December 17, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Keep the Medicine Bow Wild

Laramie - Citizens in Wyoming now have a rare opportunity to protect and restore the Medicine Bow National Forest, according to conservationists. The Forest Service is releasing its draft Environmental Impact Statement for the forest today, in which it has analyzed a wide range of possible forest plans, including one submitted by conservationists entitled the "Keep the Medicine Bow WILD Plan" or Forest Service Alternative "F".

"This plan has the possibility of changing forest management on the Medicine Bow in very significant and very positive ways." Said Eric Bonds of the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "For much too long, this forest has primarily been managed to suit the needs of the timber industry, at the expense of wildlife, wildlands, and the people who love them. We now have an opportunity to bring some badly needed balance to this forest."

The Keep the Medicine Bow WILD Plan will save the Medicine Bow’s last wild places by protecting roadless areas larger than 5,000 acres in size. It will end clear-cut logging in favor of less environmentally damaging types of timber harvest. And, it will protect wildlife and recreational qualities by asking that all motorized vehicles, including snowmobiles, stay on the Forest’s more than 3,000 miles of existing roads and designated trails.

"Having wildlands in which to recreate and a healthy environment on the Medicine Bow really increases the quality of life here in southeastern Wyoming. It’s what makes living here so worthwhile. The Keep the Medicine Bow WILD Plan is the only plan that ensures that these kinds of values will be protected." Said Dave Wagonner, owner of CCH Machining (a local business which makes climbing gear).

But Martha Christensen, professor Emeritus of Botany and member of the Medicine Bow group of the Sierra Club cautions that the Forest Service will never adopt the principles of the Keep the Medicine Bow WILD Plan without an outpouring of public support. "The Medicine Bow National Forest belongs to all Americans. And we’re all responsible for what happens here in the long-run. I hope everyone will take seriously this responsibility and get involved in the Medicine Bow’s management."

"Future generations are going to have to live with the decisions we make today on the Medicine Bow National Forest. That’s why its so important that we all get involved to make the right decisions: to choose sustainable methods of logging, to choose to protect the forest’s last wildlands, and to choose to protect the forest’s rare animals and plants." Said Joy Owen of the University of Wyoming student group Rocky Mountain Activist Network.

The Keep the Medicine Bow WILD Plan is not only being backed by local conservationists, but also regional and national conservation organizations including the Wyoming Outdoor Council and the Wilderness Society.