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Our Issues
Here are the issues the Sawtooth Group is working on. If you'd like to get involved, please click on the "Contact Us" link to the left. Click on one of the links below to learn more about that issue.
HR 222, CIEDRA (Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act) is a bill being introduced into Congress by Idaho Representative Mike Simpson. While this bill would create 312,000 acres of substandard wilderness, it will also designate over 500,000 acres of immediately adjacent land in which motorized access would be given special priority over other uses.
This bill is touted as a wilderness bill but it is not supportive of wilderness values. CIEDRA is the most egregious example to date of a growing trend in Congress that makes wilderness preservation contingent on the sacrifice of other public lands. Unlike traditional wilderness legislation, wilderness provisions are now folded into multipurpose bills that facilitate water and land development, and bolster local control over assets that belong to all Americans.
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NREPA (Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act) is the gold standard for Wilderness bills. It is a science-based bill that protects and restores a major portion of the Northern Rockies ecosystem.
NREPA takes an ecosystem approach to wildland protection and management. It would designate as Wilderness (the strongest protection the federal government can confer on public lands) nearly 7 million acres of wilderness in Montana, 9.5 million acres of wilderness in Idaho, 5 million acres of wilderness in Wyoming, 750,000 acres in eastern Oregon, and 500,000 acres in eastern Washington. Included in this total are over 3 million acres in Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Teton National Parks.
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Public lands contain some of the most treasured open space, pristine landscapes, and ecosystems remaining in the country. Our public land legacy is linked with the very identity of our nation.
Losses from the public domain are irreversible. While not all are equally egregious, any land exchange or sale whittles away at remaining open space, wildlife habitat, water supplies, fisheries, forests, and sustainability.
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The importance of protecting and preserving viable wildlife populations cannot be overstated. The threat or loss of species is an indicator of the health of an ecosystem.
As our population grows and our cities sprawl into the countryside, healthy and natural habitat is removed or degraded preventing normal interactions, healthy breeding or safe travel for many species. While some species can adapt, many cannot. The loss of habitat usually leads to conflicts between animals and humans, with the animals coming out the losers. In recent times, the primary law that provided some balance, the federal Endangered Species Act, has been significantly weakened by the Bush Administration directly and by the Supreme Court it has appointed.
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As the world’s population grows exponentially, the demand for natural resources to sustain life continues to grow faster than our ability to increase production. While some global changes may be cyclical in the context of geologic time, there can be no question that man has an increasing impact. Clean water, clean air, food production, climate change are all affected by population growth.
On a global level, as a society, we must focus on all the available tools to address our impact on our planet and its resources. While the principles of Smart Growth are not the answer to all the issues, adhering to these principles will reduce impacts, while creating more vibrant and livable communities.
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After years of debate, a near consensus among the world's scientists has concluded that we are warming the planet, and unless we take steps now to curb global warming, our way of life, our planet, and our children are all in grave danger.
But there is hope. Each us can make simple decisions that will reduce global warming pollution. The Sierra Club's network of activists and volunteers are dedicated to curbing global warming. We are working with churches, labor unions, mayors and state governments to bring about a cleaner, smarter energy future.
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