america's wilderness member newsletter

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MEMBER NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2011 VOL. XIII, NO. 3 America’s Wilderness WWW.WILDERNESS.ORG America’s wilderness is under fire. Two bills in Congress would prevent protection of lands that have the potential to become wilderness areas. A second threat hit June 1, when the Interior Department retreated on its five-month-old policy to conserve millions of acres of wildlands in the West. “All of this jeopardizes tens of millions of acres of exceptional places that we should be preserving for future generations,” says Wilderness Society President William H. Meadows, who addressed the prob- lems June 7 on NPR’s syndicated “Diane Rehm Show.” “Utah canyonlands, Colorado mountains, and New Hampshire forests are just a few of the natural treasures that are now at greater risk,” he notes. “If oil drilling, logging, road building, and mining are al- lowed to occur in these places, they will no longer be wild. Only five percent of the na- tion’s land is part of the Wilderness System, and we believe that is too little.” Since 1964, when the Wilderness Act became law, 110 million acres of the lands that belong to all Americans have been made part of the National Wilderness Pres- ervation System (NWPS). These landscapes will be protected forever. But there are many more areas in our national forests and other federal land sys- tems that could be added to the NWPS— unless they are developed before Congress has a chance to make them wilderness areas. For example, southern New Mexico’s Otero Mesa features sweeping vistas of surrounding peaks, enormous south- western skies, and rock art from ancient cultures. But the oil and gas industry and a mining company are eager to drill there, and now such outcomes are more likely. The two radical bills (H.R.1581, S. 1087) threaten at least 60 million acres. This leg- islation would cut off the temporary pro- tection now enjoyed by roadless lands in our national forests and wilderness study continued on page 6 Wilderness Now Facing Greater Threats NEW WILDERNESS AREAS POSSIBLE IN VARIOUS STATES 6 FRONTIER AIRLINES TEAMING UP WITH WILDERNESS SOCIETY 7 “I am thrilled that I can finally fulfill my dream of traveling in the Arctic Refuge, all the way to the Beaufort Sea,” says Margaret Freifeld as she prepares to head there from Mt. Kisco, N.Y. ExxonMobil and other oil giants wish they were going, too. For a quarter century they have been pushing for the go-ahead to drill in the biological heart of this sanctuary. “So far, our coalition has been able to keep them out,” says Nicole Whiington-Evans, who directs our ten-person Alaska staff. But the drum beat continues. Higher gasoline prices have given the industry and its political allies an excuse to step up their efforts to pass legislation authorizing drilling. Risk of Drilling Persists For Arctic Refuge ACADIA NATIONAL PARK AMONG PLACES COUNTING ON LWCF 3 continued on page 2 © New Mexico Wilderness Alliance New Mexico’s Otero Mesa, important to pronghorn, is one of many places now facing greater risks.

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The Wilderness Society's Member Newsletter for Summer 2011, Vol. XIII, No. 3

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Page 1: America's Wilderness Member Newsletter

MEMBER NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2011 VOL. XIII, NO. 3

America’s WildernessWWW.WILDERNESS.ORG

America’s wilderness is under fire. Two bills in Congress would prevent protection of lands that have the potential to become wilderness areas. A second threat hit June 1, when the Interior Department retreated on its five-month-old policy to conserve millions of acres of wildlands in the West.

“All of this jeopardizes tens of millions of acres of exceptional places that we should be preserving for future generations,” says Wilderness Society President William H. Meadows, who addressed the prob-lems June 7 on NPR’s syndicated “Diane Rehm Show.”

“Utah canyonlands, Colorado mountains, and New Hampshire forests are just a few of the natural treasures that are now at greater risk,” he notes. “If oil drilling, logging, road building, and mining are al-lowed to occur in these places, they will no longer be wild. Only five percent of the na-tion’s land is part of the Wilderness System, and we believe that is too little.”

