We all have a picture in our minds of what Wilderness is to us.  Peaceful, serene, beautiful, silent, unsullied, primitive, roadless etc.  Perhaps you think of it as a refuge from the craziness of the modern world, or as a place where animals and plants flourish and have protection from mans’ continuous onslaught.  These are all nice thoughts, however I would debate that position.  Unfortunately Wilderness as it is being legislated today may not fit that description.  Witness the recent addition of Beauty Mtn. to the millions of acres of Wilderness already in CA.  Recently foisted off on us by Congress; at the urging of Congresswoman Mary Bono-Mack and by Senators Boxer and Feinstein, this area was a Wilderness Study Area for the past 20 years.  The original legislation said WSA’s were to be studied for inclusion as Wilderness for 10 years with a sunset clause to either become a Wilderness, or be excluded from further consideration at the end of that time.  This particular area was turned down for inclusion under the Wilderness Act, by Congress at the end of its Sunsetting.  Congress realized this area had been substantially impacted by man and therefore did not qualify as “Substantially Untrammeled by man” under the Requirements outlined in the Wilderness Act of 1964.
In particular this area is Bisected N. to S. by the Cooper Cienaga Truck Trail, a.k.a. The CA Riding and Hiking Trail.  It is also bisected E. To W. by the Old Chihuahua Valley Rd. which connects Oak Grove to Chihuahua Valley.  Old CV Rd. is a RS 2477 Rd. built by our forefathers tax dollars or the sweat of their brows to access their property in Chihuahua valley.  It has been illegally closed by a Conservation group purchase and land Swap with the BLM at the East end, and State Use of your prop. 49 funds by the Dept of Fish and Game at the Oak Grove end.  There is a fork off this Road which goes to a mine built in the 1930s which further bisects the so called Beauty Mtn. Wilderness, going on east to access the back end of Anza near Coyote Canyon. This road connects to other jeep roads which circle the Beauty Mtn. Massif and go to other mining claims.  This Road was built with our their property in Chihuahua valley with our tax dollars with a grant from the Department of Defense to access Tungsten mine.  The mine contained Strategic materials needed in WW2 and also built with our tax dollars.  However, due to pressure by the numerous Enviromeddler Groups, Congresswoman Bono-Mack continued to pursue designation for this area.  Another lasting legacy of Bureaucratic malfeasance in my opinion. This area is under the administration of the BLM as public Land and is subject to their rules and regulations.  As such it is not subject to development without conforming to their extensive regulation.  Therefore it doesn’t require Protection under the Wilderness Act.  If you should take the time to go to the website of the Wildlands Project or Agenda 21 of the U.N. you would find that this corridor between Anza Borrego Desert State Park (A World Heritage Site, Property of the U.N. i.e., no longer the State of CA)/Coyote Canyon had long been slated as a Wildlife corridor connecting The Palomar Mtn. Massif and Points South down the spine of the Mtns.
My point is this; We are continually having Public Lands tied up in ways which are not to our benefit.  For example, even though we equestrians and pedestrians will be allowed to use the existing roads and trails, can we build more?  As we age we won’t be able to access this area on foot or horseback.  Are we going to just stay home and allow young, able-bodied elitists to exclude USF or lack of ability to travel rigorously?  What about the people physical limitations who have been going to this area for years in their jeeps an on motorized vehicles especially because it was accessible to them?  What about hunters who may have hunted this area for years, who must now carry their downed game for miles or pack it out on horseback on roads which have been in place, paid for with their tax dollars, yet now inaccessible to them?  Sounds like discrimination to me. Then there is the issue of Maintenance.  The Wilderness Act has provisions for mechanized maintenance under Categorical Exclusions.  This allows for the use of Mechanical equipment for the upkeep of roads, Trails and Structures in place and protected under the National Historic Preservation Act.  This Act does not allow for the willy nilly removal and destruction of existing infrastructure. I.E. Roads some Agency manager decides to Rehabilitate.  This is a nice euphemism for disappear by reconfiguring the terrain with a bulldozer and or blocking with rocks and other debris to remove said road or trail.  All these acts require public comment on the EIS and EIR before commencement of Rehab.  In addition the Act allows for maintenance of trails with Chainsaws, not as some agency managers require the use of non motorized maintenance equipment. In actuality the trails, roads , and pathways as described in the Act are altogether excluded from the Wilderness as they were in place before the are was designated and are protected under RS 2477.  Both San Diego and Riverside counties have filed Assertions with the U.S. Government in this regard.  How long before the Radical Enviromeddlers decide that because guns and modern Bows and arrows are mechanical devices they must be prohibited in Wilderness Areas.  They’ve already done it with bicycles, what is the difference.  Last but not Least by any means is the Need for a home for So CA’s last vestige of a wild horse herd.  When the Beauty Mtn. Wilderness was passed what provision was made for the wild horses that we know were native to this area since the Spaniards came through in the 1700s, and probably here before that if the archaeological record is any indication.  It is the time for action on this.  If we are to be saddled with more Wilderness it must include range for the CCCDA Wild horses under NHPA (National Historic Preservation Act ) and the Wild and Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act.  This area was once open range for Native American livestock descended from Texas Longhorn cattle and Colonial Spanish Heritage Horses.  It should include them again.
I would just say this; It is time that we hold our politicians accountable.  They must stop pandering to the Radical Environmentalists at the expense of the rest of us.  I say the time is now to stop the insanity of the drug of Wilderness.  Our politicians are drunk on the thought of leaving their name on some legacy we will be stuck with.  If you agree, write your Congressman Darrell Issa and tell him to forget about adding to the Mary Bonodoggle.  Enough is Enough.

If you think more wilderness is a good idea tell him so.  He is your elected Representative. Let him know how you feel.  Let me know too.
Please Write Congressman Issa. He can be reached at beautymountain@mail.house.gov

To see a copy of the letter to Congressman Issa from Tom Firth re:
Beauty Mountain Wilderness area in San Diego County
Click Here

How many times have we heard the phrase “unintended consequences” in reference to government actions?  Some actions have great intentions, but result in a major calamity.
Let’s look at the issue of horse slaughter.  There are no horse slaughter facilities operating in this country due to government actions. Congressional efforts are afoot to turn this into an . . .

To Read this Article CLICK HERE

This article was posted here at the request of 2009 Redshank Riders president, Pete Spencer, to give equal time to this side of the issue of horse slaughter.  Webmaster.

The focus is on companion equines in this special disaster readiness-themed Top 10 list.  As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  If you’re a horse owner, it really pays to plan for disasters rather than wait for one to strike.  The ASPCA’s Kelly Nilsson, Director of New York State Disaster Response Services, has graciously provided this list of the top 10 things you can do to protect and prepare yourself and your horse from the danger and chaos that can result from both natural disasters and ordinary, everyday carelessness.  Be safe!

To read the TOP 10 List go to: ASPCA Tips of Horse Owners

Future date TBA
Suzanne   ~   Regional Representative
Pacific Crest Trail Association
951-492-9836
www.pcta.org