Kinnikinnick Chapter Of The Idaho Native Plant Society

January 12, 2004  

Senator Mike Crapo
610 W. Hubbard, Suite 209
Coeur d’Alene , ID 83814  

Dear Senator Crapo,  

Thank you for sponsoring the town hall Saturday in Sandpoint on planning in our Idaho Panhandle National Forest (IPNF). I appreciated the opportunity to comment on behalf of the 100+ members of this organization living in Bonner and Boundary Counties , Idaho . Our interest is in the native plants of this region, and in preserving the ecosystems that allow them to flourish.

We have many important ecosystems here, most notably those in the Priest Lake Basin . With local effort a few locations there have been protected and turned into natural showcases. These spots attract many visitors from near and far, and could become an even more important part of the economy if their uniqueness were recognized for the asset it is. Such treasures cannot be seen nor appreciated from a high speed off-road vehicle (ORV). 

The public lands here are open to the public. Not all of the land is open to every form of transportation, and that is appropriate. Transportation modes cause their own impacts and the Forest Service is not funded to deal with the most serious of those impacts: the spread of noxious weeds, litter, and damage to terrain.

With 9,000 miles of open road today in the Panhandle’s national forest, we feel that vehicular access is more than adequate. Sadly, vehicle drivers seldom recognize unique and important plant communities and often destroy them without recognizing their loss.

The most serious threat today to native plant communities is “invasive exotics.” Pests and weeds in common language. Weeds, in particular, are spread deep into our public lands by horses and vehicles. The Forest Service spends millions of dollars combating weeds, but is not successful. Weeds are a cancer for which we have no cure. Preserving areas as “roadless” and closing some roads are the only ways we have to prevent the spread of damaging weeds. Many weeds in the IPNF cause livestock and crop loss on public and private lands. They are an economic as well as an ecosystem problem.

Many of our IPNF waterways are degraded, often from an over-density of roads. The science-based “rule of thumb” is that 2.5 miles of roadway in a square mile of land is the limit before stream degradation occurs. In the IPNF, up to 30 miles of roadway/square mile are found. Some roads need closing if we are to have streams capable of supporting fish and healthy riparian vegetation.

Our organization often disagrees with the Forest Service. We feel fortunate that in the IPNF most employees read and listen to public comments and respond to them thoughtfully and courteously. It was hard to hear people from different parts of the state imply that they know how the IPNF is managed (or mismanaged) when we know first-hand that it is balanced and reasonable.

There is money to be made in ORV’s. Selling, renting and repairing them provide jobs. Adding retail tobacco and alcohol sales to children would increase jobs in the convenience and fast food industries. But some jobs are not worth it, and limits are appropriately set to support the common good for the long term.

With our stunning scenery and fine climate, the Panhandle can continue to become a magnet for residents and visitors who want to enjoy our rivers, streams, wildlife and native vegetation in sustainable ways. Our economy will be robust and healthy for decades to come if we take this approach.

The Kinnikinnick Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society feels that vehicle access on public lands is expensive, and only some of the costs can be measured in dollars. The best science possible should be used to evaluate where ORV use will cause the least harm and expense and should be permitted.

Thank you for reiterating that you are “committed to protecting the flora and fauna of the earth.” Difficult tradeoffs loom in the Panhandle, sometimes pushed by those who want to use our national forests in ways that can be damaging, while remaining blind to the costs and impacts of their actions.

We hope you will encourage Forest Service Chief Bosworth to support the careful, thorough and thoughtful Forest Planning process underway in the Panhandle. While you are at it, please ask him to add more protections for locally sensitive native plant populations.

Sincerely,

Molly O'Reilly  

Cc: D. Bosworth