Frequently Asked Questions About the
Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal
1: Will the Wild Sky
Wilderness proposal affect private property rights?
A: No. Wilderness designation
will not adversely affect private property.
Wilderness designations only apply to federally owned lands. If you own
property outside the wilderness boundary (even land near or adjacent to the
federal wilderness) wilderness designation does not infringe on your ability to
use or develop your land. In fact,
studies show that property values go up in areas that are near protected
federal lands and rivers.
If
you own land completely inside the designated wilderness area (often called an
“inholding”), management restrictions for wilderness
areas do not apply to private land.
Property owners must be assured adequate access to their parcels, and
that could include permission to drive through the wilderness. The Wild Sky
Wilderness does not allow the government to take over private land. It
authorizes the Forest Service to acquire “inholdings”
if there is a willing seller.
2: Are hunting and fishing
prohibited in wilderness areas?
A: No. Hunting and fishing are allowed in
National Forest Wilderness areas. Many
hunters and anglers prize wilderness for its hunting and fishing opportunities,
and for the ability to hunt without having game harassed or habitat degraded by
motorized vehicles. The only exception is in wilderness
in national parks, where hunting is usually prohibited because of the underlying national park legislation which prohibits
hunting. This does not apply to the Wild Sky because it is National Forest.
3: Doesn’t
Wilderness restrict recreational opportunities?
A: If designated,
the Wild Sky Wilderness would provide for a broad array of outdoor recreational
opportunities, including hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking,
swimming, picnicking, backpacking, bird watching, taking wildflower walks,
horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, rock-climbing, ecological
research, and educational programs.
Motorized use
including dirt bikes, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles are prohibited in
Wilderness. However, the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal was crafted to make sure
that some of the most-used motorized recreational opportunities were preserved
outside of the proposal. For example, the Windy Ridge area adjacent to the
proposal is highly used by snowmobilers and Reiter
Pit on adjacent State lands is one of the premiere dirt bike venues in the
State.
4: Will roads like the
A: No. The Index-Golena Road (FS
Road # 63), North Fork Skykomish Road (FS Road #63), Beckler
River Road (FS Road #65) and the Jack Pass Road (FS Road #65) are all outside
of the wilderness proposal and public access will not be affected by a Wild Sky
Wilderness designation. These Roads were
never proposed for inclusion in the Wilderness because of their importance in
accessing existing recreational opportunities and popular trailheads like
5: Has there been adequate
public process and participation associated with the Wild Sky bill?
A: Yes. Senator Murray and Representative have made an extended
effort to engage local stakeholders and the public about the Wild Sky
Wilderness proposal. There have been three public meetings on the proposal in
2001, before the proposal was first introduced into Congress. Two of those
events, a town hall meeting in Index and a public meeting in
6: Doesn't
wilderness restrict use by disabled people?
A: No. Those with
disabilities may use wheelchairs within wilderness. The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 reaffirmed that nothing in the
Wilderness Act should be construed as prohibiting the use of a wheelchair in a
wilderness area by individuals whose disability requires it. A 1992 report by
the National Council on Disability found that "[a] significant majority of
persons with disabilities surveyed very much enjoy the [National Wilderness
Preservation System] and 76 percent do not believe that the restrictions on
mechanized use stated in the Wilderness Act diminish their ability to enjoy
wilderness." The Washington Coalition of Citizens with DisAbilities
has endorsed the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal.
7: Will my dog be allowed to hike with me in the
Wild Sky Wilderness?
A:
Yes, dogs are permitted in Wilderness areas.
8: Will the Wild Sky
Wilderness proposal require permits or fees to hike or camp in the area?
A: The only case in
The most popular areas of
the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal are at lower elevations where these fragile
alpine ecosystems do not occur, making the prospect of a permit system
unnecessary. Areas within the Wilderness
should be accessible in the same manner as they are now.
9: Would the risk of uncontrolled fire be greater if the Wild Sky is
designated as Wilderness?
A: No. Wilderness designation
would not increase the risk of fire.
Wildfires are infrequent on the lands proposed for Wilderness
designation in the Wild Sky Wilderness bill.
Being on the rainy and cloudy "wet" side, the area gets about
80 inches in annual rainfall and as high as 200 inches in some of the higher
mountains. Also, the typical
"marine flow" clouds serve as a natural cooling and humidifying
system that usually keeps fire danger low even during summers that see little rain.
With
very few exceptions, the fires in the Wild Sky country during the last century
have been human caused, including the 2 most recent large fires. In 1967, the logging-caused
Wilderness
designation will help maintain a natural fire regime here, and by preventing
the construction of new roads it will help to prevent human-caused fires from starting
in this place that seldom burns on its own.
In addition, the 1964 Wilderness Act allows for flexibility to deal with
catastrophic wildfires and damaging insect outbreaks should they occur. Section 4(d)(1) of
the Wilderness Act states that "such measures may be taken as necessary in
the control of fires, insects and diseases" within wilderness.
10. Would designating the
Wild Sky as Wilderness help or hurt local economies in the
A: Designating the Wild Sky
as Wilderness would preserve and market the remarkable recreational
opportunities that already make this area so special. Visitors from throughout
Washington and beyond travel up the Highway 2 corridor to hunt, fish, hike,
camp, cross country ski, horseback ride, birdwatch,
raft, kayak and get away from the city’s hustle and bustle in the Wild Sky
area. Along the way they eat meals, buy
groceries, purchase gear, sign up for rafting, kayaking or other recreational
trips, and stay overnight at hotels and vacation rentals. More than 30 local
11: How much
Wilderness do we have in
A: Less than 10
percent of the entire land base of
There are 30
wilderness areas in
12. Will designating the
Wild Sky as wilderness cost $18 million?
No.
While a congressional budget office (CBO) estimate put the cost of a Wild Sky
Wilderness at $18 million, a more appropriate estimate places the cost of the
Murray-Larsen proposal at a fraction of that ($2-3 million).