Backcountry Musings

To: Friends of the Boise National Forest
From: Boise Forest Coalition
Date: September 20, 2016
RE: Pioneer Fire Field Trip and Invitation to Boise Forest Coalition

Dear Friends,
We are writing on behalf of the Boise Forest Coalition (BFC). The purpose of this letter is to invite your attendance at an upcoming field trip to visit the Pioneer Fire and to encourage participation in the Boise Forest Coalition and our work. The Pioneer Fire burned across over 180,000 acres within the Boise National Forest this summer. The field trip is intended to provide a first-hand look at the impacts from the fire (both positive and negative) and to provide useful perspective as the Forest Service and BFC consider potential restoration and management actions identified through both the Burned Area Emergency Rehab (rapid response) and NEPA (project development) process. As a representative of an important constituency, we invite you to consider participating in the field trip, and learning more about opportunities to participate and support the efforts of the Boise National Forest and the BFC as we move forward to restore and protect our forests.

What: Field Trip to Pioneer Fire area

When: Tuesday, September 27, 2016, 9 a.m.

Where: Idaho City Ranger District (Highway 21, milepost 38.5, Idaho City)

Note: Bring a pack lunch, sturdy shoes, water and be prepared for a day in the field. Bus transportation will be provided from Idaho City.
RSVP Required: Brant Petersen, District Ranger, (Bpetersen02@fs.fed.us)

About the Coalition

The Boise Forest Coalition was formed in September 2010, bringing together diverse interests to craft recommendations for multi-faceted forest projects in the Boise National Forest. The citizen-led group is open to anyone with an interest in Boise National Forest management. We generally meet on the first Thursday of the month at a location that is relevant to our project work. Additional info, including protocols, meeting notes, etc. are available at boiseforestcoalition.org.

On Behalf of the Boise Forest Coalition,
Rachel Vandenburg, Steering Committee Member
Jonathan Oppenheimer, Steering Committee Member
Art Beal, Steering Committee Member

Dear BCHA Members:

As the 114th Congress looks toward its final months of work, we urge you to support the bipartisan agreement to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water
Conservation Fund that passed the Senate in April as part of the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015.

BCHA is a member of the LWCF Coalition that supports this bipartisan compromise. We want our members to be part of a major push to demonstrate our support.

Please sign your BCH state or chapter onto the LWCF Coalition letter that soon will be sent to Congress. The letter can be accessed here.

LWCF is one of our country’s most important conservation programs, supporting local communities and increasing access to the outdoors in every state and 99% of all counties. The program is overwhelmingly popular and has maintained broad bipartisan support over its 50-year history of successful, locally-driven conservation. Yet, in 2015, it was allowed to temporarily expire and then given only a short term renewal.

Since permanent authorization of the LWCF passed the Senate, but not the House, it is going to be on a shorter list of issues that must be addressed before the end of this Congress. It is part of the Energy Bill Conference Committee that is convening right now.

Why is this Important to Horsemen?

BCHA prepared a fact sheet on the importance of Congress reauthorizing the LWCF. To view a map or a listing of LWCF funded projects in your state, go to the LWCF Coalition website. As you will see, LWCF has benefited our national parks, national forests, state and local parks and other natural areas for over half a century.

The Energy Bill Conference Committee has included two other provisions that are important to BCHA members. The first creates a new National Park Maintenance and Revitalization Fund that is over and above LWCF—NOT taking authorized dollars away from LWCF—from offshore energy revenues. The fund would dedicate $150 million per year toward addressing the maintenance backlog in national parks, including trails.

Secondly, the bill would dedicate at least $10 million each year of LWCF funds that “shall be used for projects that secure recreational public access to Federal public land for hunting, fishing, or other recreational purposes.’’ This could include national forests and other public lands. So again, the public and horsemen could be the beneficiaries of directing this small portion (no more than 1.5%) of LWCF monies toward enhanced public access.

Take Action

Again, please consider signing on to the Coalition letter by adding your BCH state/chapter to the list of LWCF supporters as soon as possible. It’s urgent. Congress is in session only for a few more weeks.

We would also appreciate you forwarding this invitation for sign-on to BCH chapters/units in your state. We need the fantastic geographic diversity among BCHA’s membership to sound off on the importance of LWCF in creating and expanding recreational opportunities in every state.

Thank you for taking action!

We are hopeful that Congress will act to permanently authorize this landmark legislation that recognizes the universal importance of LWCF, dedicates an annual funding stream to address the national park maintenance backlog, and dedicate a modest amount of LWCF funds to improve public access to public lands.

Donald Saner,
BCHA Chairman

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Agenda and IHC Notes by MB August 20 2016