Threat to my living? Not directly, but it's certainly a threat to anything but a tourism economy. And you should know that BHA is an outgrowth of an attempt to coopt the NRA on conservation issues because the NRA is a lot more pragmatic on conservation than environmentalists. Greens don't like that at all and spend millions on the subject, including to BHA.
I said nothing about increasing access on EXISTING WILDERNESS AREAS. I grew up next to the Bob Marshall, and when my Dad was into it, we hunted there all the time. I appreciated that, let it be what it is. But after a while, it seemed that Greens figured everything that hadn't had a road, but did have trails, should be wilderness too. And then, places that had had roads, that were closed, or not "engineered," oh THAT qualifies for wilderness. There's a reason Montana hasn't designated any new wilderness areas since 1988. basically because we're far beyond the 1964 original intent.
Then there was the "roadless initiative" to get around the fact that wilderness became politically toxic. I don't suppose you know the law, the various clauses that impose no deadline on Congress to act. So, the Clinton Administration did a withdrawal, then a "rule" that turned 58 million acres into "de-facto" wilderness administratively, regardless of forest plans, suitability, future changes. And the Bush administration was so wrapped around the axle about 9/11, they neglected domestic affairs. So -- that roadless rule was the biggest designation of wilderness since Carter and the post Watergate Democrats hosed Alaska in 1980.
As for slagging logging prior to mining -- what did you expect? Even a good forest has a lot of waste that can't be merched. Then, the point is to clear the land, and it's going to be dug up anyway. Tell me what you see in select-harvest units where the long-term forest is the goal. Not clearing ground for a mine.
What is more important in my view is, what's the RECLAMATION gonna look like. Mine clearing isn't forestry, not really. You should see some of the mines in NW Colorado and all the animals. I wish they would profile the dirt more naturally, but the reclaimed areas are green, good eating for some really impressive rackage (which you can't get at unless you're buddies with the miner's union).
Finally, there's that 50 days a year you get. I'm lucky if I get two days in a row. Always been that way. But that means I don't get to "be" anywhere for long especially if there's someplace else I want to be before I have to get to work.
