The Road-RIPorter

Bimonthly Newsletter of the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads. July/August 1999. Volume 4 # 4

Wetland Wilderness

Teeming with wildlife, Alaska’s Copper River Delta is now threatened by massive
roading and resource extraction. Photo courtesy of National Wildlife Federation.

or Paradise Lost?
W
here the Copper River spills into the As momentum builds for protecting
this unique resource, pressures to develop
Gulf of Alaska, it forms an immense also have intensified. The Chugach
Alaska Corporation (CAC), a for-profit
wetland ecosystem of almost native corporation created pursuant to the
unparalleled productivity, a vast delta Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act,
continues to press the U.S. Forest Service
supporting an incredible array of terrestrial, for a logging road right-of-way across the
aquatic and avian species. Delta. At the same time, commercial
fisherman, government officials, and
some CAC shareholders now believe the
Framed by serrated peaks, and adorned with corporation would be much better off
selling a conservation easement than
drifting columns of glacial ice, the Copper River logging its inholdings.
Delta (Delta) defines an uncompromising
wildness.
— continued on page 4 —
 Wildlands
From the Wildlands CPR Office... C
Center for
P
Preventing
R
Roads

C
yclists, hikers, horseback riders and others are out in the field, all over the
country, surveying roads. Activists in New Mexico, Colorado, Montana and
Arizona, to name a few places, are completing inventories of Forest Service P.O. Box 7516
and Bureau of Land Management roads. Armed with these inventories, activists will Missoula, MT 59807
be working with land managers to reduce the number of roads on public lands. If (406) 543-9551
your organization would like to set up a road inventory program, please call our [email protected]
www.wildrockies.org/WildCPR
office!!!
Utah Office
2056 E. 33rd St. #1
Welcome Salt Lake City, UT 84109
(801) 487-8900
A big welcome to summer interns [email protected]
Chuck Irestone and Julia Hathoway. In this Issue
Julia comes to us, perhaps a bit jaded, Colorado Office
from too many years on Capitol Hill. P.O. Box 2353
Alaska’s Copper River Delta Boulder, CO 80306
After picking up a quick grad degree at (303) 247-0998
Yale, she’s now landed in Missoula and p. 1, 4-5
[email protected]
will help develop our roads program Adapted from an article by Tony Terrini
before she embarks on her next masters Wildlands Center for Preventing
degree at the University of Montana. Depaving the Way, p. 3 Roads works to protect and restore
Chuck is working with us through the Bethanie Walder wildland ecosystems by preventing
and removing roads and limiting
Patagonia interns program. We first motorized recreation. We are a
worked with Chuck when he was at the Legal Notes, p. 6-7 national clearinghouse and network,
Dillon Patagonia outlet, though he now Felice Pace providing citizens with tools and
works for an outdoor store here in strategies to fight road
Mizoo. Chuck will be helping us out with Odes to Roads, p. 8-9 construction, deter motorized
recreation, and promote road
marketing and developing new public Carolyn Duckworth removal and revegetation.
information brochures and displays on
road removal. Welcome to both of you, Legislative Update, p. 10-11 Director
we can’t tell ya how much we appreciate Bethanie Walder
your help!! Bibliography Notes, p. 12-13 Development Director
Scott Bagley Tom Youngblood-Petersen
Office Manager
Thanks Regional Reports & Alerts, Cate Campbell
Speaking of Patagonia, more thanks p. 14 ORV Campaign Coordinator
to the Dillon, MT store for hosting their Scott Groene
fifth annual “Brew-grass and Chili-bag New Resources for Road
Festival” this July 24th. If you’ll be in the Motorized Wreck-Recreation
Rippers, p. 14 Program
Dillon neighborhood, stop by for some
Jacob Smith
great home-brews, music and chili!!
Proceeds will benefit the local Humane Newsletter
Society and Wildlands CPR. Jim Coefield, Dan Funsch
Interns & Volunteers
We owe an enormous thank you to Andy Geiger, Julia Hathaway, Chuck
returned volunteer Andy Geiger for his help with our ORV FOIA (freedom of informa- Irestone, Karen Vermilye
tion act) request analysis. Because of his work and the continuing work of Jen
Board of Directors
Ferenstein, we should have a completed database analyzing ORV management on all Katie Alvord, Mary Byrd Davis,
National Forests by mid-August. We plan to make all this information available over Sidney Maddock, Rod Mondt,
the web, so you can download the details on your forest and then get to work Cara Nelson, Mary O'Brien,
improving management there. Tom Skeele, Scott Stouder
Advisory Committee
Extra special thanks to outfitter and guide Steve Allen for requisitioning several Jasper Carlton, Libby Ellis,
significant donations for our ORV program. We’ll put these and other donations to Dave Foreman, Keith Hammer,
good use protecting wildlands from roads and ORVs. Timothy Hermach,
Marion Hourdequin, Lorin Lindner,
Andy Mahler, Robert McConnell,
Finally, many thanks to Carolyn Duckworth for her provocative essay, “The Wolf Stephanie Mills, Reed Noss,
Road.” Carolyn paints a somewhat different picture of roads than we have seen Michael Soulé, Dan Stotter,
before and we think this essay raises important questions about roads, wildlife and Steve Trombulak, Louisa Willcox,
our relation to both. We’re interested in your feedback. Bill Willers, Howie Wolke

