The State of California has a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation which mandates that California’s transportation fuels should be at least 10 percent less carbon intensive by the year 2020. The LCFS does not mandate the adoption of any particular fuel, but it will likely drive demand for biofuels (and possibly also drive demand for natural gas, hydrogen, and electricity).
The Wilderness Society has produced the most comprehensive set of comments on the Forest Service’s proposed rule on National Forest System planning. Our comments identify many ways in which the rule should be improved to protect and restore wildlife habitat, watersheds, recreational opportunities, wilderness, and other important environmental and economic values of the National Forests and Grasslands.
Last year, The Wilderness Society and 55 other conservation organizations delivered a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, outlining the damage that off-road vehicle use can cause if not prohibited in potential Wilderness areas.
These photographs and descriptions portray the damage that motorized vehicles have already caused in potential Wilderness areas in California, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. Many areas that were once pristine are now tarnished with unsightly vehicle tracks.
This week, The Wilderness Society President Bill Meadows sent a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, reiterating that the Forest Service maintain policies to protect land that has been recommended for Wilderness designation. The letter urges the Forest Service to prohibit off-road motorized vehicle use that can damage currently untouched wild areas.
Since their establishment by President Theodore Roosevelt more than a century ago, our national forests have been a treasured American legacy. They provide vital fish and wildlife habitat, clean drinking water and world-class outdoor recreation opportunities for millions – and they’re one of our best tools for combating climate change.
