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Only the strong survive |
The Sabinoso Wilderness is the only wilderness area in the country the public can't get to—for now By Alex Robinson August 1, 2017 Secretary Ryan Zinke (right) during his tour in New Mexico. Jason Amaro There’s a 16,000-acre wilderness in Northern New Mexico that’s full of turkeys, mule deer, and elk (it’s even rumored to hold trophy aoudad). What’s more, this rugged wilderness of deep canyons, cottonwood river bottoms, and mesas has seen hardly any hunting pressure for at least a decade. The nearest city (Las Vegas, N.M., population 13,285) is a good 50 miles away. But there’s a catch to this backcountry hunter’s paradise, and it’s a big one. Right now, the Sabinoso Wilderness is completely inaccessible to the public—it’s the only designated wilderness in the country that you can’t get to. The area is surrounded by private land (since it’s designated wilderness, you can’t even helicopter in if you wanted to). This wilderness could be unlocked, possibly in time for this fall’s hunting season, with a signature from the Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke. One of the ranches bordering the Sabinoso Wilderness was sold to the Wilderness Land Trust for $3 million, and the Trust intends to donate that land to the Bureau of Land Management in order to open access to the public. A quick aside here: The Wilderness Land Trust got the funds to purchase the ranch through the Wyss Foundation, a private charity founded by Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss. Hansjorg, who now lives in Wyoming, made his fortune through the medical device industry. While working in the U.S., he fell in love with the American ideals of public land. Back to Zinke… The Secretary has not yet accepted the donation from the Wilderness Land Trust. But over the weekend, he did spend a day touring the Sabinoso on horseback with New Mexico's Democratic senators, Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, who have been working for 10 years to open the property to the public. Heinrich invited Zinke to visit the area during this exchange earlier in the summer: The Sabinoso was first designated as wilderness in 2009, and Udall, Heinrich, and local sportsman’s groups hoped that increasing its profile would create leverage for access opportunities. Since then, they’ve been waiting for one of the bordering ranches to sell, which finally happened with the 4,176-acre Rimrock Rose ranch in February 2016. “This is an enormous opportunity that might only come around once in a generation,” Heinrich says of the land donation. “[The Sabinoso] is a pretty spectacular property. Even when public access is granted, it won’t be easy to get into. It will attract a certain type of hunter.” Heinrich, who describes himself as an avid hunter, says he’s “cautiously optimistic” about Zinke accepting the donation in time for fall, but no timeline has been given by the Secretary. Local media reports indicate there’s strong grassroots support for opening the wilderness. Besides gaining a new place to hunt, unlocking the Sabinoso could bring locals more business through outfitters and traveling hunters. “The community really supports this,” says Jason Amaro, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers southwest chapter coordinator. “This should be a quick and easy win for [Zinke]. I can’t see why he wouldn’t do it.” Continued: http://www.outdoorlife.com/how...wMDM3NTI4NwS2#page-2This message has been edited. Last edited by: 41, 41 | ||
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Oh stewardess, I speak jive. |
Awesome. | |||
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I believe in the principle of Due Process |
What does Zinke have to decide? Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me. When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown | |||
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An investment in knowledge pays the best interest |
Wyss is my former boss' boss at Synthes, which was sold in 2011 for just over $21 billion - the largest acquisition in J&J's history. Wyss owned a majority of the company and was a multibillionaire before the sale even. The Wyss Institute at Harvard is named after him, following the $125 million gift to his alma mater. He's not a saint however if you do your research on some of his medical device decisions. | |||
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Only the strong survive |
Before the trip to Sabinoso, Zinke was unsure that the ranch fit the wilderness designation criteria. Now, all parties involved are hoping Zinke is willing to compromise and accept the donated land as wilderness. I assume that is one of the factors. Also you probably need more than one point to access the Sabinoso Wilderness area. In the past, there have been many areas other States closed off to hunting and other activities. We are at the turning point in my opinion. Maybe they will permit hunting of the wolfs in other areas that have killed off the elk and deer. 41 | |||
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The Constable |
Zinke is a stand up guy. Proud to say he's from Montana. | |||
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Member |
Yep, I think so too. How many of those pantywaists in Washington could even sit a horse, let along get out in the wilds of New Mexico and go for a ride. Oh, and please add me to the list of people who prefer elected officials who wear jeans and boots, and who actually know what work is. ----------------------------- Guns are awesome because they shoot solid lead freedom. Every man should have several guns. And several dogs, because a man with a cat is a woman. Kurt Schlichter | |||