2 The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999

Mitigate This
By Bethanie Walder

October 1997, driving outside Park City, UT for our annual

Wildlands CPR board meeting, we passed an interesting sign,
‘deer crosswalk ahead.’ We looked at each other, confused, and
then we saw it: a crosswalk painted on the road and a deer
crossing sign. Is this some kind of joke, we wondered? Unfortu-
nately we didn’t have a camera, because it wasn’t a joke, real
transportation dollars were spent to put up these signs and all
the white lines. Real transportation dollars also were spent
fencing the mule deer away from the rest of the road and
funneling them into the crosswalk. But there were no crossing
guards and no signs of cars slowing down. We wondered aloud
if something as simple as this could really prevent mule deer
roadkill? More importantly, we wondered if mitigation could Reprinted from Lehnert, Romin & Bissonette, 1996.
replace road prevention or removal.
There’s a movement afoot to mitigate the impacts of
highways and roads on wildlife, to reconnect habitat using underpasses the crosswalks, despite warning signs (Lehnert,
and overpasses (or crosswalks), as if we could have our cake and eat it, Romin and Bissonette 1996). On the other hand, the
too. And while mitigation is critical, it only treats the symptoms of the crossing did not appear to disrupt seasonal migration
problems caused by roads and highways. Preventing road construction of mule deer, allowing those deer which used the
and removing roads are more effective ways to protect wildlife and crosswalk to travel between winter and summer
wildlife habitat. ranges. Transportation managers also are investigat-
There are three main ways to mitigate the impacts of roads: with ing methods to solve some of the unforseen prob-
mitigation structures; mitigation banking, and; road prevention and lems.
removal. To date, most mitigation has employed the first two options — Even with mitigation efforts, roads continue to
building structures that allow wildlife to cross a road, or reserving land cause problems. Some of the mitigation itself leads
in one place to make up for degraded land elsewhere. Interest in road to wildlife problems, like increased predation or
removal is increasing, but it remains the least common choice. changed behavior. Other efforts do not effectively
When the Trans-Canada highway in Banff National Park was mitigate the problems roads cause. The types of
widened in the late 1980’s, wildlife and highway managers developed mitigation mentioned in this article are used on very
measures to reduce elk mortality on the new road. These included few roads, both because of a lack of funding and a
installing eleven underpasses within a 27 kilometer span of the highway failure to understand the impacts roads cause. In
(Clevenger 1998). The underpasses mostly were used by elk and deer, addition, many extremely damaging roads were built
but also by wolves, bears, coyotes and cougars and other animals. While before habitat fragmentation was understood, and it’s
the structures did reconnect habitat for elk and deer, they caused some much harder to mitigate after a road is built. While
unintended effects, like temporarily increasing bighorn sheep mortality we can be heartened by some mitigation successes,
(sheep became trapped against the fences while trying to escape from we must recognize the limited scope with which
coyotes). In addition, several of the underpasses are used by humans, mitigation has been applied, and the limited species
which deter wildlife. Since large carnivore use of underpasses remains for which mitigation actually reconnects fragmented
low, even most mitigated roads continue to reduce habitat connectivity habitat.
for species such as grizzly bear and wolves. Mitigation efficacy should be evaluated on its
Mitigation is not limited to wildlife road crossings. It can be own merits in situations where road removal or
accomplished by dedicating to protection a certain type of habitat, like prevention is not an option. Creative mitigation
wetlands. If a road will destroy x number of wetlands, then a developer should be encouraged to devise more effective
may be required to protect y number of wetlands in return. In many systems and less obtrusive roads, such as elevating or
cases these wetlands are in a different place, and while there may be no burying highways for miles at a time. But in addition
net loss of habitat, there is still an impact to whatever species lived to mitigation, it is critical to consider ways to limit
within the destroyed wetland. transportation needs in wildland ecosystems, and to
And what of those deer crosswalks, how well are they working? prevent unnecessary or extremely detrimental road
While roadkill dropped 40% after installing them, overall highway construction, as well as promoting road removal as a
mortality increased because deer that entered the right-of-way (ROW) at more permanent solution.
the crosswalk often stayed to forage. Only 16% of the deer within the
ROW left via the one-way gates that had been installed, leaving the deer
highly vulnerable to traffic. In addition, vehicles did not slow down for — References on page 11 —

The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999 3

Alaska’s Copper River Delta
—continued from page 1 —

Background
The Copper River is located in remote south-central Alaska and, for
much of its length, forms the western boundary of the country’s largest
National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias. The St. Elias mountains to the east are
the world’s tallest coastal range, capped by the largest mantle of glacial
ice outside the polar ice caps and Greenland.
At 700,000 acres, the Copper River Delta is the largest wetlands
complex on the Pacific coast of North America, and it hosts an impres-
sive assemblage of fish and wildlife. Considered by biologists to be one
of the most important shorebird habitats in the western hemisphere, the
Delta is a critical staging area for over 16 million shorebirds and other
species of waterfowl. It supports world-renowned salmon runs and is a
haven for grizzly and black bears, wolves, mountain goats, moose, mink, Copper River Delta
wolverines, otters, sea lions, and harbor seals.
Notwithstanding its harsh, untamed appearance, the Delta has
nurtured the people of the Copper River basin for thousands of years.
Generations of Eyak Indians have relied upon the bountiful fish and
wildlife, and today, subsistence and commercial fishing are the main-
stays of the region’s economic base. Most of the watershed’s population
of about 5,000 lives in the town of Cordova.
In 1907 Teddy Roosevelt created
the Chugach National Forest to help
protect the Delta and Prince William Commercial fishermen, government officials, and
Sound from unregulated coal mining
and other developments. And today some CAC shareholders now believe the corporation
the Delta is designated a Western would be much better off selling a conservation
Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve
Network Site, an emphasis area in the easement than logging its inholdings.
North American Waterfowl Manage-
ment Plan, and a State Critical Wildlife
Habitat Area.

The Development Threat

As National Forest land, the Delta remains vulnerable to government
subsidized logging, mining, and off-road vehicle use, but the CAC’s plans
to clear cut its inholdings 30 miles east of the Copper River present a
more immediate threat. To access the land, CAC has proposed a 55-mile
raised dirt and gravel roadway — a road that would sever as many as
400 streams feeding the eastern Copper River region, degrading thou-
sands of acres of tidal marshes, wetlands, and salmon habitat.
Despite the enormity of this threat, the Forest Service recently
entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Chugach Alaska
Corporation allowing CAC to plan and develop the project without a full
environmental impact statement as required by NEPA. CAC also per-
suaded Alaska Representative Don Young to introduce a bill in Congress,
H.R. 3087, that would force the Forest Service to grant CAC a 500-foot-
wide road easement.
CAC has already obtained at least one “Fish Habitat” permit from
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, allowing it to place a bridge Shorebirds take to the sky over the Delta. Photo courtesy of
across the first stream in the proposed road corridor. Another 200 to National Wildlife Federation.
250 of these permits will be required, while filling streams or wetlands
will require Section 404 Permits under the Clean Water Act. CAC has
stated that the project is exempt from these permit requirements, and
that they may proceed without them.

