A state recreation group that won concessions two years ago in exchange for a neutral stance on a new wilderness area in eastern Snohomish County has started to back off its commitment.
The Washington State Snowmobile Association sent a letter this month to U.S. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo criticizing a bill to create the 106,000-acre Wild Sky Wilderness north of Index and Skykomish.
The letter, which cites outdated information, calls for deleting 36,000 acres from the proposal because the land doesn’t meet wilderness standards. It also hints that the organization might oppose the wilderness, depending on the outcome of elections in November.
The 36,000 acres apparently comes from congressional testimony in 2002, before current boundaries were set on the proposed wilderness. At the time, some 120,000 acres were eyed.
More recently, the administration and the U.S. Forest Service have questioned the inclusion of about 16,000 acres of previously logged land that remains within the boundaries. Under the Northwest Forest Plan, only about 1,800 acres of that are available for timber cutting.
A second recreation group, the Northwest Motorcycle Association, also joined the dissent, recently sending an opposition letter to Pombo.
Motorized organizations generally don’t like wilderness areas, which exclude wheeled and motorized vehicles, and are reserved for activities such as canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, hunting and fishing.
The recent dissent signals a reduction of momentum for a proposal that was extensively planned and negotiated before it went to Congress, and has earned bipartisan support.
In June, Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey commended the state’s congressional delegation for its "collaborative approach and local involvement" in settling concerns.
The Senate passed the current wilderness bill, but the measure has yet to come up for a hearing before Pombo’s committee, despite requests by Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., prime sponsor in the House, andco-sponsor Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash.
Larsen and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., are the main movers behind the legislation, which twice has gotten through the Senate, with help from Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
During negotiations nearly three years ago, the snowmobile group succeeded in getting 4,000 acres in the Windy Ridge area deleted from the wilderness proposal during negotiations with congressional staff members.
The switch by the snowmobile group shocked wilderness proponents.
"It’s very surprising and disappointing if the snowmobile association reneged on their negotiated agreement," said John Leary, campaign director of the group Wild Washington Campaign.
Mark Gallatin, president of the Snowmobile association, said his members last month voted to work against Wild Sky.
"We are to some extent backing away from being totally neutral," Gallatin said.
After the November elections, he said the group also reserves the right to come out totally against the bill.
"We believe there are better ways to protect lands and still use them," said Gallitan, who plans to be in Washington, D.C., next week to talk with members of the congressional delegation.
Troy Briggs, president of the motorcycle group, said his organization decided to weigh in on the debate now partly because the snowmobilers changed their tune. He conceded his members would not lose riding trails if Wild Sky passes.
Briggs, of Snohomish, said this is an "inappropriate wilderness," and he is afraid off-road riding would be banned in areas bordering Wild Sky. A more basic concern is that Wild Sky would set a precedent for locking up land as wilderness in areas that shouldn’t be, he said.
Few roads would be closed if the area is designated wilderness. About the last mile each of the Rapid River and the north fork of the Skykomish River roads would be closed. The latter is scheduled for closure anyway.
In the Bitter Creek area, a rough, now gated road of about three miles also would close, said Gary Paull, trail coordinator for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
The snowmobile group did not inform members of the state delegation about its change in stance.
"As far as we’re concerned, we still have a good-faith agreement," said Alex Glass, a Murray spokeswoman.
Cantwell’s spokesman, Charla Neuman, said: "These issues were resolved before the bill was introduced. Fortunately, the facts should alleviate any last-minute concerns."
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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