When it comes to public land access and recreational opportunities on federal lands, President Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Perdue have been clear: land managers need to increase access, and they need to increase recreational opportunities on public lands.

So why is the opposite being proposed by the US Forest Service when it comes to the Helena Lewis & Clark National Forest?

Citizens for Balanced Use (CBU) provided this response to the revised plan on their website:

The Helena Lewis and Clark National Forest (HLCNF), under the direction of Bill Avey, has decided to go against National Policy, and the direction from Region 1, by removing motorized and mechanized use in areas designated as Recommended Wilderness Areas (RWA) in the new Forest Plan. This action results in the HLCNF creating large blocks of land managed as wilderness without consent of Congress. Only Congress has the authority to create wilderness. The removal of motorized and mechanized use in RWAs by the HLCNF in their plan must be objected to and we ask all our members to file an objection to this action.

Rep. Kerry White (R-Bozeman) has been a longtime advocate for increased access on public lands, especially through his work with CBU. He joined us on the radio recently to update listeners with his concerns about the revised plan for the Helena Lewis and Clark National Forest. White says cyclists, snowmobilers, and others will lose thousands of acres of access under the plan.

If you'd like to weigh in with your opposition to the proposed plan, check out the CBU website by clicking here.

Here is audio of our conversation with Kerry White:

 

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