4 The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999

A Conservation Alternative
Working together under the umbrella of the Copper River Delta
Coalition, fishermen, natives, environmentalists, and organizations like
the National Wildlife Federation commissioned an independent analysis
last fall of CAC’s proposed logging project. According to ECONorthwest
of Eugene, Oregon, CAC is actually likely to lose money if it proceeds
with the project, due to the road’s expense and the depressed Asian
timber market. The report also emphasized the threat posed to the
area’s world-famous salmon fishery, a potential cost to the entire region.
On the other hand, under a conservation easement, CAC would be
paid cash and commercial property in exchange for development rights.
This option has proven lucrative to other Alaska native corporations in
deals brokered by the Exxon Trustee Council in recent years. Another
advantage of selling a conservation easement is that revenues would be
exempt from revenue-sharing provisions of the Native Claims Settlement
Act, which can gobble up a full 70% of the revenues from timber or The Copper River drains the wild St. Elias mountain
mineral sales. range. Photo courtesy of National Wildlife Federation.
Coalition partners have impressed upon federal officials the
importance of protecting the Copper River Delta, and have made
encouraging progress in recent months. One potential source of money
to purchase the conservation easement has emerged — the Clinton
Administration’s Lands Legacy Initiative, a $1.3 billion budget request
What You Can Do
for federal land acquisition and open space protection. The Forest The Chugach National Forest is now revising its
Service now supports a conservation easement and has stated that it 15-year Forest Plan, and your comments can help
intends to initiate negotiations with CAC as soon as the road right-of- convince them to recommend Wilderness status for
way is granted, which could happen early this summer. In addition, the Copper River Delta and its watershed. Please
Alaska’s special assistant to the Secretary of Interior has said the Delta write to:
should be a priority under the Lands Legacy Initiative. Chugach N.F. Supervisor Dave Gibbons
U.S. Forest Service
3301 C. St., Suite 300
Anchorage, AK 99503
Ultimately, protecting this national For more information on the Copper River Delta,
treasure will depend upon securing call Scott Anaya at 907-258-4808, e-mail to
[email protected], or visit www.nwf.org/
Wilderness designation or comparable copperriver on the web.
conservation status.
— Adapted from an article by Tony Terrini, Director of
the Alaska office of the National Wildlife Federation.

Conclusion
Even if CAC abandons its plan, the Copper River
Delta will someday succumb to overuse and develop-
ment unless we change the legal status of the land
itself. The Delta is rich in oil, coal, timber and
tourism potential, creating a powerful incentive for
exploitation and profit. Ultimately, protecting this
national treasure will depend upon securing Wilder-
ness designation or comparable conservation status.
This will require broad-based outreach and education
to gain support from native landowners, government
officials and the American public.

Thousands of acres of marshes and wetlands are at risk from the proposed
road. Photo courtesy of National Wildlife Federation.

The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999 5

Federal Judge Halts Klamath Road Reconstruction
A Precedent and a New Tool for Forest Activists
By Felice Pace

I
n an important case with far-reaching implications and a useful the contracts were modified and the roads were
precedent for road-rippers, the Klamath Forest Alliance (KFA) reconstructed immediately. The remaining roads
recently won their lawsuit challenging ERFO-funded road recon- were sorted into two classes: one large group would
struction on the Klamath National Forest (KNF). The District Court be repaired without environmental review; the
decision, explained below, is the first major victory for conservationists second smaller group would later be considered in
who have sought to stop ERFO’s blanket exemption of environmental EAs for decommissioning. In other words, decisions
reviews. that would impact aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
far into the future were made without analysis and
Background About ERFO without public input.
Almost every year a federal disaster is declared somewhere in the
United States. Often, a National Forest is located within the disaster area. The Lawsuit
When this is the case, the Forest Service (FS) is eligible for funding from With representation from the Seattle office of
the Federal Highway Administration to repair roads damaged during the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, the Klamath Forest
disaster event. This program is known as ERFO or “Emergency Relief for Alliance challenged over 100 of the sites which the
Federally Owned” roads. FS had decided (behind closed doors and without
On January 1, 1997 a large, rain-on-snow event triggered over 724 environmental review) to repair (KFA v. U.S. Forest
road failures on the Klamath National Forest. Forests throughout Service, William M. Daley, and the NMFS, Civ. S-98-
Northern California and Southern Oregon were affected. Disaster areas 1451 WBS/GGH). Our lawsuit was filed in the Eastern
were declared. The FS applied for over $100 million in ERFO funds for District of California and we drew William B. Shubb
Region 5 (CA), $30 million on the KNF alone. as the judge.
By Federal Highway Administration regulations, ERFO projects can The sites we challenged were all on level 1 and 2
be categorically excluded from NEPA. (Title 23 USC Sec.115 and 117) As roads (low maintenance levels and low recreation
a result, the FS did not complete Environmental Assessments or Envi- value) which FS biologists had identified as “likely to
ronmental Impact Statements for these road reconstruction projects, adversely effect” coho salmon, a species listed as
even when “extraordinary circumstances” existed, like the presence of “threatened” under the ESA. The roads also were
endangered species, steep slopes or unstable lands. [In 1997, Wildlands located on steep, unstable slopes or in unstable
CPR was part of a lawsuit brought by the Hells Canyon Preservation stream gorges.
Council to challenge just this type of categorical exclusion under ERFO. Our lawsuit had three claims, one under the
Gumboot Creek, in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, was known Endangered Species Act, one under the National
habitat for a federally listed Snake River salmon species. Unfortunately the Environmental Policy Act and one under the Admin-
lawsuit failed, although the decision remained unpublished and left the istrative Procedures Act. Under the Endangered
door open for a successful challenge.] Species Act, we challenged both the Forest Service

Preparing to Sue
Ten days after the storm and after having surveyed
extensive road failure and stream channel degradation in
several watersheds, KFA wrote to Klamath National Forest
managers urging them to consider the extraordinary circum-
stance of over 300 road site failures and 500 miles of stream
channel degraded by road-influenced debris torrents. We
suggested the FS view the storm damage as an opportunity to
decommission salmon-killing roads for which funding levels
preclude adequate maintenance. We suggested the FS under-
take watershed-based EAs which would consider transportation
needs and environmental risks in order to decide which roads
to reconstruct and which roads to decommission. We even
provided the managers with an EA from the Mt. Hood National
Forest which we suggested was a good model for how we
believed KNF managers should proceed. However, FS managers Forest “emergencies” have been declared as an excuse to rebuild many
instead decided to go into the back room and sort the 724 road roads that never should have been constructed in the first place. Photo
sites into three categories. Where timber sale contracts existed, courtesy of Klamath Forest Alliance.