Since 1964, when the Wilderness Act became law, 110 million acres of the lands that belong to all Americans have been made part of the National Wilderness Pres-ervation System (NWPS). These landscapes will be protected forever.

But there are many more areas in our national forests and other federal land sys-tems that could be added to the NWPS—unless they are developed before Congress has a chance to make them wilderness areas. For example, southern New Mexico’s Otero Mesa features sweeping vistas of surrounding peaks, enormous south-western skies, and rock art from ancient cultures. But the oil and gas industry and a mining company are eager to drill there, and now such outcomes are more likely.

The two radical bills (H.R.1581, S. 1087) threaten at least 60 million acres. This leg-islation would cut off the temporary pro-tection now enjoyed by roadless lands in our national forests and wilderness study

continued on page 6

Wilderness Now Facing Greater Threats

NEW WILDERNESS AREAS POSSIBLE IN VARIOUS STATES6 FRONTIER AIRLINES TEAMING UP

WITH WILDERNESS SOCIETY7

“I am thrilled that I can finally fulfill my dream of traveling in the Arctic Refuge, all the way to the Beaufort Sea,” says Margaret Freifeld as she prepares to head there from Mt. Kisco, N.Y.

ExxonMobil and other oil giants wish they were going, too. For a quarter century they have been pushing for the go-ahead to drill in the biological heart of this sanctuary. “So far, our coalition has been able to keep them out,” says Nicole Whittington-Evans, who directs our ten-person Alaska staff.

But the drum beat continues. Higher gasoline prices have given the industry and its political allies an excuse to step up their efforts to pass legislation authorizing drilling.

Risk of Drilling PersistsFor Arctic Refuge

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK AMONG PLACES COUNTING ON LWCF3

continued on page 2

© New Mexico Wilderness AllianceNew Mexico’s Otero Mesa, important to pronghorn, is one of many places now facing greater risks.

Page 2: America's Wilderness Member Newsletter

One morning in May, I had the opportunity to have breakfast with Betty White, arguably the busiest 89-year-old on the planet. We talked about her decades as a Wilderness Society member, her work at the Los Angeles Zoo, her new book, and other things. I took a particular interest in her fond childhood memories of annual summer trips to the Sierra Nevada, one of my favorite spots.

So many of us have happy memories of such places. As summer begins, American families will be creating even more of these memories, in the Grand Canyon, the Smokies, the Boundary Waters, Denali, Yellowstone, and elsewhere. At The Wilderness Society we take seriously the responsibility of protecting these natural treasures for all time.

Central to our mission is the establishment of new wilderness areas, and this issue of the newsletter reports on efforts to protect wilderness in Colorado, Michigan, California, Oregon, and other states. Unfortunately, there are new threats to wild places, as we explain on page one, and we are determined to derail these attacks.

This work would not be possible without help from you, Betty White, and the rest of our members. Your support also enables us to keep oil rigs out of places they do not belong, such as the Arctic Refuge and the waters just offshore. Thank you for your commitment.

William H. MeadowsPresident

P.S. I would like to officially welcome our newest corporate partner, Frontier Airlines. To learn more, see page 7.

www.wilderness.org 1-800-THE-WILD2

A L ET T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

Betty White and Wilderness Memories“We have learned to never let down our guard,” says Lois Epstein, who heads our Arctic cam-paign. “Oil drilling has a troubling history of spills and pollution,” Epstein told the Senate En-ergy Committee in May. “Even the best-financed operators cannot ensure that they will not have leaks or major spills.” An Alaska-licensed engineer with two decades of oil and gas policy experience, Epstein testified that industry claims that directional drilling, which involves inserting the drill on adjoining lands, will prevent environ-mental damage are merely wishful thinking.

Thanks to conservationists’ success in keeping the oil industry from creating industrial sprawl, the 169,000-strong Porcupine (River) caribou herd arrived from Canada, as it has for millennia, and is now rearing thousands of new calves. The coastal plain is also alive with the calls of millions of migratory and resident birds. “I look forward to getting a close look at the many wildflowers and particularly to seeing wildlife in its natural habitat,” says Freifeld, who will be traveling with Wilderness Birding Adventures.

