Policy Update – June 2024
Our policy team updates us on an Ambler Road victory, Forest Plans and ongoing NEPA advocacy efforts. Plus, meet our new staff member!
Photo by Justine Milton
Policy Director Letter
(6/28/2024)
How did you spend the summer solstice? The Winter Wildlands Alliance staff and board made full use of the longest days of the year, gathering at a campground on the banks of the South Fork of the Payette River in Idaho for our annual summer board meeting.
With David just recently back from sabbatical, it was really good to have the whole crew together. We parted ways energized about all the work we do at Winter Wildlands Alliance to protect America’s wild snowscapes, get kids outside on snow, and showcase amazing human-powered winter films.
Huge Victory for the Arctic
First off, I have some breaking news to share! Today, the Biden Administration finalized its decision to deny the Ambler Road. The proposed Ambler Road forced Indigenous communities who have called Northwest Alaska home for thousands of years to fight for their sustenance and way of life. People from all across Alaska and the nation joined them to speak out against the destruction the road would bring.
The Ambler Road threatened thousands of miles of clean water, caribou herds, and our nation’s largest national park. It would have fragmented one of America’s wildest winter landscapes, changing the Brooks Range forever. Today, we are proud to say that the Biden Administration answered our call. There will be no Ambler Road in the Brooks Range!
The path ahead may present new challenges, but this victory is absolutely crucial for protecting the Brooks Range. So join us in celebrating! And please take a moment to thank the Biden Administration for protecting the Arctic by sending a quick thank you to President Biden and Interior Secretary Haaland.
Forest Plan Updates
This month saw the release of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison Forest Plan (GMUG) and the wrap-up of a scoping comment period for the Rio Grande winter travel plan. Brittany will delve into the Rio Over-Snow Vehicle plan later in this update.
The GMUG forest plan is a bit of a mixed bag. We are not super happy with the new plan’s winter Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) map. It appears to be the end-product of a GIS mapping exercise more than a reflection of public comments and desired future conditions. But the forest has also indicated it will tackle winter travel planning sooner rather than later, and while the winter ROS sets the stage for winter travel planning, that site-specific process will give us a better chance to protect specific places across the forest.
Fighting for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
In last month’s policy update, I mentioned that while we were celebrating the publication of the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) new Phase II regulations for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), twenty-one state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in North Dakota to block the updated regulations.
This week, we joined a diverse coalition of environmental justice, labor, and conservation groups to intervene in the lawsuit and defend the new NEPA Rule. The new regulations reversed many of the Trump Administration’s harmful changes to NEPA and require federal agencies to consider climate and environmental justice impacts in their NEPA analyses. The regulations also mandate meaningful, early consultation with impacted communities, including Tribes. This intervention is the latest in our work to #protectNEPA.
There is never a dull moment at Winter Wildlands Alliance, and I am expecting the rest of this summer to fly by. Stay tuned for next month’s updates!
On the Ground in California
An update from our California Stewardship Manager, Kelly Bessem:
I am thrilled to introduce Megan Fiske as Winter Wildlands Allinace’s new California Stewardship Director. Over the past two winter seasons, Megan has worked with Winter Wildlands Alliance collecting data and providing the U.S. Forest Service with on-the-ground insights as a Backcountry Ambassador on the Stanislaus National Forest. Her previous advocacy work, time working with our alliance, and watershed expertise make her a fantastic addition to the staff.
Reflecting on my own journey, serving as Winter Wildlands Alliance’s first California Stewardship Director has been an incredible experience. During the 2023- 2024 winter season, I had the opportunity to help expand our capacity for snow-based advocacy work in California.
I have been in awe of Winter Wildlands Alliance’s ability to tackle winter policy issues as well as support education and community from the beginning. It has been incredible to see all of the work being done to give winter users a proper voice and a seat at the table in many important discussions where winter users may not otherwise be represented. This work is of very high value, and I know that Winter Wildlands Alliance will continue to strengthen winter recreation management, education, and the protection of snowscapes across California.
Moving forward, I will continue my efforts to care for our public lands from a hydrology perspective with the U.S. Forest Service.
Please get to know Megan by reading our blog post about her and her work as a Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Ambassador here.
From the Field in Colorado
An update from our Colorado Policy Coordinator, Brittany Leffel:
The Rio Grande National Forest wrapped up the scoping comment period on their winter travel plan this month. After meeting with hut owners, Nordic clubs, backcountry skiers, and conservation groups in their backyards from Creede, CO to Chama, NM, as well as attending public meetings, we submitted a public comment that reflects a grassroots vision of preserving high-value winter recreation areas for all user levels.
The human-powered community showed up during the scoping period, and the stoke is high as we continue to build relationships on the ground in the region.
As the scoping period ends, we will wait to see how the expertise and recommendations Winter Wildlands Alliance provided in our comment will be shaped into one of the alternatives. More to come!
Until then, we are shifting gears to the GMUG to encourage the forest to tackle winter travel planning sooner rather than later.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our CO Policy Coordinator at: bleffel@winterwildlands.org.
