Roads to trailheads and road less. In the West, road less lands insure prime habitat, prevent the stressing of wildlife in winter, and reduce poaching. The Feds aren't the best at management, especially when local agencies are sabataged, but I sure don't trust state entities with dollar signs in their eyes to do better. What more recently has become a problem in roaded public lands, is the mobile production of meth and other nefarious activities. With roads providing access to secluded but drivable areas, the FS has the added expense and danger of patrolling campsites where illegal activities occur.
Just think for a moment what a mobile meth operation leaves behind at a campsite.....Toxic!
I saw what oil drilling did to ancient wildlife migratory routes, in the Wyoming range area. No thought was done to the development of natural gas wells near Pinedale. And when oil and nat. gas went bust, people lost their jobs, the Natural Gas operation shut down. The structures and rutted roads remained. The elk and deer had already left.
So who actually prospered?
When oil, gas and mining are discussed, many forget about boom/bust, not to mention their history of cutting corners to pollution.
Ancillary structures and operations, that support oil, gas and mining tend to spring up nearby. But its ALL temporary. When it all slows down or stops, the operations end, but the empty buildings, storage yards and refuse remain. Some see dreams in these jobs, but dreams end in those locations, and the die hards move to the next job prospect. I'd prefer to leave the whole scenario out of federal lands. Public land is not expendable.
I agree, we do need to keep the wild in wilderness, not everywhere, but a goodly portion of it.
Last edited by Wyogal; 03/15/17.