“Our long-term goal,” notes Whittington-Evans, “is to persuade Congress to make the coastal plain a wilderness area. That would end the threat of development, period.” Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) are championing such legislation (S. 33, H.R. 139).

Meanwhile, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is revising its long-term management plan and will consider the possibility of recommend-ing the refuge’s coastal plain and other areas for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preserva-tion System. While such a step would be a major advance, Congress still would have to pass a bill.Other parts of Alaska are threatened by oil and gas drilling, too. They include the western Arctic in the vicinity of Teshekpuk Lake and the Beau-fort and Chukchi seas. “‘There are a lot of politi-cians chanting ‘Drill, baby, drill,’” says Epstein, “and the entire Arctic has a bulls-eye on it.”

Drilling threat persistscontinued from page 1

Each spring caribou migrate hundreds of miles to reach calving grounds in the Arctic Refuge.

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Page 3: America's Wilderness Member Newsletter

31-800-THE-WILD www.wilderness.org

America’s Wilderness is published three times a year by The Wilderness Society. Our magazine, Wilderness, is published in the fall.

PRESIDENT: William H. Meadows

EDITOR: Bennett H. [email protected]

PHOTO EDITOR: Lisa Dare

DESIGN: Studio Grafik

Within the boundaries of Acadia National Park, along Maine’s coast-

line, are more than 130 privately-owned parcels. “The jigsaw ownership pattern creates all kinds of management chal-lenges,” observes Sheridan Steele, the park’s superintendent. “Plus there is the constant threat that one or more parcels will be developed or used in ways that are incompatible with the park’s purpose.”

For example, he and others are concerned about a parcel on the west side of Acadia that surrounds the northeastern shore of Round Pond. “It’s one of the most pristine lakes inside the park,” says Marla O’Byrne, president of Friends of Acadia. “The pond offers outstanding views of Acadia’s moun-tains and is an ideal spot to paddle.”

The landowner has a small unobtrusive camp and is authorized to expand its footprint by 25 percent. He also has permits to construct three 35-foot wind

turbines. “If the Park Service could obtain the money, the acreage could be bought and restored to an entirely natural condi-tion,” notes O’Byrne.

To meet such needs, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in 1964. Each year the fund draws $900 million from offshore oil and gas royalties. Unfortunately, almost every year Congress has diverted some of that mon-ey to other programs. As a result, there is a daunting backlog of areas around the country that face development threats.

“We fight tooth and nail each year to persuade Congress to put these royalties toward the intended purpose,” says The Wilderness Society’s Alan Rowsome, a leader in the large coalition that tack-les this challenge. “We urge those who believe in such investments to encourage their representatives in Congress to sup-port full use of LWCF.”

Such efforts paid off recently at Acadia. Congress approved LWCF funds for the Park Service to acquire a tract along the western shore of Lower Hadlock Pond, which is traversed by community trails leading to the park. “This will preserve the historic hiking experience around this extraordinary pond in the midst of Acadia’s mountains,” says O’Byrne.

In western North Carolina, LWCF appro-priations are needed to prevent devel-opment at Backbone Ridge, Mulberry Creek, Roan Mountain, and Mills River. “Dawdling is not an option,” asserts Brent Martin, our Southeast regional director. “Congress should put those roy-alties to work soon or else a lot of scenic views are going to be compromised.”

Other LWCF priorities for The Wilderness Society include Katmai National Park (Alaska), Gunnison Gorge (Colorado), Hells Canyon NRA (Oregon), and San Bernardino National Forest (California).

“Buying these lands is a wise investment strategy that will pay dividends far into the future,” Rowsome explains. “As our population grows, we need these places, not only as recreational outlets, but to help clean our air and water, store carbon so that it can’t change our climate, and enable wildlife to survive.”

Fuller use of the Land and Water Conservation Fund would help tackle challenges facing our national parks and other lands that belong to the American people.