6 The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999

and National Marine Fisheries storm damage response actions
Service for failing to implement for the enjoined sites as well as
conditions of the biological other damage sites which were
opinion and incidental take “likely to adversely effect” coho
statement prepared by NMFS for salmon. These EAs are currently
post storm road reconstruction. being prepared, and KFA will
Specifically, NMFS had imposed a review them carefully. The EAs
mandatory condition that the FS will be subject to appeal pursuant
“fully consider” the road decom- to FS regulations and there are
missioning option. NMFS is indications that decommissioning
required to set terms and condi- decisions may be appealed by
tions when a “take” is authorized. local anti-environmental groups,
The entity authorized to take the including People for the USA. KFA
species (in this case the FS) is then would likely intervene in any
required to abide by the terms and appeals filed to prevent decom-
conditions in the take permit (see missioning.
Title 16 USC Sec.1536(b)(4)).
Under the National Environ- Conclusion
mental Policy Act we challenged This lawsuit sets an impor-
the FS for failing to prepare an tant precedent in the use of ERFO
environmental assessment. Our funding. Prior to this suit the
argument was from Council of Forest Service routinely ignored
Environmental Quality (CEQ) and NEPA regulations by categorically
FS NEPA regulations [See 40 CFR excluding nearly every ERFO road
Sec. 1507.3(b)(2)(ii), and FSM repair project. While it is still
1909.15 Sec. 31.1] These regula- necessary to have extraordinary
tions specify that road repair may circumstances to supercede a
be “categorically excluded” from Activists now have an important legal tool to challenge ERFO-
routine CE, the legal teeth are
consideration in an EA. However, funded roadbuilding projects. Photo courtesy of KFA.
now on paper. The Forest Service
CEQ and FS NEPA regs also ordinarily receives $100-250
specify “extraordinary circum- million in ERFO funding per year,
stances” which, when they occur, require preparation of an EA which can be used to reconstruct roads to current standards or
for projects that are ordinarily “categorically excluded” from to decommission roads damaged in disaster events. While
the Environmental Assessment process. We argued that the some reconstruction may be necessary, it is still critical that
existence of an ESA listed species (specifically mentioned as a the FS analyze their impacts and that they fully consider the
likely “extraordinary circumstance” in both the CEQ and FS decommissioning option. ERFO regs are currently being
NEPA regulations) and the presence of steep, unstable slopes rewritten to specifically mention options for road decommis-
(specifically noted in the FS regs), meant the FS was required sioning and other “treatments” in addition to road repair and
at least to prepare an EA prior to proceeding with the repairs. reconstruction. Given the large need for decommissioning and
Under the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) we the relatively low level of Congressional funding for decom-
claimed that both NMFS and the FS, by not fully considering missioning, it is essential the FS view disaster events as
the decommissioning option, had acted in a manner that was opportunities to decommission roads that pose significant
“arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the APA (Title 5 USC risks to the environment.
Sec. 706(2)(A). One word of caution: ERFO cases tend to be what lawyers
call “fact rich.” If you challenge post-disaster ERFO recon-
The Opinion struction, be prepared for long hours reviewing documents
Judge Shubb found against us on the ESA mandatory and constructing (or interpreting) databases. There is a
“terms and conditions” cause of action and for us on the NEPA reward, however: you’ll learn much you didn’t know about the
claim — finding the FS action “arbitrary and capricious” under roads on your national forest. Good Luck!
the APA. The Court held that “(t)he Forest Service’s explana- For more information contact Amy Sinden of Earthjustice
tion for its application of categorical exclusions ... runs LDF at (206) 343-7340, Felice Pace at (530) 467-5291, or the
counter to evidence in the administrative record that certain Klamath Forest Alliance at PO Box 820, Etna, CA 96027,
repair projects are likely to adversely affect the SONC coho phone & fax (530) 467-5405.
salmon. A determination that a project is likely to adversely
affect a threatened species indicates a possibility that the — Felice Pace has lived in the Klamath Mountains in far northern
proposed action may have a significant effect on the environ- California (aka the State of Jefferson) for 24 years. For the past
ment, such that an EA would be warranted.” Slip Op. at 13. 15 years he has been a forest activist. Felice currently
The judge enjoined the Forest Service from going forward coordinates Klamath River, salmon and water quality work for
on over 100 road repair projects until it complies with NEPA by the Klamath Forest Alliance. Until recently he also served as
preparing Environmental Assessments. However, as is typical, KFA’s executive director.
the court did not specify how the FS should organize the
required environmental review. After discussions with us, FS
managers decided to prepare ranger district-wide EAs for

The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999 7

 Odes to Roads

The Wolf Road

By Carolyn Duckworth

A
canid picks its way across the
cobble, following the right bank of
Soda Butte Creek. Long legs and
powerful head: it’s Yellowstone’s top dog, the
wolf.

After hunting through a rainy dawn, her

fur is sopping, ears slicked back, tail a thin
rod of wet and bone. She carries in her
mouth a large lump of dark fur with four
tiny legs. Marmot? Whatever, it will become
breakfast for the pups in the Druid Pack’s
den.

The wolf climbs up the bank, emerges

from sage, pauses, looks both ways, then
The gray wolf’s return to Yellowstone is a long awaited cause for
crosses the road in five quick steps. She celebration. Photo by Kathy Mechtle.
disappears into sage on her way to the
hidden lake where they have had their den
for the past three years.
scopes. They traverse the valley, descend to the river
The lake is off limits to curious humans while and follow its banks, swim across, run, walk, sleep,
the den is active. Hopeful watchers wait both dawn hunt, kill, eat, and sleep some more — all within
and dusk along the road, hoping to see what I have view of humans on the road.
seen this morning.
On an early summer evening when the wolves
Like most visitors to Yellowstone, wolf watchers are visible in the valley, cars pile into the overlooks,
seldom stray from pavement. We don’t have to. One park along the shoulders, and pause in mid shift.
of the park’s main roads provides a viewing platform Ooos, ahhs, and cheers echo up and down the valley,
that follows the length of the Lamar Valley, which is couples hug in excitement, children skip with joy
home to one wolf pack and thousands of elk. For back to their families as they see a wolf for the first
most of the year, the Druid Pack need travel no time in their lives.
further than this valley for its food.
Something happens to these people
that is unusual for visitors to Yellowstone.
They don’t just snap a picture or cross
The Wolf Road offers the best wolf viewing in the the animal off their “must see” list, and
world. Hundreds of people can see the wolves on an drive on to the next attraction. They
actually park their cars, get out, and
active evening; thousands over the summer watch the animals for as long as the
wolves are in sight.
experience the thrill.
Saturday night of Memorial Day
weekend, 1999, Rick McIntyre is striding
down the road, talking into a radio, as we
The Druid wolves usually ignore us two-leggeds pass him in the Yellowstone Institute van. He doesn’t
who lean against our cars with binoculars pressed glance at us, doesn’t wave.
against our faces, or our bodies leaning into spotting

8 The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999

 Rick is the unofficial ambassador for Within an hour, darkness took care of the jam,
Yellowstone’s wolves. He travels this road mornings, and Number 21 darted across the road and finally
evenings, and many afternoons, talking with hun- headed home. He crossed the road at the same time
dreds of people each day, thousands of people each of day and near the same place where a wolf pup had
summer. He helps people see the wolves, and helps become a statistic in the park’s records. A few days
them understand the behavior they are witnessing. before Christmas, 1995, one of the first pups born in
Through his efforts, Rick has helped build an Yellowstone was struck and killed by a truck deliver-
enormous constituency for the wolves — all from the ing packages in the park. Ironically, his parents had
shoulders and overlooks of this road. arrived in the park via that very road.

