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TESTIMONIALS ON ROCK CREEK and WILDERNESS PROTECTION “The Wyoming Wilderness Act was one of my proudest achievements as a member of congress. {...} We set aside a part of Wyoming, nearly a million acres of wilderness that ought to be separate and not developed. We think that was important." Vice President Dick Cheney, in a 2000 PBS interview. Preserving wilderness also shows restraint and humility. Preserving wilderness also treats some remnant of the land as community not as commodity. In “The Upshot” section of his book A Sand County Almanac Aldo Leopold calls for humans to relate to the land, to the entire biota, as a member of that community—not its master. In this sense the Wilderness Act furthers Aldo Leopold’s project to enlarge the boundaries of the community, it furthers Leopold’s urge to extend ethical regard to the entire biota. …Let your public officials know you want the wilderness of the Rock Creek and its canyon areas preserved on the Bighorn National Forest. By doing so you will gift yourself—and all the forest’s other 299 million, 34 thousand-some owners-in-common—you will gift yourself and the womb of time, in perpetuity, with the wealth of benefits of a wilderness forever future. You will bequeath to the future a wild remnant of the eternity of the past. Ed Zahniser, 7.18.07 speech for “Wilderness Forever” talk at the Bradford Britton Museum, Big Horn, WY “As a Sheridan County native, the Big Horns have always been an important part of my life. My family has owned and operated Pass Creek Ranch on Taffner Creek since 1947. We have used the forest service lands that we lease and border on for first our guest ranch and then for cattle operations, which continue today. My father's family used to operate Spear-O-Wigwam guest ranch in the late 1960's wherein they would do pack trips into what is now the Cloud Peak Wilderness on a daily basis. Needless to say, we've been heavy users of the BNF over the years. Not only does Alt C protect our fly fishing heritage (the Mavrakis brothers at the old Ritz Sporting Goods in Sheridan are pioneers in fly fishing, a sport that is practiced now throughout the world), the recommended wilderness areas like Rock Creek, will only enhance the oldest businesses in Wyoming that are also a part of our unique western heritage. I'm speaking of …the HF Bar in Saddlestring, a notable operation that has set the bar high for respectful multiple uses of our public lands for well over a hundred years. As many of those working at guest ranches and our sporting goods stores will tell you, our scenery and wildlife in the Big National Forest is what really drives our local economy, not cattle and certainly not harvesting timber. Alternate C will greatly enhance our local economy as well as preserve our western heritage.” Marcus Sherman 9/30/04, Parkman, WY My name is Dale Jacobson; I have been a native of the Sheridan area for most of my 57 years. I can remember going to the mountains in my uncles old Model A, fixed up with two transmissions back to back for lower gears, back in the late 50's. My whole family has always enjoyed the Bighorns. My older brothers took me on backpacking trips in the late 50's and 60's when finding a particular lake, in the then primitive area, was a real challenge. The rewards were well worth it, both in quality of experience and the fish we caught. Over the years I shared that experience with many of my friends, including Senator Mike Enzi. I unlike some, have renewed that experience every year; hunting, fishing, backpacking, exploring caves, climbing, running and even sno-machining… I've also been a coal miner for thirty years and more importantly been an avid runner for as long. This gives me a view from "both sides of the fence"… It's not just about Wilderness, it's about the very future of all of us, both on and off the mountain. Dale Jacobson, 9/27/04, Sheridan, WY My family and I have been a guest at the HF Bar Ranch in Saddlestring since 1976. We have been at the HF Bar almost every summer since then and on two occasions in the fall. In all honesty, this area is the most beautiful that I have ever visited and are hopeful that it will remain as pristine and unspoiled as it currently is. When I first started coming out we had three children. We now have four children and two grandchildren who also look forward to the annual trip to the Bighorns to become immersed in its natural beauty… I am involved in commercial real estate and development in the St. Louis, Missouri area and have a bias toward development. However, there are numerous times when new development is inappropriate, which is the case in an area as magnificent as the Bighorns. The Bighorn National Forest should be left undisturbed as much as possible in and not be encroached with numerous roadways for access, which of course could easily destroy the natural beauty of the Bighorns and not allow future generations to enjoy their beauty. Jerome L. Gidlow, Vice President, Grubb & Ellis|Krombach Partners, St. Louis, MO 9/27/04 My family has been vacationing at the H F Bar Ranch in the Rock Creek Roadless Area for over 60 years. I myself have been spending time in this area for 37 of my 44 years. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to put into words just how deeply important this untouched land is to me and my family. Very little of the landscape has changed in the 60 plus years my family has been visiting this spot. The fact that the land is untouched by time is a big part of what makes our wilderness experience so rich and rewarding, and why we choose to return year after year. To say that development--with all the additional roads and buildings and general debris--would ruin our wilderness experience is a gross understatement. The hiking, fishing, horseback riding and camping we all enjoy would be severely compromised by the inevitable increased level of motorized vehicle use which would accompany logging and more roads. For these reasons, I urge the Bighorn National Forest in its Forest Plan Revision to recommend the Rock Creek Roadless area for wilderness protection. On a more practical note, it would seem to me that the threat of more development would severely impact the region's economy -- an economy largely based on tourism -- and most definitely not in a positive way. Mary C. Schroeder, Registrar, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT 8/11/04 Since 1944, I have back and horse packed extensively in the Bighorns and am well aware of the environmental degradation caused by roads and other means of easy access. I have experienced first-hand the before and after effects of the dam and road at Willow Park, and it is not pretty. The Bighorns are quite small, and the pressure on them intensifies each year. The timber is in poor shape in a large number of places, and unlike the Pacific Northwest or the Southeast, is not well suited for commercial exploitation. Last week, I hiked from Hunter Ranger Station down the South Fork of Rock Creek to the HF Bar. I was struck by its beauty and fragility, and the thought that it might be protected for my grandchildren was exhilarating. Ed Morsman, Deephaven, MN 7/18/04 Rock Creek Roadless to Wilderness As a Wyoming Game and Fish Department Big Game Biologist, I had the opportunity to see from an eagle’s perspective, the Rock Creek area while conducting elk trend count and elk distribution flights. I was impressed, the first time I flew over the area in the early 1970’s, with the rugged country and rock spires throughout. In the early 1980’s, my wife Fachon and I studied the proposed Cloud Peak Wilderness alternatives to inform ourselves for making citizen’s written comments. At that time, the Rock Creek area was larger and was included in at least one of the wilderness alternatives. Since the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area was established, I have enjoyed many trips to hike, camp, fish and take pictures in most of the wilderness. In the 1980’s and early 90’s, also as part of my job with the Game and Fish Department, I rode horseback in much of the lower portion of Rock Creek now proposed for wilderness; memorable experiences. During the summers of 2002, ’03 and ’04, I lead day hikes from the HF Bar ranch onto the Forest, around Stone Mountain and back to the ranch.
The Rock Creek area is very special to
me. I strongly believe the Rock Creek roadless area should be
designated as a part of the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area as soon as
possible for several reasons: the rock spires, isolation, ruggedness
and vegetative diversity are unique, it is one of the few places on the
Bighorns where access is by foot or horseback for elk and deer hunting,
motorized travel is rapidly reducing the Rock Creek area that qualifies
for wilderness, wilderness status would retain these values in
perpetuity, and it would become a part of an existing wilderness area.
Roger Wilson, Retired Wildlife Mgmt. Coordinator, Region Three,
Wyoming Game and Fish Department |