© istockphoto.com/aimintang

Acadia National Park Hopes to Fend Off Threats

Would you like to raft Idaho’s Salmon River in August?

Middle Fork Salmon River only Aug 24 - 29, $1850*$125 for flight from Stanley to the river at Indian Creek

Main Salmon River only Aug 30 - Sept 3, $1500*$200 for flight from Mackay Bar Ranch to Boise International Airport

Middle/Main combination Aug 24 - Sept 3, $2500*$325 for both flights.

A few slots are available on these trips, and the proceeds will be donated to The Wilderness Society. Our generous outfitter is Middle Fork River Expeditions. To sign up, call 800-801-5146 or contact [email protected].

*plus 3% USFS user fee & $4 per day USFS fee demo

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Page 4: America's Wilderness Member Newsletter

SOUTHWESTOn summer mornings bald eagles soar southward in pairs. In the fall migrating flocks of Sandhill cranes can be deafen-ing. In the spring vast herds of pronghorn bear their young on the mesas. Rising nearly 3,000 feet above the surrounding plain is Ute Mountain, a volcanic cone that dominates the vista for those driv-ing north from Taos along Highway 522. These are among the attractions of El Rio Grande del Norte in north-central New Mexico. We are building public support for legislation (S. 667, H.R. 1241) that would designate 21,420 acres of wilder-ness there and establish a 235,980-acre national conservation area. Michael Casaus % [email protected]

PACIFIC NORTHWESTThe Chewuch watershed, in Washington’s North Cascades, provides precious cold water to a number of vital fish species and to working farms. It also offers abundant recreation experiences from hiking to mountain biking and is home to numer-ous wildlife species, including mule deer. The Wilderness Society and the Methow Valley Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest are working with the community to restore the health

of the Chewuch River basin by reduc-ing the environmental impacts of the road network. Over the next three years, we are collaborating with community members, tribes, scientists and users of the Chewuch to identify and implement a road system that is safe, reliable, and compatible with a thriving watershed.Peter Dykstra % [email protected]

CALIFORNIA/NEVADAMore than 387,000 acres in California would be added to the National Wilder-ness Preservation System under several bills pending before Congress. These measures also would protect millions of acres through other designations, while upgrading Pinnacles National Monu-ment to a national park. Most of the new wilderness areas would be established by Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s California Desert bill (S.138), which also calls for expanding Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks and Mojave National Preserve. The other bills would enlarge five existing wilderness areas: Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia in northern San Diego County; Sheep Mountain and Cucamonga in the San Gabriel Mountains; and Pinnacles. Dan Smuts % [email protected]

NORTHEASTFor the common loon and osprey, Lake Umbagog is considered the best breed-ing habitat in New Hampshire. The lake is the heart of Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, on the Maine border, and we are working with The Trust for Public Land and other partners to add 31,300 acres to the refuge. This year’s goal is to convince Congress to tap the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for the $1.5 million needed for phase two of the five-phase Androscoggin Headwaters Conservation Project. Adding these 4,532 acres to the refuge would protect shore-line, ensure public recreation access, and preserve wetlands and forest vital to the bald eagle and wood thrush, among others. Please urge your representatives on Capitol Hill to support LWCF, which makes such projects possible.Ben Rose % [email protected]

ALASKATens of thousands of acres of towering Sitka spruce and hemlock in the Tongass National Forest are likely to be clear-cut if Congress passes legislation authorizing transfer of land to Sealaska Corporation. This rare temperate-zone rain forest pro-vides clean water and superior salmon and deer habitat, while supporting burgeoning fishing, tourism and recreation industries that provide stable, good-paying jobs. The U.S. Forest Service recently began a transi-tion in the Tongass from old-growth log-ging to a management plan emphasizing restoration and renewable resources, so the bills (S. 730, H.R. 1408) would amount to a significant step backwards.Nicole Whittington-Evans % [email protected]

COLORADOColorado’s White River National Forest is one of the country’s most-visited national forests, and conservationists are praising a new plan for managing recreation there.

