California bans horse/mule packing in wilderness

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hangingmeat

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HORSE AND MULE PACKING BANNED IN CALIFORNIA NATIONAL PARKS - A federal judge has banned horse and mule packing in California's Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ruling that livestock use violates the Wilderness Act. At least 16 commercial pack outfitters have their livelihoods threatened. Although this battle has been going on for years, please be aware that powerful groups out there seek to destroy our way of life. This court decision is one step closer to closing all public lands from equine use (never mind that every Western backcountry trail was built on the backs of horses and mules). A hearing is scheduled for May 23rd in federal court to determine the next action. I don't know what, if anything, we as equine enthusiasts can do, but please be aware of similar attempts in your areas and talk to your politicians if necessary to protect your rights to use livestock on public lands. I'm not really savvy with social media so please help spread the word amongst your horse and mule friends to save our way of life and keep food on the tables of the commercial packers effects by this ruling. Thanks.
 
thats why we cant allow more wilderness areas. they will eventually weed us all out of them. making something wilderness is phase 1 in operation take away our public lands. phase 2 is take away hunting on public and, phase 3 take away any uses of public land. etc
 
Amazing! I would like to say "only in California" but that's not true. We are all in danger of this kind of big government garbage. The poor Northern Cali guys have to listen to the Southern liberals make rulings just like this. I have long thought that California should be divided in half.


It's always an adventure!!!
 
Making an area a "wilderness area" has nothing to do with pack animals being restricted...thats just a california thing now i guess. Wilderness areas restrict anything with mechanized use such as chainsaws to wheelbarrows... The Frank Church Wilderness in Idaho is the largest continuous wilderness in the lower 48....it is strictly survived in by the use of horses and mules as is many other areas. . Just want to point out that because an area becomes a wilderness area has nothing to do with pack stock being limited out of there, for some reason that is a ridiculous state decision. I make my living in the Wilderness areas of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming with Pack animals, so understand i am more against this than anything, but just want to point out that that it is not because it became a Wilderness area.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-12 AT 07:33AM (MST)[p]mntnguide---You may want to reread what the OP posted a little closer as it was a FEDERAL Judge who issued that ruling and it just happened to be for two locations in California. It could just as easily have been for the areas you mentioned that you making a living in!
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-12 AT 07:41AM (MST)[p]I agree. Two things should worry those that make a living using horses in wilderness areas anywhere.

1)This was a FEDERAL judge

2)Even though these were National parks, he said this violated the WILDERNESS ACT

They will proably try for Yellowsotone next, then move on to "just wilderness" areas.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-12 AT 10:58AM (MST)[p]

mntnguide. i was saying they have it wilderness already thats phase 1 of taking our public land rights away and locking us out. Wilderness areas are already taking away our rights on public lands by not allowing motorized access. Phase 2 is eliminating means of travel such as horses, phase 3 is eliminating hunting and foot traffic. these idiots that make wilderness areas are slowly taking them away inch by inch, they know what they are doing. they already have it wilderness already so that makes it easier to imply other restrictions inch by inch....so each time they take a little more and a little more til eventually its useless.

It all starts out as eliminating offroad traffic then to wilderness by shutting existing roads, then phase 3 shut it down to hunting..... it will begin to happen imo. thats the enviro whackos plans, call me crazy but you cant give these people an inch or they will eventually get a mile!

dont say it wont happen. National monuments and national parks ban hunting, non native wolf introductions. we are losing inch by inch.
 
That's right it could be any or all wilderness areas soon!

I somewhat agree Theox, the first step is to whittle down to less voices to be heard, and mintguide demonstrates the next step with his post, which read to me in a way that said, it's not MY wilderness where I make MY LIVING. I think if we aren't ALL pizzed when they come after a segment of our populace as outdoorsmen and sit and watch because it doesn't DIRECTLY effect US we will all lose at some point.

This should pizz off ANY and all of us. Hopeless as it seems this chit has to stop!

Bill

Kill the buck that makes YOU happy!
 
How soon before backpacking is also considered a violation of the Wilderness Act? Could just be a matter of time given the agendas of some of these extremist groups.

Eldorado
 
Here is the definition of wilderness under the Act of 1964:

(c) A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.

*** I can see where down the line a Liberal Judge could extend the Act to mean that humans shouldn't even set foot in it and leave a bootprint, etc. We need to be vigilant and not let these types of things take root or we will eventually be relegated to our back yards.
 
lets hear the judgment in detail, most of this stuff is blown way out of proportion, and then the not so bright folks spread their rumors all around, I have heard all this stuff before.
The wilderness act is one of the best things congress ever did.
 
This all started over twenty years ago when I lived there. The major complaint began with the "disgusting manure" on the trails that was taking away from the "experience".
 
Rules, rules & more effen rules.
JFC, these politicians and their freakin job justifications.
They feel that if they aren't stacking new laws on the books that they aren't doing their jobs

x(

I am so damn tired of more laws and restrictions on our rapidly disappearing freedoms in this nanny state.
I am truly saddened to think what our children are going to face in the future...

:-(
 
WTF do you expect in a state that has millions and millions more people than the entire country of Canada. Too many people = less freedom to move. california sucks worst in the nation already even before this.
 
I think the judge would have a hard time banning humans with the second purpose of:
(2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation

I would like to read the actual ruling as well. Sounds weird. Wilderness areas help to maintain "primitive and unconfined type(s) of recreation" like horsemanship.

This would be of concern if it is as it reads.

3p2
 
Looks like horse and mule packing trips will continue for the foreseeable future. Good to see some common sense coming out of Washington.

Eldorado
 
Our government seems to be trying to remove any activity that promotes a connection to the land and common sense... Kids on the farm and horses in the mountain parks.

They want us to just be a bunch of fat sheep!
 
I think the thing we all have to consider is the way these Anti's get things done;
1. They band together across the country to push any agenda item

2. They take little bites affecting small groups of sportsmen. They count on the fact that hunters are an independent group that cares little about something they don't perceive as ever going to affect them.

This whole Kings canyon thing is a bit different but all of these actions serve to set very important presidents that are used in court to enact other more important rulings.

I can understand a guy in Missouri thinking, "crazy Ca, who cares?" but do not loose sight of the big picture- they are gunning for your bird hunt, deer hunt, everything hunting/animal rights. Band together and we can hold our own, divided- they win.
 
Game of Californiacation. While hunters fight amongst themselves, we ignore what the libs are doing behind our backs. Got to love it when a judge takes his own agenda to law. "Eww.. horse poop" really? So when they see deer, elk, or coyote poop what do they say? "Ahh, its just part of the experience"????!!!!
Heres a thought... when they are in the woods... do they poop?? All i can say is "eww!"
 
+100

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Sounds like we need to contact our senators and urge them to ratify the bill passed by the house on this matter. The more contacts that are made the more they will realize how many people in all of the states are watching them on issues such as these. What amazes me is that this was a 3 page bill. Most of the congressmen could probably read this one and know what was in it before they passed it. Too bad there are not more 3 page bills and zero 2000+ page bills:)
 

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