency official who has never seen Idaho*s trails.
The reauthorization of the NRTFA repairs environmental damage caused by
past improper trail construction which is good for the environment. Finally
, the majority of National Forest users support the National Recreational
Trails Fund. The American Hiking Society, the International Mountain Bike
Association, the Coalition of Recreational Trails, American Trails, the
Rails to Trails Conservancy, the American Motorcyclist Association, the
American Council of Snowmobile Associations, the Blue Ribbon Coalition, the
Backcountry Horsemen of America, and many other groups support the
reauthorization of the National Recreational Trails Fund. In addition, to
those groups, the Federal Highway Administration and the President also
supports reauthorization of NRTFA.
I urge you to disregard the many falsehoods the Western Ancient Forest
Campaign has spread about the National Recreational Trails Fund Act. It is
an attempt by the Western Ancient Forest Campaign to editorialize against
motorized recreation and is not a valid criticism against the National
Recreational Trails Fund. Please notify your colleagues of this attempt to
discredit a truly deserving program. Idaho has made very good use of
National Recreational Trails Funds for all types of trail projects
benefitting our citizenry. We thank you very much for your support of the
National Recreational Trails Fund. Your past support of the National
Recreational Trails Fund Act has been greatly appreciated. If you or any of
your staff would like visit any of the National Recreational Trails Fund Act
projects in Idaho, please let my staff know and they will make the
arraignments to show how this program is a great success here in Idaho.
Sincerely,
Trails Program Supervisor
While this letter hits on the motorized use it is important to us a horse
users. The motorized users keep a lot of trails cleared for us and help on
our endurance rides. You all can modify this letter to suit your needs but
please get it out as soon as is possible.
Thanks for your help and let me know if I can furnish any thing else.
Bob Morris
Morris Endurance Enterprises
Boise, ID
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