Our jobs
are under attack.
Rural
mountain communities are once again in the cross-hairs of liberal politicians
and regulators. Having already devastated California’s mining and timber
industries with laws and regulations limiting access to public lands,
environmental radicals have moved full speed into a new round of limitations
that impact recreational use of our National Parks. They want to eliminate the
backcountry horsemen, the only means left by which the vast majority of
Americans, including those with disabilities, are able to gain access to the
American wilderness.
Backcountry
horsemen are part of the American story and have, since the settling of the
West, been responsible for packing people and supplies into some of the most
remote places. They are environmentalists, not in the modern sense, but in the
true sense. These hardworking entrepreneurs understand that public access and
conservation belong together and are sharply contrasted with the vast majority
of urban activists who fund and support the modern environmental movement. Unlike the urban zealots, backcountry
horsemen actually understand the wilderness and are personally invested in its
survival.
Despite
these facts, well-funded radicals are working to put backcountry horsemen out
of business. They filed and won a lawsuit which alleged that operating permits
for these businesses required compliance with environmental laws related to
wilderness areas. The activists and court would have us believe that horses and
pack mules are a threat to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, despite
their longstanding presence in the area and despite a specific Congressional
directive to the contrary (see here).
Ironically,
the Obama Administration is pushing backcountry horsemen out of business at the
same time it is urging Americans to “get outdoors.” The White House initiative
is based on President Obama’s belief that government investments in outdoor
activities are good for the economy.
The
White House could demonstrate an interest in protecting these “outdoor” jobs
with a simple act – one that it has so far refused to entertain. The
Administration simply needs to ask the court for a one year extension of
existing permits. A one year extension would allow adequate time for the
permitting process to be updated in order to reflect new wilderness
requirements and it may spare the small but time honored industry from the
chopping block.
