Muledeer4me
New member
http://www.sharetrails.org/releases/media/
"RENO, NV (October 25) -- A snow-capped Sierra offered a breathtaking backdrop at an inaugural meeting of outdoor journalists. The 2004 Annual Conference of the Western Outdoor Writers was held in Reno, Nevada on October 21-24. The BlueRibbon Coalition, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Range Magazine were just a few of the presenters.
Don Amador gives "Unmanaged Recreation" presentation to WOW members.
click image to view
The BlueRibbon Coalition, a national trail-based recreation group, talked about "Unmanaged Recreation" and the need for federal leadership to focus on success stories with increased funding for staff and resource management. Agency commitment to their recreation programs was also noted as a key factor. Hunter ethics regarding ATV use generated a lot of discussion.
Steve Williams, director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, offered insights into the agency's many challenges in the 21st Century as they try to balance resource protection and enhancement with public needs for access and recreation.
During the module on Forest Health, an "environmentalist" panel member of that segment told the writers that drawing a circle around a piece of land and walking away is the worst thing you can do for the resource. Michael Jackson, a noted eco-attorney and founding member of the Quincy Library Group in the Northern Sierra, stunned some of the journalists by his support for active management of private and public forest lands.
Representatives of the Truckee River Watershed Council informed the writers about their efforts to improve water quality and stream flows. Programs to enhance populations of the Lahontan cutthroat trout and other native aquatic species were highlighted by local professors and resource professionals.
Don Amador, western representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition and event speaker, said, "I think the robust discussion regarding ATV use by hunters during deer or elk season in Western forests was positive.
As some hunters replace pack mules with ATVs it seems that user ethics has not kept pace with the new technology. They generally don't view themselves as OHV users and don't think they are subject to travel management prescriptions that require ATV operators to stay on exiting or designated trails."
"As we address recreation access and resource issues, I think user groups and outdoor journalists should work together to help educate outdoorsmen on ethical use of motorized equipment for access or game retrieval during hunting season. There are 'responsible use' educational programs already developed by groups such as TREAD LIGHTLY!' that should be better utilized by recreationists and outdoor writers," Amador states.
"Western Outdoor Writers should be proud of their first annual conference. I know the BlueRibbon Coalition is proud to support their efforts to tell the recreation and outdoor story in a balanced fashion," Amador concludes."
"RENO, NV (October 25) -- A snow-capped Sierra offered a breathtaking backdrop at an inaugural meeting of outdoor journalists. The 2004 Annual Conference of the Western Outdoor Writers was held in Reno, Nevada on October 21-24. The BlueRibbon Coalition, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Range Magazine were just a few of the presenters.
Don Amador gives "Unmanaged Recreation" presentation to WOW members.
click image to view
The BlueRibbon Coalition, a national trail-based recreation group, talked about "Unmanaged Recreation" and the need for federal leadership to focus on success stories with increased funding for staff and resource management. Agency commitment to their recreation programs was also noted as a key factor. Hunter ethics regarding ATV use generated a lot of discussion.
Steve Williams, director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, offered insights into the agency's many challenges in the 21st Century as they try to balance resource protection and enhancement with public needs for access and recreation.
During the module on Forest Health, an "environmentalist" panel member of that segment told the writers that drawing a circle around a piece of land and walking away is the worst thing you can do for the resource. Michael Jackson, a noted eco-attorney and founding member of the Quincy Library Group in the Northern Sierra, stunned some of the journalists by his support for active management of private and public forest lands.
Representatives of the Truckee River Watershed Council informed the writers about their efforts to improve water quality and stream flows. Programs to enhance populations of the Lahontan cutthroat trout and other native aquatic species were highlighted by local professors and resource professionals.
Don Amador, western representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition and event speaker, said, "I think the robust discussion regarding ATV use by hunters during deer or elk season in Western forests was positive.
As some hunters replace pack mules with ATVs it seems that user ethics has not kept pace with the new technology. They generally don't view themselves as OHV users and don't think they are subject to travel management prescriptions that require ATV operators to stay on exiting or designated trails."
"As we address recreation access and resource issues, I think user groups and outdoor journalists should work together to help educate outdoorsmen on ethical use of motorized equipment for access or game retrieval during hunting season. There are 'responsible use' educational programs already developed by groups such as TREAD LIGHTLY!' that should be better utilized by recreationists and outdoor writers," Amador states.
"Western Outdoor Writers should be proud of their first annual conference. I know the BlueRibbon Coalition is proud to support their efforts to tell the recreation and outdoor story in a balanced fashion," Amador concludes."