My group was returning to the institute from

evening wildlife viewing outside of the valley. Just a
half mile up the road, though, we had stopped to
watch a dark gray wolf. Our headlights were among a
string of winking red and white lights from more
It was an unusual opportunity to see
than one hundred vehicles crowding the shoulders one of the wolves so close, but
and overlooks this evening for more than two miles
along the valley. something was wrong.
The Druid Pack had been killing elk this week in
the floodplain below us. They returned regularly to The Wolf Road offers the best wolf viewing in
ingest more meat and carry the food internally back the world. Hundreds of people can see the wolves on
to the pups. This evening, the meat conveyor was an active evening; thousands over the summer
Wolf 21. He was so full of elk meat that he could experience the thrill. Each one of these people
barely trot — yet he moved up and down the valley, becomes a supporter of the wolves, of reintroduction
toward the road and back to the carcass, toward the efforts, of Yellowstone. And sheer numbers of
road, back to the carcass. supporters made wolves possible here. The environ-
mental impact statement about the reintroduction
It was an unusual opportunity to see one of the received a record number of comments — more than
wolves so close, but something was wrong. 100,000 — and most of them pro-wolf. That strong
public support will be needed again as political
Wolf 21 was pacing and staring, looking at the forces outside Yellowstone try to control wolf
people, at the cars, looking up and down the road, populations.
trotting constantly back and forth. He wanted to
cross the road, but couldn’t. There was no room. But what of our impacts on the Druid Pack? Are
travel disruptions once or twice a week a serious
When we realized what was happening, we problem for them? Have pups gone hungry because
drove on and got off the road as soon as we could. of the traffic jams? Has a wolf’s life been shortened
We passed Rick, and later found out he had been by the stress such as Number 21 endured? How many
trying in vain to contact park law enforcement wolves have had close encounters with cars, and how
rangers for help to control the traffic and clear a wide many have died beneath our wheels?
crossing for the wolf.
Only the last question can be answered at this
time; the park does keep statistics on road-
killed megafauna. Seven of the eight wolves
who have died within the park were killed
by vehicles. But these other questions —
who is searching for their answers? And how
many of us prefer to pretend the questions
don’t even exist?

That last question’s answer is all too

obvious.

Mine was one of thirty cars back on the

road in the wet dawn of the next day.

— Carolyn Duckworth is a freelance writer

and editor whose current work focuses on the
Although highway mortality can be quantified, the indirect impacts of bison management issue in the Greater
this type of wildlife viewing are poorly understood. Photo by Mark Alan
Wilson.
Yellowstone Ecosystem.

The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999 9

 Legislative Update
4) Sec 325: Divert Trail Fund for “Forest
Wanna Go For a Ride? Health” Logging — allows the ten per cent roads
and trails fund to be used to “improve forest health
conditions.” Since there are no restrictions limiting
As the U.S. Congress takes up budget and spending bills this the use to non-commercial activities, and logging is
summer, conservation activists are gearing up for the inevitable struggle considered a “forest health” activity, this fund could
to stop anti-environmental riders. These measures, designed to circum- be used to fund timber sales. This is a back door
vent public process, have become all-too-familiar in recent years. Here’s method to fund more logging roads for salvage and
a summary of developments in Appropriations legislation in the U.S. commercial timber operations. This rider also
Senate and House. eliminates the requirement that the roads and trails
fund be spent in the same state the money is
U.S. Senate generated in when used for these purposes.
The Senate Appropriations Committee met recently to mark-up the 5) Sec. 327: Tongass Red Cedar Rider —
Interior Appropriations bill. The Senate’s allocations for Interior creates an incentive to maximize timber harvest on
spending ($13.8 billion) were far below the President’s request and still Alaska’s Tongass National Forest by leveraging the
leave natural resource agencies with serious funding deficiencies. As amount of Western Red Cedar available for export
expected the Interior Appropriations bill is a vehicle for at least a dozen against the percentage of the Tongass’ allowable sale
anti-environmental riders: quantity (ASQ) that is actually sold.
1) Sec. 117: Allow Grazing Without Environmental Review — 6) Sec. 328: Prevent Grizzly Bear Introduction
allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reauthorize grazing — prohibits the Department of the Interior and other
permits without National Environmental Policy Act documents, Federal federal agencies from spending funds to introduce
Land Policy Management Act analysis or Endangered Species Act grizzly bears in Idaho and Montana without express
requirements through FY 2000 or until the Bureau completes process- written consent of the governors of those two states.
ing. It requires federal agencies to get state permission to
implement a federal law on federal lands and sets a
2) Sec. 124: Special Deal For Washington Grazing Interests — broad precedent, both for other endangered species
extends livestock grazing within Lake Roosevelt National Recreation recovery actions and for all other federal laws.
Area in Washington for 20 years, or until the end of the grazing permit
holder’s lifetime, whichever is first. 7) Sec. 329: Undermine Science-based
Management of National Forest and BLM Lands —
3) Sec. 320: Delay National Forest Planning — halts the revision provides the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior
of any forest plans not already undergoing revision (except for those broad discretion to choose whether or not to collect
legally mandated to complete their plans during calendar year 2000), any new, and potentially significant, information
until final planning regulations are adopted. This will pressure the concerning wildlife resources prior to amending or
Forest Service to hastily promulgate new regulations, rather than revising management plans, issuing leases, or
carefully incorporating recommendations developed by an independent undertaking management activities.
Committee of Scientists. Sec. 321 would halt funding to carry out
strategic planning under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 8) Sec. 330: Interior Columbia Basin Ecosys-
Planning Act (RPA). tem Project — requires the Secretaries to prepare a
report prior to publishing the final EIS. This will
divert funding needed to complete the EIS and
undermine the analysis of the ecological conditions
that prevail in the Interior Columbia Basin due to the
excessive logging and grazing on federal lands.

9) Sec. 335: Stewardship End Result Contract-

ing Demonstration Project — permits the FS to
contract with private entities to perform services to
achieve land management goals in national forests in
Idaho and Montana, and in the Umatilla National
Forest in Oregon. Drawbacks include: undefined
community roles, lack of provisions for monitoring
and oversight, and lack of a funding mechanism.

10) Sec. 336: Weaken 1872 Mining Law —

Under one of the proposed riders, trail fund revenues could be diverted weakens the 1872 Mining Law by exempting mining
into logging and roadbuilding under the guise of “forest health.” File operations from toxic mining waste dumping
photo. limitations on federal public land.