From the Field

www.wilderness.org 1-800-THE-WILD4

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We are building public support for adding Little Bear Brook pond on the Androscoggin Headwaters to Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge.

Page 5: America's Wilderness Member Newsletter

The plan protects large areas for those who like to hike, backpack, camp, and otherwise visit the forest to enjoy nature without noise and pollution, and it closes 1,200 miles of environmentally harmful off-road vehicle (ORV) tracks while still maintaining plenty of access. While we will continue working to address two flaws in the plan—it incorporates more than 220 miles of “bandit routes” carved into the forest illegally by users and al-lows excessive ORV access for dispersed camping—this plan represents a signifi-cant step forward.Suzanne Jones % [email protected]

IDAHOThe state’s Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep population is 90 percent below historic levels, and the wild sheep in the Main Salmon River canyon comprise Idaho’s last genetically pure herd. The population continues to decline, mainly due to disease transmitted by domestic sheep. We are urging the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to prevent continued commercial grazing on scenic Marshall Mountain, across the canyon south of Gospel-Hump Wilderness. The U.S. Forest Service took domestic sheep off adjacent lands, but if the BLM fails to do the same, the wild sheep remain at risk. We were pleased that the BLM

halted the grazing temporarily while it studies the likely impacts.Craig Gehrke % [email protected]

UTAHThe magnificent Tushar Mountains are the highest mountains between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada, featur-ing three peaks exceeding 12,000 feet and the multi-colored “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” They are some of the special places in south-central Utah’s Piute County that we want to see added to the National Wilderness Preservation System. We also hope to permanently protect the watershed of the East Fork Sevier River, which meanders through volcanic rock formations, winding canyons, and other dramatic features. We are working with local leaders and a wide range of groups to develop legislation safeguarding these lands, which belong to all Americans. Beneficiaries would include elk, bobcats, greater sage grouse, osprey, and Bonn-eville cutthroat trout.Julie Mack % [email protected]

NORTHERN ROCKIESThe Bitter Creek Wilderness Study Area, extending across 60,000 acres in north-eastern Montana, is one of the nation’s best-kept secrets. It is home to rare prairie bird species, unique plains aspen

groves, badlands, and native grasses. The U.S. Bureau of Land Manage-ment (BLM) is now revising its 20-year plan for management of Bitter Creek and more than a mil-lion acres of intact native prairie in Montana. A draft will be re-leased later this summer, and The Wilderness Society, the Montana Wilderness Association, and other

allies will be advocating that Bitter Creek and other areas with wilder-

ness values remain protected. You can help protect Bitter Creek by submitting

comments to the BLM. For details, contact me or visit www.wilderness.org.Peter Aengst % [email protected]

SOUTHEASTThe Cherokee and Nantahala national forests will be bisected by a highway if we cannot stop a plan to build “Corridor K” to connect Asheville and Chattanoo-ga. A Tennessee government study found that 35 rare species in that state would be jeopardized by this project and that road construction would bury 5,400 feet of mountain stream. Greater truck noise, spoiled views from the Appalachian Trail, and air pollution are also predicted. We are working with various partners to persuade Tennessee and North Caro-lina to take a closer look at improving existing roads instead. Our “Better Way for Corridor K” would be good for the environment, outdoor recreation, and the taxpayers who would have to pay for this pork-barrel project.Brent Martin % [email protected]

1-800-THE-WILD www.wilderness.org 5

We are trying to protect wilderness at a number of places, including California’s Beauty Mountain (top) and Colorado’s White River National Forest (bottom).

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep have been in decline in Idaho, but we are making progress in reducing the incidence of disease.©

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6 www.wilderness.org 1-800-THE-WILD

Towering dunes, quiet inland lakes, and beech and sugar maple forests at Michigan’s popular Sleeping Bear Dunes

National Lakeshore would be turned into a 32,557-acre wilderness area if Congress passes legislation (S. 140/H.R. 977) au-thored by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI). Located on Lake Michigan, this national park attracts hikers, anglers, campers, boaters, and others.

