Keep our public lands accessible by opposing H.R. 980!

Dear Elected Official,

As a concerned motorized outdoor recreationist and a registered voter, I am writing you today to voice my opposition to H.R. 980, the "Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act", and to ask that you oppose this legislation. If this bill passes, it would represent a fatal blow to the already struggling power sports industry and would negatively impact tens of thousands of businesses that directly or indirectly rely on public access to the lands in question.

H.R. 980 would designate 23 million acres of land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming as Wilderness. This means each of these 23 million acres would be made permanently off-limits to motorized and mechanized recreation, including off-highway motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, 4x4s, snowmobiles and mountain bikes, closing all trails in these areas to responsible motorized and mechanized access. Forest Service studies show that less than 4% of total forest visitors use the existing wilderness and that the demand for motorized recreation is rising (www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/nvum, FY 2007 National Summary Report, p. 7).

In addition, much of the land that would be designated as Wilderness does not meet the criteria set forth in the 1964 Wilderness Act. Many of the federal lands addressed by H.R. 980 include roads, bridges, campgrounds, trails, etc. This contradicts the intent of the original Wilderness Act, which essentially defines wilderness areas as lands that show little or no signs of human involvement.

Most importantly, Congress should honor the established protocol of respecting State and local rights by not imposing wilderness designations on people whose elected Congressional delegation are not in full support of the designations.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important issue. Please oppose H.R. 980.