# Our Last Wild Places



## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Something to ponder from an article in Field and Stream:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs...-last-wild-places-and-why-they-need-stay-wild

I've tried hard to understand the objection some hunters have to roadless areas and wilderness, but so far I have not been able to do that. I spend as much time as possible with my kids in roadless areas, and most of my best hunting and fishing experiences have been in those kinds of places, designated wilderness, or not.

I think it is selfish for people, even if they are in the majority, to want to...

[blockquote:39w8s8xg]_*Admin note:* Sorry Mr. Muleskinner, but I needed to remove much of the quote. Posting entire articles from copyrighted sources gets the forum into potential legal problems. Posting short excerpts are fine, but anything more is pretty much a violation of federal copyright laws.

Not a big deal, but just something to be aware of going forward.

Here's the note at the bottom of the Field & Stream articles for clarification: "Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited."_[/blockquote:39w8s8xg]


----------



## BradN (Sep 25, 2007)

Well-said. Extremely well-said.


----------



## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

Always refreshing to hear a similar point of view because it doesn't happen often. I've been involved in wilderness and wildlife issues for most of my adult life and it still baffles me. But I have a theory.

I have a great life and count my blessings. But without regular and frequent doses of "feral time", I begin to lose my center. When that happens, I morph into a different person...thinking begins to cloud, attitude turns to scat, priorities get twisted and petty minutiae inflates into Earth shaking significance. Simply put, I start going nuts.

My theory is that I'm no different from anybody else. It's just that I've had therapy. :lol:


----------



## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

Muley,
We have worked hard here in Southern Utah to actually start to close roads that are deemed "duplicate access" or in other words nothing more than harmful to the habitat and wildlife because access to the area they cross is already provided by older traditional routes. There are places that need to be closed because they do damage to the watershed and riparian areas that are fragile. So far we see significant changes in the habitat that has benefited the wildlife in Dixie National Forest, for example. Good thing the bill, as written is only being graded with a 5% likelihood of being enacted. I agree that some wild places need to be left just that.


----------



## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> Something to ponder from an article in Field and Stream:
> 
> http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs...-last-wild-places-and-why-they-need-stay-wild
> 
> ...


+100

Agree with Finn too. I would have been commited long time ago without my sanity balancing trips to areas void of people...haven't had therapy to help for those times I haven't been "refreshed" by solitude


----------



## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

I have no problem with existing wilderness areas. I'm only 33 years old. The problem I have is when they are closing roads that I used to drive on legally. Roads that took you places to go fishing that people didn't want to drive on cause they are so rough. To me that is all part of the experience. Just recently a newer road(10 yrs?) was made to go to an area. When I went last year the new road was closed and you had to take the old road. The sad part is you could take the new road in a mile or so only to find boulders blocking the road.


----------



## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

"New" roads you will find were never part of the designated plan by any of the agencies. They were forged by those exploring for an easier way to get there, so in an effort to protect forage, wildlife, and water runoff in those areas it was determined by an audit and later signed into law that duplicate roads were to be closed if they were not part of the original plan for that area. As a part of the closure, the managing agency will repair and maintain access to those destinations like your favorite fishing spot but it will take time. Those rough roads will be repaired unless keeping them rough maintains the wilderness aspect that is a part of the original plan. Contact the managing agency and ask them, either the BLM or Forest Service Ranger District office. They will fill you in on the multiple use plan for that area and why they closed that road. Unpopular for some but necessary to keep some wilderness just that or our children will have to Google the definition of wilderness, and that will be an embarrassing legacy for we sportsmen and conversationalists to leave, wouldn't it?


----------



## The Naturalist (Oct 13, 2007)

Well said by all on the subject!


----------