“Two years ago we helped designate the Beaver Basin Wilderness along Michigan’s Lake Superior shoreline, and we are also excited about permanently protecting

critical areas at Sleeping Bear Dunes,” says Paul Spitler, who directs our wilder-ness efforts on Capitol Hill.

In addition, we are building public sup-port for S. 607, which would create the Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven wilder-ness areas in central Oregon, protecting more than 16,000 acres. These lands include forests, grasslands, shrub steppe, and rivers vital to threatened summer steelhead and Chinook salmon. The area also provides important wintering habitat for mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk. Over four miles of the Wild and Scenic John Day River would be made public,

with land exchanges improving needed access to the river. The bill is sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

In Colorado, 160,000 acres of public lands in Eagle and Summit counties would be added to the National Wilder-ness Preservation System under H.R. 1701, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO). “These Rocky Mountains gems provide world-class recreation and are important to a number of fish and wildlife species,” says Steve Smith, our assistant director for Colorado. The bill includes expansion of the Eagles Nest, Ptarmigan, and Holy Cross wilderness areas.

“We are working hard to convince Con-gress to protect wilderness in a number of other special places,” Spitler notes. “They include Washington’s Alpine Lakes, California’s San Gabriel Mountains, Idaho’s Boulder-White Clouds, Oregon’s Devils Staircase, and Tennessee’s Chero-kee National Forest.” To see the latest on the bills that have been introduced, go to http://wilderness.org/content/112th-congress-and-wildlands.

Oregon’s Cathedral Rock is one of the places that would be protected forever under legislation being debated in Congress.

WILDERNESS BILLS STARTING TO MOVE IN CONGRESS

areas—places in the West overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and judged to be potential wilderness areas.

In late 2010 the outlook for those BLM gems had improved with adoption of a new policy by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. In reality, he simply restored policy that had been abandoned by the Bush administration in 2003. Salazar said in December that the BLM would review potential wilderness areas and protect them in the meantime. The reversal in June came after pressure from the oil industry, ATV riders, and their political allies.

“It is open season on open spaces, and we have our work cut out for us,” says Melanie Beller, our VP for public policy. “It’s important to remember that these lands do not belong to the oil or mining industry; they belong to all Americans.”

What’s your favorite wilderness activity? Wildlife watching, walking, camping — we all connect with wilderness in different ways. Our my wilderness campaign, sponsored by Frontier Airlines, is a way to share and deepen those connections. Learn more today at my.wilderness.org

Wild Places Facing New Challengescontinued from page 1

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Page 7: America's Wilderness Member Newsletter

The Wilderness Society and Frontier Airlines have teamed up to amplify the message that it is up to the American people to protect wilderness and the animals that depend on it.

With a hub in Denver, the low-fare airline serves Alaska and many other places where we are especially active. The company, which fashions itself “a whole different animal,” is known in part by the wildlife

painted on its planes’ tails, including Fritz the Mountain

Goat, Larry the Lynx, and Grizwald the Bear.

There are 57 in all.

“Frontier is more than an airline with animals on its tails,” says Bryan Bedford, chairman, president, and CEO of Fron-tier Airlines. “We are a company with an intense passion for the communities we serve and a real responsibility to help pro-tect the incredible wilderness habitats our guests travel to each and every day and which our ‘spokesanimals’ call home.”

One example of the partnership is the my wilderness campaign. This interactive campaign on our Web site asks people to share their favorite outdoors experi-ences—perhaps hiking in a national park, fishing on a favorite river, camping with

friends, or simply throwing a ball with a daughter in a neighborhood park. “You can enter contests to win wilderness trips, watch videos featuring the wild place of the month, get outdoors tips, and learn more about the places you love,” says Jane Taylor, vice president for communi-cations and marketing.

