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Post Office Box 506 Santa Cruz, CA 95061 | 831-423-3191 www.ventanawild.org vwa@ventanawild.org |
May 1, 2000
Will Metz, Acting District Ranger
Monterey Ranger District, LPNF
406 S. Mildred Avenue
King City, CA 93930
RE: HELICOPTER FLY-IN HUNTING PROPOSAL
Dear Ranger Metz,
The Ventana Wilderness Alliance would like to express our strong opposition to the recently announced proposal for a helicopter fly-in hunting service to be conducted in the Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest, and we urge you to deny the application outright. Given the potential impacts of this proposal as listed below, we hereby request that if it is to be given further consideration a full Environmental Analysis (EA) be completed prior to a decision being made.
Our concerns with regard to the proposal include, but are not limited to:
- Unacceptable noise and visual pollution levels: While the proposed landing sites are all outside of designated Wilderness, most of these portal areas are frequented by Forest users seeking a degree of quiet and solitude. The noise and general disruption caused by low flying and landing helicopters will disturb the experiences sought by users of these areas (including other hunters).
- Impacts on local wildlife: The proposed landing and low-altitude flying of helicopters within the Monterey Ranger District has the potential to negatively impact local wildlife including the recently reintroduced California Condor, a Federally listed species, which is regularly observed in the immediate area of at least one of the proposed landing sites.
- Potential to introduce and/or spread the seeds of invasive exotic plant species: Using helicopters for recreational access the backcountry raises the risk of non-native invasive plant seed distribution to a whole new level.
- Difficulty for the USFS to effectively monitor backcountry helicopter activity: Given the current level of manpower and funding available to the Monterey District, it seems very unlikely that necessary and adequate monitoring of backcountry helicopter activity can be accomplished.
- Difficulty for CDF&G to monitor hunting activity: For the California Department of Fish and Game to enforce game regulations and effectively monitor hunting activity that stems from backcountry helicopter access would likely prove very difficult
- Lack of Forest Regulations with regard to helicopter activity on Forest lands: To the best of our knowledge there are currently no forest regulations regarding the landing or low-level flying of aircraft on or over the non-Wilderness areas of the Monterey Ranger District. Without relevant guidelines and regulations in place, any proposed activity that has the potential to impact the Forest as strongly as this one does should not even be considered for approval.
While the Ventana Wilderness Alliance is strongly opposed to this proposal, we would like to make it clear that we support legal hunting practices within the Monterey Ranger District. The issue here is commercial backcountry helicopter access, which, be it for hunting, camping, sightseeing or any other non-official purpose is clearly a threat to the general public's enjoyment of our National Forest lands.
Thank you for this opportunity to comment. Please mail a copy of the draft NEPA document for this proposal the Ventana Wilderness Alliance and also to the California Wilderness Coalition so that each organization may offer further input.
Please keep us advised of all developments with regard to this proposal as they occur.
Sincerely,
Boon Hughey, Board Member
Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Cc: The Honorable Sam Farr
The Honorable Lois Capps
