50 years of the "Wilderness Act"

[shoots-straight]

Mr. Newberg said some logical things in this read.

http://missoulian.com/news/local/ye...cle_b94fcb76-e909-11e3-9f03-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[What Map]

Very interesting article, presenting some of the major players and their points of view.

 

[noharleyyet]

'Ol Fin is quite the interlocutor.

Good article shoots.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Mr. Newberg said some logical things in this read.

http://missoulian.com/news/local/ye...cle_b94fcb76-e909-11e3-9f03-001a4bcf887a.html

The Bipartisan Sportsman's Act of 2014 has a provision in it that would allow guys like Randy to film in Wilderness. I'm still digging through the bill, but it's good so far:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:S.2363:

 

[BigHornRam]

"Three Miles an Hour" is a good flick. Maybe Randy can become a nonprofit like PBS and show his films on that channel? Then he wouldn't have any problems getting a permit to film hunts in the wilderness.

 

[Ben Lamb]

"Three Miles an Hour" is a good flick. Maybe Randy can become a nonprofit like PBS and show his films on that channel? Then he wouldn't have any problems getting a permit to film hunts in the wilderness.

Truth.

Never made much sense to me, excluding small crews from Wilderness. The easiest way to instill the wonder that walking past that little sign gives people is to show them what's beyond.

Wilderness needs people just as much as people need Wilderness.

 

[dmserpa]

Wilderness Act 50th Anniversary

How can we best protect the wilderness? I think telling the story of the grandeur of the wilderness is one way to make the general public aware of wilderness and what better way than showing the wildlife and the pursuit of them. We need general public awareness so they can help protect the wilderness in the future. If they don't see value in it they will not likely support maintaining it for future generations. Now the problem is in the interpretation of the law, the agencies are the one's with there heads in the sand, and that's what we need to change, they have too much leeway in their management. They need direction from to top management, ( maybe legislation ? ) to guide them in making management decisions.
These decisions can vary with personal, and that's the problem the way I see it.:hump:

 

[BigHornRam]

The problem is many of the "decision makers" dealing with public lands, Wilderness and NPS in particular, are not hunter friendly. I have a bookshelf full of wilderness hiking guides in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and most all of them take shots at hunters. Some authors are out and out anti-hunting.

I am a fan of the old Gordon Eastman hunting movies. Nothing like those movies being filmed today. Grand adventure in grand country. Would be nice to see well made Wilderness hunt films sometime in the future.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The problem is many of the "decision makers" dealing with public lands, Wilderness and NPS in particular, are not hunter friendly. I have a bookshelf full of wilderness hiking guides in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and most all of them take shots at hunters. Some authors are out and out anti-hunting.

I am a fan of the old Gordon Eastman hunting movies. Nothing like those movies being filmed today. Grand adventure in grand country. Would be nice to see well made Wilderness hunt films sometime in the future.

My experience with USFS personell and specifically wilderness guys was pro-hunter & angler. Heck, most of them lived off of game meat.

I have had spirited discussions with district rangers, etc, when discussing certain rules related to livestock grazing and motorized use in wilderness & roadless areas, but for the most part, I've found the FS folk to put the resource ahead of their own ideology.

I don't always agree with their management decisions, but 9 times out of 10, I think they make a reasonable call.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. The filming thing is one regulation that should have been changed a while ago. I'm hopeful that the sportsman's act doesn't fall victim to typical politics and dies yet another ignoble death.

At this point, I'd rather have the FS run the Gov't than the morons we send to DC.

 

[shoots-straight]

At this point, I'd rather have the FS run the Gov't than the morons we send to DC.

I just sent this quote to John.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Certain exceptions apply, obviously.

 

[RobG]

I just sent this quote to John.

Would that be John, John, or Jon?

 

[BigHornRam]

Ben,

The decision makers in the USFS are back east. Every local FS employee I talk to say that the USFS is as dysfunctional right now as it has ever been. Must have something to do with the DC drinking water.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ben,

The decision makers in the USFS are back east. Every local FS employee I talk to say that the USFS is as dysfunctional right now as it has ever been. Must have something to do with the DC drinking water.

Yes & no. Budgets make decisions moreso than people in the USDA back east. Congress has starved our public land agencies while giving out our tax dollars to multi-nationals & corporate lobbyists.

Coupled with litigation & fire suppression, local agency folks have to make some pretty drastic priority decisions. However, in the case of Wilderness, local district rangers are given a lot of leeway under the Planning processes, Wilderness Act & Road-less Area Conservation Rule to make management decisions.

 

[shoots-straight]

Would that be John, John, or Jon?

John, and Jon

 

[RobG]

Yes & no. Budgets make decisions moreso than people in the USDA back east. Congress has starved our public land agencies while giving out our tax dollars to multi-nationals & corporate lobbyists.

Coupled with litigation & fire suppression, local agency folks have to make some pretty drastic priority decisions. However, in the case of Wilderness, local district rangers are given a lot of leeway under the Planning processes, Wilderness Act & Road-less Area Conservation Rule to make management decisions.

Aren't they still operating on a continuing resolution (preventing any new programs)?

 

[BigHornRam]

Try to stay on topic, Ben. The topic is obtaining permits to film hunts on federal wilderness areas.

From the article..........

Randy Newberg also calls Bozeman home. It’s the base for his TV program, “On Your Own Adventures.” In eight years of filming exclusively on public land, he’s never been given permission to shoot an episode in a federal wilderness area. He could if he was a still photographer, but can’t as a videographer.

“We’re just talking about a difference in shutter speed,” Newberg laughed. “I’ve asked why, and they just say ‘That’s our policy.’ ”

Policy differs depending on whether Newberg films on public land belonging to the Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or Bureau of Land Management. The differences between agencies also appear arbitrary.


So who in the federal land management agencies decides what type of filming can be permited in wilderness areas?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Amended Directive from 2010 on Commercial Filming in WIlderness:
http://www.fs.fed.us/specialuses/documents/InterimFilmingQAimprovedjune10.pdf

From the USDA's website also:

Wilderness areas are congressionally-designated areas on federal lands that are subject to specific management restrictions; human activities are restricted to non-motorized recreation (such as backpacking, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, etc.), scientific research, and other non-invasive activities. Wilderness Areas occur on Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) lands, as well as on lands managed by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of Interior). A special use permit may only be issued for commercial photography or filming on a US Forest Service Wilderness Area if the activity has a primary objective of disseminating information about the use and enjoyment of wilderness, is wilderness-dependent and an appropriate non-wilderness substitute does not exist, and the activity would not involve the use of any motorized equipment or mechanical transport (see Key Messages of FSH 2701.11-2010-2 (CH 40) for further information).

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/passes-permits/event-commercial/?cid=STELPRDB5349053

While these new rules are easier to comply with, the legislation is still necessary to rectify the situation.

 

[1_pointer]

Nevermind...

 

[BigHornRam]

Thanks for making my eyes glaze over, Ben.

So what makes you think the Big W lobby will let you mess with their "rules"?