Keep the Medicine Bow WILD Alternative
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Dear Friend of the Bow:

The future of wild places and wildlife on the Medicine Bow is being determined right now by the on-going revision of the Forest's management plan.

Many of you have written the Forest Service in support of protecting the Medicine Bow's natural wonders. As the Forest Service finalizes the plan, it is important that Governor Dave Freudenthal take a strong stand for the 'Bow. The Governor has a great deal of influence on the shape of the final plan, especially regarding which areas are recommended for wilderness.

We are asking you to call, fax, or write Governor Freudenthal to let him know how much this special forest means to you. Please ask him by September 30th to help protect the natural values of the Medicine Bow. Please send a copy of your correspondence to Medicine Bow Supervisor Mary Peterson. Your voice now can make a big difference.

Some ideas you may want to use in your letter, fax, or phone call:

• Backcountry is scarce in the Medicine Bow, and we need more roadless lands protected for their beauty and quality habitat. All of its roadless areas deserve protection. The Forest Service has recommended Laramie Peak, the Huston Park Additions, Rock Creek and the Encampment River Additions as Wilderness; all four areas are special and deserve full protection. In particular, tell the Governor Laramie Peak is deserving of wilderness status for its picturesque waterfalls and rare birds.
• Ask the Governor to support not only the Forest Service's recommendation of these four areas for Wilderness, but also other areas deserving of wilderness status:
  • Vedauwoo, with its ethereal rock outcrops.
  • Sandstone Canyons, important elk winter range.
  • The trackless forests of the Middle Fork of the Little Laramie and East Fork of the Encampment Rivers.
  • The spectacular peaks and alpine tundra of the Snowy Range.
  • The rugged rockscapes of LaBonte Canyon.
  View photos of these great places.
• Roadless areas are places where folks can find peace and quiet. Only 7 percent of the Medicine Bow is now protected as Wilderness. If these areas are not protected, their landscapes and wildlife populations will be harmed by logging and off-road vehicles. Wilderness and wild areas are good for Wyoming now and in the future to protect quiet recreation, hunting and fishing, and tourism. Studies show tourism is five times more important to our economy than logging. It is our native wildlife and wild places that are valuable to Wyomingites and visitors, not more clearcuts and roads. 3,000 miles of road are enough.
• Ask the Governor to speak out for the protection of wildlife such as the northern goshawk and Colorado River cutthroat trout, and the restoration of the river otter and ptarmigan. Clearcut logging should be banned, and lower-impact shelterwood and selective cutting can be used instead. The citizen's alternative, Keep the Medicine Bow WILD (Forest Service Alternative F), is the best balance between industrial uses, public recreation, and the needs of wildlife.

Governor Dave Freudenthal
State Capitol, Room 124
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 777-7434
Fax: 632-3909

Please Send a Copy of Your Letter to Supervisor Mary Peterson:
Medicine Bow National Forest
2468 Jackson Street
Laramie, WY 82070
Phone: 745-2400
Fax: 745-2467