Wyoming’s National Forests
Wyoming’s contain more than three million acres protected as National Forest Wilderness. National Forest Roadless Areas across the nation are valuable for clean water, great hunting and fishing, excellent wildlife habitat, quiet recreation opportunities and old growth forests for wildlife diversity. However, roadless areas allow motorized trails and with the Secretary of Agriculture’s approval, timber sales and roads may be built. There are more than three million acres of roadless lands in Wyoming that deserve Wilderness designation by Congress, if we only had the political will.
The
reality of bringing new wilderness protections to unprotected roadless areas
has proven to one of the most difficult acts to complete. Protection of these
areas is critical to the health and diversity of the forests and when an area
is truly wild and deserving; the fight is worth the lifetime effort. Two of
Wyoming’s national forests are currently engaged in the Forest Plan Revision
Process where the review of suitable roadless areas for wilderness designation
is mandated. But it will take broad-based and intense public pressure to
convince the agencies to recommend wilderness and then to bring our delegation
to act upon the wishes of the citizenry.