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stupid beyond all belief |
Id guess the properties aroind it might be pissed. But maybe not. Now lets see those trophy animals What man is a man that does not make the world better. -Balian of Ibelin Only boring people get bored. - Ruth Burke | |||
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Cogito Ergo Sum |
Udall and Heinrich are not to be trusted. | |||
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I Wanna Missile |
False. The private landowners can access it, and those with permission of the landowners. Access is restricted, not denied. Question: Why should that change? "I am a Soldier. I fight where I'm told and I win where I fight." GEN George S. Patton, Jr. | |||
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Don't Panic |
This seems unlike a crisis to me. Isn't nearly everything surrounded by private land? What am I missing? That said, if someone wants to donate land and make it available to the public, good on them. I'll never go there - not my sort of place - but thank you Mr. Wyss. | |||
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Legalize the Constitution |
Zinke himself, doesn't get to decide "Wilderness" or not Wilderness; that's up to Congress. My initial take is that Zinke is probably right to hesitate given the Wilderness Land Trust's attempt at imposing this restriction on the donation. Typically, much of a working ranch would preclude its designation as Wilderness because of all the necessary infrastructure to operate the ranch. Personally, I think the cheapening of Wilderness by Congress in the effort to increase quantity of Wilderness over quality of it, jeopardizes the entire System. If they want further protections for their donated land, then push for those stipulations--not Wilderness designation. Bigger question. How did a Wilderness--without public access, ever achieve Congressional designation? ETA: It just occurred to me. What the Land Trust probably wants is for Zinke to accept the donated land for the BLM as a "Wilderness Study Area" (WSA). I believe he would have that authority. Right now, there are no limits on the amount of time an area can exist in the limbo of WSA--other areas literally for decades. It's ridiculous. A WSA would operate under the limitations of designated Wilderness, without going through Congressional designation. A time limit for WSAs would be a good thing for the Administration to work on. _______________________________________________________ despite them | |||
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Step by step walk the thousand mile road |
I'd leave BLM out of it. They blow whichever way the political winds blow. Nice is overrated "It's every freedom-loving individual's duty to lie to the government." Airsoftguy, June 29, 2018 | |||
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Oh stewardess, I speak jive. |
^ I agree. That it ever got that designation without public access it pretty crazy. | |||
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Only the strong survive |
So we have public land that is only accessible by a select few, the adjacent property owners. So have you donated to the National Parks or given money to acquire wilderness areas?? Can you access some of the projects you helped to acquire? It is good to preserve these areas for future generations but it can be a can of worms to manage with common sense. I have seen what the Wilderness Act has done to some areas. When they made the St. Mary's Wilderness area in 1984, I returned to check it out since it was one of the areas I hunted in high school. It looked like a herd of cattle had passed through the area I assume due to the publicity as a wilderness area. Also a lot of trash deposited in the stream and on the trails. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..._Mary%27s_Wilderness 41 | |||
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stupid beyond all belief |
This makes sense. Again my comment, it is probably a nice place to hunt for the private land owners. Basically the public cant get to it cause there is no public land allowing access. So one has to get permission. In Kansas this is similar except Kansas considers the high water mark on rivers as public land so us Duckers can get out and hunt. What man is a man that does not make the world better. -Balian of Ibelin Only boring people get bored. - Ruth Burke | |||
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Member |
Answer: a private individual should not be the gatekeeper for public land. | |||
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Legalize the Constitution |
I was wrong about Zinke's authority as SecInt. This is Section 6 of the Wilderness Act of 1964:
It comes as no surprise that Senator Tom Udall (D, NM) wrote the bill for Sabinoso Wilderness designation. A Wilderness that for 7 years now has had no public access. Here's a question for Sen. Udall's staff. How has the BLM, charged with management of the Sabinoso, fulfilled its obligation to the citizens of the United States, when they themselves would have been denied access to monitor use of the Wilderness by adjacent land owners? _______________________________________________________ despite them | |||
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Oh stewardess, I speak jive. |
Indeed. | |||
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I Wanna Missile |
...and government should be? "I am a Soldier. I fight where I'm told and I win where I fight." GEN George S. Patton, Jr. | |||
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