A "Public Forum for Otero Mesa" will be held in Albuquerque, NM on Saturday, January 31 providing hundreds of New Mexicans from across the state with the opportunity to voice their opposition to the Bush Administration's plan to open the greater Otero Mesa region to oil drilling and call, once again, for this region to be protected for future generations.
The final Forest Plan for the Medicine Bow National Forest, located in southeastern Wyoming, was released on January 16, 2004, and recommends 28,000 acres of new wilderness, about half of what the Forest Service proposed in a December 2000 draft plan.
On January 22, 2004, the Bush Administration issued its Record of Decision finalizing plans outlined in their Final Environmental Impact Statement to open 100 percent of the nearly nine million acre northwest planning area of America's Western Arctic to oil and gas leasing.
Just in advance of the State of Union address earlier this week, the Campaign for America's Wilderness released the "State of the Wild." This four-page report gives an overview of pending and expected legislation in the 108th Congress as well as an overview of the Bush Administration's assaults on America's public lands and wilderness. To read the report go to: http://www.leaveitwild.org/news/State_of_the_Wild_1.04.pdf
The cover story in the January 19 issue of High Country News looks at the historically significant and destructive impacts of the Bush Administration's energy policy on the principles that have traditionally defined the establishment of new wilderness areas. The story concludes, 'In the painfully delicate balancing act called multiple use, wilderness has been cut out of the picture.' The High Country News has offered to send wilderness advocates a free copy of this issue of the newspaper, to provide them with data and perspective that aids them in their wilderness protection efforts. To request a copy, go to: http://www.hcn.org/freeissueoffer104.jsp or send your name and address to:
HIGH COUNTRY NEWS 119 Grand Avenue PO Box 1090 Paonia, CO 81428 800-905-1155 (phone) 970-527-4897 (fax) circulation@hcn.org
Please let us know about the recent activities and accomplishments of your Wilderness campaign. Keep in mind that this is a Wilderness specific update. Contact the Wilderness Support Center by email or at 970-247-8788.
