Senate confirms REI’s Sally Jewell as Interior Secretary

[E.J.]

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepo...rms-reis-sally-jewell-as-interior-department/
How's this going to effect us I wonder? REI seems like kind of a bad word around these parts.

 

[roverrocks]

Since the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance which I consider to be an ecoterrorist organization hellbent on locking up most of Utah supported her nomination I believe she will have a very negative effect in the western U.S. on overlanding, vehicular exploration, and public access in general. Her record looks very slanted in regards to "multiple use" on our public lands. I'm NOT inviting her for tea and crumpets anytime soon.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

I'm perfectly happy with this confirmation. Too many interior secretaries (of both parties) have been nothing but puppets of big oil and timber companies. We could use some balance.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

It would be balance if she sat on a board of interior secretaries, but she is the only one. She is a far left weirdo IMO.

I'm perfectly happy with this confirmation. Too many interior secretaries (of both parties) have been nothing but puppets of big oil and timber companies. We could use some balance.

 

[goodtimes]

I'm NOT inviting her for tea and crumpets anytime soon.

I actually think that it would make a great conversation. Not saying that I would agree with her - but it would be interesting to hear her views. Kind of like having a beer with Che Guevara. I think his political views are absurd, but I'd love to sit down and have a conversation with him & better understand his perception of the world.

 

[gm13]

With the thousands of miles we've access to I have no issue with vehicles being prohibited to protect wild places from ourselves. If I've to park at a gate, throw on a pack and walk into an area, so much the better, good for weeding out the weaklings(weak in the responsibility dept.) As we've all seen, a lot of us don't deserve the right to be in these places. Being from the East where there is so little left of anything remotely like wilderness is a factor in my opinion of course. Out west with so much space you'll probably think differently, it won't last forever though. Hoping she's sensible and does a good job providing for future generations of all critters the enjoyment of wild places we/they have now.

 

[roverrocks]

I actually think that it would make a great conversation. Not saying that I would agree with her - but it would be interesting to hear her views. Kind of like having a beer with Che Guevara. I think his political views are absurd, but I'd love to sit down and have a conversation with him & better understand his perception of the world.

You are very right. Trying to understand viewpoints and concepts on all sides is important. Everybody has valid points to make.

 

[zimm]

look rwnj's, think of it this way....


you get some typical corporate guy in there that is only trying to figure out how to work AROUND congresses limitations, so he and his buddies can get wealthier, the effects of the decisions he makes to sell and exploit are PERMANENT.

whereas any decisions made to CONSERVE, even if they are tree hugging crazy, can be worked with later, by us or future generations.



once the wilderness is gone, its gone. there is no reset button. theres nothing wrong with tapping the brakes when headed down hill.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Good point.

look rwnj's, think of it this way....


you get some typical corporate guy in there that is only trying to figure out how to work AROUND congresses limitations, so he and his buddies can get wealthier, the effects of the decisions he makes to sell and exploit are PERMANENT.

whereas any decisions made to CONSERVE, even if they are tree hugging crazy, can be worked with later, by us or future generations.



once the wilderness is gone, its gone. there is no reset button. theres nothing wrong with tapping the brakes when headed down hill.

 

[anotherguy]

Kind of like having a beer with Che Guevara. I think his political views are absurd, but I'd love to sit down and have a conversation with him & better understand his perception of the world.

He would probably smell pretty bad at this point and be unable to hold his booze.

 

[Christophe Noel]

You can count me amongst the overlanders happy with this confirmation. I don't see these things through a political lens. I assess these issues as someone who grew up with a highly developed appreciation of our wild places as well as our threatened places.

For those who think there is some conspiracy under foot threatening to keep us from enjoying ability to explore the US with our motorized vehicles, I offer this: The greatest span between any two McDonalds in the US is a mere 107 miles. There are plenty of roads to drive.

 

[roverrocks]

You can count me amongst the overlanders happy with this confirmation. I don't see these things through a political lens. I assess these issues as someone who grew up with a highly developed appreciation of our wild places as well as our threatened places.

For those who think there is some conspiracy under foot threatening to keep us from enjoying ability to explore the US with our motorized vehicles, I offer this: The greatest span between any two McDonalds in the US is a mere 107 miles. There are plenty of roads to drive.

Your statement comes under the heading of "famous last words" I'm afraid.

 

[mdmead]

I will give Jewell the benefit of the doubt until her actions show otherwise, but given the groups supporting her confirmation, it doesn't give me a warm fuzzy.
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What this boils down to is how far do you want to hike? If you are agile enough, then maybe having areas we can currently visit via motorized means closed down won't bother you. However, if you are elderly, very young, or otherwise limited in mobility, then your access may very likely be limited.
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I find it interesting folks who build (or want to build) capable overland exploration vehicles would find support for closing off motorized access to secluded spots. I mean really, if you aren't allowed to drive off a graded gravel road, you hardly need anything more than a mini-van.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I mean really, if you aren't allowed to drive off a graded gravel road, you hardly need anything more than a mini-van.

Way ahead of ya. I swapped my built Discovery for a Jeep Patriot.

I do see a time when land mangers will be unable to meet our highly specific demands for off-road tracks. You have to admit, we want rough, but not too rough. Smooth, but not too smooth. Remote, but to your first point, please make it accessible to everyone. Tough to manage all of those specific wants with limited resources.

To your first point, there's no way to make every acre of public land accessible to everyone. I can easily jog down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in a few hours, but I cannot climb to the top of Devil's Tower. Should there be a staircase to the top of DT to fit my particular inabilities to climb that rock? Should there be a tram to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, or should the Rubicon be paved for my Patriot? The argument that off-roads need to exist for the sake of public accessibility are futile. Where do you draw the line?

As we move forward, I do see a time when many off roads will close or become so improved they will stop being "off roads." As others have said countless times before, dedicated off road driving parks may be all that remains for genuine 4x4 fun. Not saying I look forward to those days, but I think that's what lies ahead. One thing is for sure, one appointment of one official of either inclination will not divert that future.

 

[roverrocks]

Way ahead of ya. I swapped my built Discovery for a Jeep Patriot.

I do see a time when land mangers will be unable to meet our highly specific demands for off-road tracks. You have to admit, we want rough, but not too rough. Smooth, but not too smooth. Remote, but to your first point, please make it accessible to everyone. Tough to manage all of those specific wants with limited resources.

To your first point, there's no way to make every acre of public land accessible to everyone. I can easily jog down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in a few hours, but I cannot climb to the top of Devil's Tower. Should there be a staircase to the top of DT to fit my particular inabilities to climb that rock? Should there be a tram to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, or should the Rubicon be paved for my Patriot? The argument that off-roads need to exist for the sake of public accessibility are futile. Where do you draw the line?

As we move forward, I do see a time when many off roads will close or become so improved they will stop being "off roads." As others have said countless times before, dedicated off road driving parks may be all that remains for genuine 4x4 fun. Not saying I look forward to those days, but I think that's what lies ahead. One thing is for sure, one appointment of one official of either inclination will not divert that future.

Your weird vision of your obviously hoped-for "future" is quite literally out there in the upper reaches of the stratosphere.