10 The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999

 11) Sec. N/A: Allows Oil Industry To Continue Underpay-
ing Royalties — delays the implementation of an oil valuation What You Can Do
rule by the Minerals Management Service (MMS). The MMS’ Call and write your Senators and Representative (1-202-
rule would force the largest oil companies to stop underpay- 224-3121) and tell them to oppose all anti-environmental
ing, by $66- $100 million a year, the royalties they owe the riders on the House and Senate Interior Appropriations bills.
American public for drilling on public lands. Any attack on environmental legislation should be done in full
public view and with full public discussion.
U.S. House -
The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee recently Write to
met to mark-up its own Interior spending bill. The original
Representative ________ Senator _________
House spending levels ($11.3 billion) were drastically lower
US House US Senate
than the President’s request ($15 billion) and the Senate levels
Washington, D.C. 20015 Washington, D.C. 20010
(they were later raised to $14.4 billion). The President’s Lands
Legacy proposal, like the Senate bill, received only half of
— Special thanks to Roger Featherstone and the GrassRoots
requested amounts.
Environmental Effectiveness Network (GREEN) for this report.
You can reach them at PO Box 40046, Albuquerque, NM 87196-
At press time, the full House Appropriations Committee is
0046 (505) 255-5966 fax: (505) 255-5953
meeting to mark-up the Interior Appropriations bill. Several
[email protected].
anti-environmental riders are expected.

Bill Would End Forest Service Fee Demo Participation

On June 22, Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) introduced legislation to
terminate the participation of the USFS in the Recreational Fee-Demonstration
Program. The bill (H.R. 2295), entitled the ‘Forest Access Immediate Relief Act of
1999,’ was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on
Resources.
To offset the revenue lost by ending particicpation in the Fee-Demo program,
the bill would prohibit using appropriated funds to finance engineering for
timber sales. That is defined to include agency support to plan, oversee design,
and administer road work funded by timber purchasers. The bill directs the
agency, when appraising timber and setting bids, to charge extra to cover the cost
of providing this support.
In a related development on the fee-demo program, the Interior Appropria-
tions Bill marked up by the House will, once again, cut the budget of the US
Forest Service (this time by $44 million). The bill’s language also suggests that
the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, although “well accepted” by the
public, needs to be tweaked.
This seems to be part of an effort to force the FS to develop public lands
recreation into a lucrative cash cow. It also reveals that Congress is struggling to
deal with the fact that the general public refuses to accept this unsuccessful and
unfair recreation fee-demo program.

What You Can Do

-
Write a letter to your representative pointing out that Congress should not
cut the FS budget when there is so much back-logged maintenance to be done.
Say it is wrong to substitute “user-pay funding” for allocated funding, and that The Forest Service’s Fee Demonstration program has
with the projected budget surplus, Congress should increase funding for recre- proven unpopular with recreationists. Photo by Bill
ation and restoration on public lands. Cunningham.

DePaving the Way: References

Clevenger, A.P. Permeability of the Trans-Canada Highway to Lehnert, M.E., L.A. Romin, and J.A. Bissonette. 1996. Mule Deer-
wildlife in Banff National Park: Importance of crossing highway mortality in Northeastern Utah: Causes, patterns,
structures and factors influencing their effectiveness. 1998. and a new mitigative technique. In: Evink, G.L., P. Garrett,
In: Evink, G.L., P. Garrett, D. Zeigler, and J. Berry, D. Zeigler, and J. Berry. Trends in Addressing Transportation
Proceedings of the International Conference on Wildlife Related Wildlife Mortality: Proceedings of the
Ecology and Transportation. FL DOT. FL-ER-69-98. Transportation Related Widllife Mortality Seminar. FL DOT.
Tallahassee, FL. FL-ER-58-96. Tallahassee, FL.

The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999 11

 Bibliography Notes
Bibliography Notes summarizes and highlights some of the scientific literature in
our 6,000 citation bibliography on the ecological effects of roads. We offer bibliographic
searches to help activists access important biological research relevant to roads. We
keep copies of most articles cited in Bibliography Notes in our office library.

Desert Road Removal: Creative Restoration Techniques

By Scott Bagley

N
orth American deserts include the “warm” Mojave,
Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts, and the “cold”
Great Basin desert. Road removal in these areas
requires that special attention be given to the harsh climatic
conditions. The climate of the North American deserts is
characterized by highly variable precipitation, large diurnal
(day-night) variations in temperature, low humidity, and strong
winds. Precipitation occurs irregularly as short, high intensity
thunderstorms. Much of the water from these storms is lost to
surface runoff, rather than infiltrating into the soil.
Widely spaced long-lived shrubs predominate in a patchy
landscape composed of “islands of fertility” (M.F. Allen 1988;
West 1988). Many desert herbs are found only beneath the
shrubs. What may appear to be a monotonous terrestrial sea
of one species is actually highly diverse, but not in the
conventional sense of species numbers. Rather, there is a great
variation within species. Sagebrush, for example, may have
only slight morphological variations across its range, but has Harsh conditions often belie the biological diversity of arid environs.
Photo by Scott Bagley.
considerable genetic variation. Successful revegetation
programs must account for this genetic variation.
Use Vertical Mulch
Vertical mulching involves “planting” dead and downed
Restoring Desert Ecosystems plant materials into the ground (Patterson 1997). Placing
Halting road use greatly improves desert ecosystems, since vertical mulch (shrubs, cacti, grasses, etc.) helps “camouflage”
much of the degrading influences of roads in deserts relates to closed roads, which is especially important at road take-offs to
human access. Natural desert recovery is extremely slow, prevent access. Vertical mulch reduces wind speed, facilitates
however, reflecting the harsh environmental conditions (Webb deposition of blowing soil and organic litter, and creates safe
et al. 1983). Natural soil loosening depends on physical sites for plant establishment. Some “planted” individuals
processes such as wetting/drying and freezing/thawing (esp. survive, providing an additional benefit of vertical mulching.
Great Basin desert), as well as biological activity. A variety of
techniques enhance desert recovery, including those listed
below. The techniques are either meant to improve the
Use Horizontal Mulch
Placing piles of branches along slope contours enhances
potential for natural vegetation establishment or to improve
desert recovery by obstructing surface water flow and creating
success of active revegetation.
aerodynamic drag. Researchers in Australia placed piles of
acacia branches to mimic the natural landscape patchiness
Decompact Road Surfaces (Ludwig and Tongway 1996; Tongway and Ludwig 1996), and
Road surfaces must first be decompacted to a depth of found that this enhanced recovery by:
three or more feet to facilitate plant establishment. Deep • increasing water infiltration
ripping improves infiltration and percolation, and facilitates • increasing soil nutrients
rapid root growth (Bainbridge and Virginia 1990). Ripping also • moderating temperatures
increases surface roughness, which facilitates deposition of • decreasing evaporative moisture loss
blowing soil, organic material, seeds, and microsymbionts • increasing soil fauna (ants, mites, spiders, etc.)
(mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria). • creating favorable sites for perennial plants
• protecting plants from grazing and browsing
Dig Pits • creating safe sites for plants and animals during drought
Excavating pits of various sizes improves water availability • increasing rates of biological processes
for plants (Bainbridge and Virginia 1990). The pits collect
water and increase surface roughness. A crew of four can dig Apply this technique to road removal in your region by
several hundred in a day, using hand tools or power augers piling branches from local shrubs and other woody plants
(Patterson 1997). along slope contours.