During the final week of May, Frontier matched, dollar-for-dollar, all contribu-tions to The Wilderness Society made at www.wilderness.org.

“We are very excited about this partner-ship,” Taylor says. “We believe it inspires people to care about wilderness and experience nature’s treasures firsthand. Together we can protect the places we love by connecting people to iconic American landscapes.”

Welcome aboard, spokesanimals!

Pasadena’s Carl Siechert, a Wilderness Society member for nearly 30 years, has many talents. He has authored or co-authored more than 15 books on Microsoft products, including mega-hits Windows® 7 Inside Out and Micro-soft Office 2010 Inside Out. He helped start LittleMachineShop.com, a booming business that sells lathes and mills to metal-working hobbyists. And he can hike long distances; in 1977 he hiked from Mexico to Canada along the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail.

His wife Jan has put a lot of miles on her odometer, too. For 32 years she was a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. Now Jan operates

a dog-walking business, hikes frequently, and racks up 10 to 20 miles a day biking from place to place. Naturally, the couple met on a Sierra Club hike in what today is the Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness.

Both are active volunteers. Jan helps the Pasadena Humane Society, among others, while Carl’s causes include the Boys and Girls Club. They work together for a young nonprofit called ADZPCTKO (Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kickoff ).

Despite all these demands on their time, the Siecherts are active and generous members

of The Wilderness Society and serve on our President’s Council. In that capacity, they

flew to Washington in May to urge members of Congress to support legislation protecting wilderness in the San Gabriel Mountains and elsewhere in California.

“I like The Wilderness Society’s science-based approach,” Carl says. “I’ve been able to meet a number of staff members and have been impressed by their dedication and smarts. They always make a rational, facts-backed case to decision-makers.”

“One of the things I like,” Jan adds, “is that The Wilderness Society is reaching out more and more to young people and minorities. If we don’t get more people involved in this cause, it will be hard to succeed.”

High-Mileage Couple Committed to Wilderness

1-800-THE-WILD www.wilderness.org 7

I like The Wilderness Society’s science-based approach.“ “

Frontier Airlines Now a Partner

Page 8: America's Wilderness Member Newsletter

Your Wilderness.Your Legacy.

Your bequest gives naturesomething to smile about.

Contact us today to learn how you can leave The Wilderness Society in your will, trust or other estate plan and have the peace of mind that your legacy will help to protect wilderness forever.

888-736-4897 [email protected]

NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTHE

WILDERNESSSOCIETY

This newsletter was printed on 100%-recycled paper (50% post-consumer waste) certified by SmartWood to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard. The paper was processed chlorine-free using biogas energy. As a result, we used 85 fewer trees than we would have if printing on virgin paper. We also reduced water use by 50,980 gallons, greenhouse gas emissions by 11,861 pounds, and solid waste by 5,401 pounds.

The Wilderness Society meets all standards as set forth by the Better Business Bureau/Wise Giving Alliance.

One of the most cost-efficient and effective ways to save special wild places is by giving through a workplace giving program such as the United Way or the Combined Federal Campaign. TWS is also a member of Earth Share, a federation of environmental charities (www.earthshare.org).

The Wilderness Society would like to say “thank you” to all donors who have made donations

through a workplace giving campaign.

To learn more, please visit http://wilderness.org/

donate/workplace or call us at 1-800-THE-WILD.

The Wilderness Society’s new designation number is 10638.

save a specialwild placeby participating in your

workplace giving campaign.

The Wilderness Society1615 M St., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036www.wilderness.org202-833-23001-800-THE-WILD

Join Our Wilderness Sustainers ProgramAs a member of our Wilderness Sustainers, you can help The Wilderness Society protect America’s wild places and wildlife through good times and bad. By providing dependable monthly income, you make it easier for us to plan ahead and make stronger commitments. To join online today, go to wilderness.org/donate and click on “Monthly Gifts.”

WATCH OVER AMERICA’S WILD PLACES EVERY DAY