Sample Letter

Dear Northern Great Plains Planning Team:

The proposed Plan for the Thunder Basin doesn't give this public prairie the protection needed to conserve and restore the important wildlife and other natural values dear to me. I call on the Forest Service to improve the Plan by:

• Recommending all six roadless areas for wilderness designation.
• Recommending the Cheyenne River for wild and scenic river designation.
• Increasing the black-footed ferret restoration area to the full acreage available.
• Shifting from an emphasis on domestic livestock grazing (93%) to grazing by wildlife. To this end, wild bison restoration should be made a priority.
• Restoring prairie dog colonies to at least 20% of suitable habitat and eliminating poisoning and shooting on these public lands.
• Strengthening standards to conserve at risk wildlife and plants. Lethal predator control must be prohibited, protection must be provided for native fisheries dependant on turbid waters, all construction and pesticide use within 2 miles of important sites for breeding and nesting birds and swift fox must be prohibited, and a complete list of at risk species must be developed and protections devised.
• Designating all the potential research natural areas.
• Protecting roadless areas, special interest areas, research natural areas, and important wildlife and recreation areas from oil, gas and coal-bed methane development.