12 The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999

Direct Seeding
Direct seeding is generally unsuccessful in desert reveg-
etation projects, even when seeds are selected carefully and
planted properly; it is an ineffective desert restoration strategy
(Bainbridge and Virginia 1990, Bainbridge et al. 1995). Desert
seeds generally have low viability and are vulnerable to
drought and animals. If direct seeding is used, using local
materials and seeding when precipitation is likely or when soil
is moist will improve success (Bainbridge and Virginia 1990).

Transplanting
Typical succession is virtually absent in North American
deserts (Vankat 1992). The species that colonize disturbances
tend to continue to dominate, as opposed to other regions,
where plants often modify conditions, making them more
favorable for other plants. For this reason, transplanting Restoring roads in arid environments requires special techniques. Photo
dominant shrubs provides great benefits for enhancing desert by Scott Moore.
recovery. Once established, shrubs improve sites for new
plants by: — Scott Bagley is author of The Road Ripper’s Guide to Wildland
• trapping soil particles, organic matter, and Road Removal.
microsymbiont propagules
• increasing infiltration and water storage in the soil
• providing protection from the sun and wind
References
Dominant desert shrubs grow relatively well in nurseries, Allen, E.B. 1988. Some trajectories of succession in Wyoming
but may encounter challenges when planted in the field sagebrush grassland: implications for restoration. Pages
(Bainbridge and Virginia 1990). Watering increases survival, 89-112 in E.B. Allen (ed.). 1988. The Reconstruction of
but seedlings are still at risk from grazing and browsing. Listed Disturbed Arid Lands: an Ecological Approach. Westview
below are some keys to successful transplanting. Press, Boulder, CO.
• Large seedlings with extensive root systems survive Allen, M.F. 1988. Below ground structure: a key to
better, since they are better able to respond to rain and uptake reconstructing a productive arid ecosystem. Pages 113-
nutrients. 135 in E.B. Allen (ed.) 1988. The Reconstruction of
• Pruning prior to outplanting (planting in the field) Disturbed Arid Lands: an Ecological Approach. Westview
increases seedling survival, since less shoot tissue must be Press, Boulder, CO.
supported. Bainbridge, D.A. and R.A. Virginia. 1990. Restoration in the
• Inoculating seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi may Sonoran Desert of California. Restoration and Management
increase survival and growth, since mycorrhizal fungi form Notes 8(1): 3-14.
mutualistic associations with 90% or more of the plant species Bainbridge, D.A., M. Fidelibus, and R. MacAller. 1995.
in arid and semiarid lands (E.B. Allen 1988). Commercial Techniques for plant establishment in arid ecosystems.
varieties are available, but using local soil should be empha- Restoration and Management Notes 13(2): 190-197.
sized to avoid introducing exotic fungi to revegetation sites. Ludwig, J.A. and D.J. Tongway. 1996. Rehabilitation of
• Providing protection for newly established seedlings is semiarid landscapes in Australia. II. Restoring vegetation
important to minimize damage from grazing pressure, high patchiness. Restoration Ecology 4(4): 398-406.
winds, moisture stress, and extreme temperatures. See Patterson, D. 1997. Personal communication. Consultant,
Bainbridge et al. (1995) for a discussion of options for protect- Round River Conservation Services, San Diego, CA.
ing seedlings. Tongway, D.J. and J.A. Ludwig. 1996. Rehabilitation of
• Plantings based on natural successional processes semiarid landscapes in Australia. I. Restoring productive
enhance establishment potential (M.F. Allen 1988). Plantings soil patches. Restoration Ecology 4(4): 388-397.
should reflect the dispersed, patchy nature of desert vegeta- Vankat, J.L. 1992. The Natural Vegetation of North America: an
tion. Successful desert revegetation does not necessarily mean Introduction. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, FL.
a road has to be fully covered by vegetation. Webb, R.H., H.G. Wilshire, and M.A. Henry. 1983. Natural
• Only seedlings from local sources should be used, recovery of soils and vegetation following human
reflecting the great genetic diversity of dominant shrubs across disturbance. Pages 279-302 in R.H. Webb and H.G.
their ranges. Wilshire (eds). Environmental Effects of Off-road Vehicles:
Impacts and Management in Arid Regions. Springer-
As an overall strategy to provide the greatest chance of Verlag, New York, NY.
successfully removing desert roads, use a combination of the West, N.E. 1988 Intermountain deserts, shrub steppes, and
above techniques and ensure that restored areas are no longer woodlands. Pages 209-230 in M.G. Barbour and W.D.
accessed by off-road vehicles. If funding is not available to Billings (eds.). North American Terrestrial Vegetation.
fully remove a desert road, concentrate the available funds on Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
trying to camouflage road take-offs (junctions) to halt access.

The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999 13

 Regional Reports & Alerts
Bluewater Network Settles Jet Ski,
Snowmobile Lawsuit
The Bluewater Network recently settled an onging lawsuit against manufacturers
of two-stroke engines, used in jet skis and snowmobiles. The group sued in Califor-
nia court contending pollution from two-stroke engines violates the California Safe
Drinking Water Act and exposes people to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
Defendents named in the suit were: Arctic Cat, Bombardier, Mercury Marine/
Brunswick, Outboard Marine Corp., Polaris Industries, Suzuki Motors, Tohatsu
Outboard Motors, and Yamaha Motors.
Provisions of the settlement include: manufacturers must place warning labels
on each vehicle about the effects of two-stroke engines; they must pay $125,000 in
legal fees and $175,000 to two environmental groups fighting oil spills and other
emissions; two-stroke marine engine sales will be terminated in California by 2006
(the Air Board has already preempted this, establishing 2004); the industry must
develop a two-stroke trade-in program for the Los Angeles area; and misleading eco-
labeling programs will be restricted.
In another victory for the Bluewater Network, earlier this month the National
Park Service (NPS) accepted the Network’s snowmobile petition and agreed to launch
an in-depth investigation into the damage snowmobiles cause park resources. Once Ruts like these, caused by illegal ORV use,
the review is completed, the NPS will make recommendations on how to eliminate accelerate erosion and damage downslope
snowmobile impacts. The US Environmental Protection Agency had agreed to the water quality. Photo by Cate Campbell.
request to set regulatory standards for snowmobile emissions.
For more information contact the Bluewater Network at 415-788-3666 (phone)
or on the web at: www.earthisland.org/bw.
ORVs Stopped
Alliance Plans Annual Rendezvous Activists on the Blacksburg-Wythe
Ranger District (Jefferson National
The Missoula, Mont. based Alliance for the Wild Rockies (AWR) will hold its Forest), north of Blacksburg and north of
annual Wild Rockies Rendezvous on September 17-19. Held in the Rattlesnake Wytheville, Virginia, report a victory in
Mountains at Snowbowl, just north of Missoula, Montana, this three day event their efforts to limit ORV-caused damage
includes hands-on workshops, informative panels, live music and more. This year’s of public lands.
keynote address will be delivered by Martha Marks, president of Republicans for One of the district’s most controver-
Environmental Protection. sial projects was a proposed 12-mile
Camping is free, food is available for purchase on-site, and registration is only ORV trail on Round Mountain, in the
$10 for the weekend. See an on-line schedule at www.wildrockies.org/awr. For more Burkes Garden section of the forest. The
information and to register, contact AWR outreach director Bob Clark at 406-721- ORV trail would have been audible from
5420, e-mail: [email protected], or PO Box 8731, Missoula, MT 59807. the Appalachian Trail, just across the
valley. The trail was proposed on quiet
old woods roads and steep slopes
upstream from Hunting Camp Creek, a
New Resources for Road-Rippers TMDL stream segment (protected under
the Clean Water Act).
On June 18, District Ranger David
Wildlands CPR will soon publish an on-line library of our extensive collec- Collins chose the no-build alternative,
tion of bibliography notes, legal notes, and field notes. It will be posted on the
citing potential for tresspass onto private
world wide web and fully indexed to facilitate searches. Our goal is to get these land, hazardous trail/road crossings,
scientific, legal and field resources into the hands of road activists, where you potential impacts to numerous stream
can put them to work fighting for road removal. channels on the side of the mountain,
and overwhelming local opposition to
the motorized trail.
Wildlands CPR announces an internship opportunity working to fight the For more information contact
specter of industrial recreation with Wild Wilderness in Bend, Oregon. Help get Sherman Bamford of Preserve Appala-
rid of bad recreation management, from ORVs to huge private campgrounds on chian Wilderness (PAW), PO Box 13192,
public lands. For more information contact Scott Silver at 541-385-5261, or e- Roanoke, Va 24031-3192 (540)982-0492.
mail: [email protected].

14 The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999

 Wildlands CPR Publications: Bibliographic Services:
Road-Ripper's Handbook ($15.00, $25 non-members) —A Ecological Impacts of Roads: A Bibliographic Database (Up-
comprehensive activist manual that includes the five Guides dated Feb. 1998) —Edited by Reed Noss. Compiled by Dave
listed below, plus The Ecological Effects of Roads, Gather- Augeri, Mike Eley, Steve Humphrey, Reed Noss, Paul Pacquet
ing Information with the Freedom of Information Act, and & Susan Pierce. Contains approx. 6,000 citations — includ-
more! ing scientific literature on erosion, fragmentation, sedimen-
Road-Ripper's Guide to the National Forests ($4, $7 non-mem- tation, pollution, effects on wildlife, aquatic and hydrologi-
bers) —By Keith Hammer. How-to procedures for getting cal effects, and other information on the impacts of roads.
roads closed and revegetated, descriptions of environmen- Use the ecological literature to understand and develop road
tal laws, road density standards & Forest Service road poli- density standards, priorities for road removal, and other
cies. road issues.
Road-Ripper's Guide to the National Parks ($4, $7 non-mem- Database Searches —We will search the Bibliography on the
bers) —By David Bahr & Aron Yarmo. Provides background subjects that interest you, and provide results in IBM or
on the National Park System and its use of roads, and out- Macintosh format (specify software), or on paper. We also
lines how activists can get involved in NPS planning. have prepared a 1-disk Bibliographic Summary with results
Road-Ripper's Guide to the BLM ($4, $7 non-members) —By for commonly requested searches. Finally, we offer the full
Dan Stotter. Provides an overview of road-related land and
bibliography. However, you must have Pro-Cite or a com-
resource laws, and detailed discussions for participating in
patible database program in order to use it.
BLM decision-making processes.
Bibliography prices — Prices are based on a sliding scale. Call
Road-Ripper's Guide to Off-Road Vehicles ($4, $7 non-mem-
for details.
bers) —By Dan Wright. A comprehensive guide to reduc-
ing the use and abuse of ORVs on public lands. Includes an
extensive bibliography.
Road-Ripper’s Guide to Wildland Road Removal ($4, $7 non-
members) —By Scott Bagley. Provides technical informa-
tion on road construction and removal, where and why
roads fail, and how you can effectively assess road removal
projects.
Trails of Destruction ($10) —By Friends of the Earth and Wild-
lands CPR, written by Erich Pica and Jacob Smith. This
report explains the ecological impacts of ORVs, federal fund-
ing for motorized recreation on public lands, and the ORV
industry’s role in pushing the ORV agenda.

WILDLANDS CPR MEMBERSHIP/ORDER FORM

I want to join (or renew my membership with) Send me these Wildlands CPR Publications:
Wildlands CPR:
Qty: Title/Price Each: Total:
$250 $100 $50 business
/
$30 standard $15 low-income Other
/
Type of Membership: Individual Organization
/

Name Total of all items:

Affiliation Prices include shipping: for Priority Mail add $3.00 per item;
for Canadian orders, add $6.00 per item.
International Membership — $30 Minimum
Address All prices in U.S. Dollars
Ask about reduced rates for items ordered in bulk.

Please send this form and your check (payable to Wildlands CPR)
Phone/E-mail to the address below. Thank you!
Wildlands CPR • PO Box 7516 • Missoula, Montana 59807

The Road-RIPorter July/August 1999 15

Visions...

Photo by Beth Graves.

A tree grows in Brooklyn, so to speak.

Non-profit Organization
US POSTAGE
PAID
MISSOULA, MT 59801
PERMIT NO. 569

Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads

P.O. Box 7516
Missoula, MT 59807

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difference between men and boys is
the size of their toys.”
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