[CMCEmail] Action Alert: Comments due THIS TUESDAY (12/17)
cmcemail at californiamountaineer.com
Sun Dec 15 21:02:45 EST 2013
w6swDb52nue5taWsNZPXL4VNAmeLQ==> HSHA mountain range logo and address
Comments Due this Tuesday (Dec 17) by 10:59 pm Pacific Time
Tell the Park Service how you feel about its proposal to use chemical
poisons to remove fish from lakes and streams in Sequoia and King Canyon
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) recently released a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that proposes to "restore" native
species in high-elevation aquatic ecosystems within these parks. The plan
focuses on eradication of nonnative trout from numerous backcountry lakes
for the primary purpose of improving conditions for mountain yellow-legged
frogs, which have suffered significant declines in recent decades, are
preyed upon by trout, and are at growing risk of extinction due to several
The plan calls for fish to be removed from 32 backcountry lakes, 50 ponds, 5
marshes, and 41 miles of streams. SEKI's "preferred alternative" proposes to
use a combination of both physical methods (i.e., electrofishing,
gillnetting, and manual destruction of fish nests or "redds") and poisoning
wilderness waters with chemical pesticides.
The plan calls for poisoning 6 lakes, 26 ponds, 4 marshes, and 27 miles of
stream---in some of SEKI's most remote and pristine areas---using pesticides
containing rotenone, which kills all gill-breathing organisms by blocking
the uptake of oxygen. Lakes on the "hit list" for chemical poisoning
include: Amphitheater Lake (near Observation Peak), Slide Lake (near the
Monarch Divide), lakes and ponds in lower Sixty Lakes Basin, Moose Lake
(near Tablelands and Tokopah Valley), and two unnamed lakes in the
headwaters of the Kern River (near Lake South America). The 27 miles of
streams proposed to be poisoned include streams that connect various lakes
and ponds, as well as streams below lakes that would be treated using only
The High Sierra Hikers Association supports reasonable efforts to protect
and restore the disappearing mountain yellow-legged frog, but we strongly
object to the use of chemical poisons in SEKI's wilderness, for numerous
reasons. First, the use of poisons is unnecessary; fish could be removed
using manual methods. Second, many areas of the park would be closed during
chemical poisoning, significantly affecting wilderness visitors. Third,
wilderness waters would be unsafe to drink for weeks (or even months) after
poisoning. And fourth, fish poisons such as rotenone are non-selective, and
are known to kill other non-target animals.
The National Park Service (NPS) euphemistically labels rotenone and other
fish-killing chemicals as "piscicides," implying that such poisons are
selectively toxic to fish; however, the reality is that they are toxic to
any gill-breathing organisms, including amphibians, aquatic insects,
zooplankton, and other invertebrates. Consequently, the NPS is in effect
arguing that the aquatic ecosystems to be "restored" for the benefit of
frogs must first be largely destroyed.
The DEIS freely acknowledges that rotenone will have severe impacts on
aquatic invertebrates and other non-target organisms, but opines that these
impacts are outweighed by potential benefits to frogs and other organisms
that are preyed upon by fish.
The NPS attempts to rationalize the use of chemical poisons by arguing that
attainment of its restoration goals cannot be achieved using physical
methods alone. It argues that 100% eradication of fish from the lakes it
wants to poison is not possible because the lakes are "too large and deep"
for physical methods. Yet, the NPS acknowledges that it has already entirely
removed fish from 11 lakes within SEKI using only physical methods, and two
of those lakes are larger in size than most (four of the six) lakes now
proposed for chemical poisoning.
As one example, the NPS proposes removing fish from Wanda Lake---at 228
acres the largest lake in SEKI in terms of surface area---using only
physical methods. How is it possible that NPS can achieve fish eradication
in this lake using gill nets, but not in Amphitheater or Moose lakes? The
likely answer is that the NPS does not want to employ chemical poisoning in
full view of the public. Wanda Lake lies along the John Muir Trail, and the
NPS would likely have to close the area to human use if this lake were to be
The NPS also rationalizes chemical poisons in stream/wetland networks
because they are "too complex" to eradicate fish using electrofishing and
gill nets. Yet those same characteristics also make it extraordinarily
difficult to achieve a complete fish kill using chemical methods. This means
that many lakes, streams, and ponds would have to be repeatedly
poisoned---multiple times over multiple years. And during those treatments
the areas would be repeatedly closed to public use until the concentration
of rotenone decreases to "safe" levels.
Because the breakdown of rotenone is temperature dependent (i.e., rotenone
persists longer in cold water), it will be weeks or even months before
wilderness visitors could safely drink the water after it is poisoned.
Additionally, helicopters and/or packstock (i.e., horses and mules) will be
used to transport supplies and crews of 8 to 15 people into these remote
locations for these treatments, resulting in noise, commotion, damage to
fragile ecosystems, and diminished opportunities for solitude.
The DEIS fails to present any compelling evidence that chemical poisoning of
wilderness waters is essential for accomplishing the objective of
establishing a network of refuge areas for frogs, and HSHA believes that
these goals can be met using non-chemical methods, which are far less
destructive to aquatic ecosystems, and far less intrusive for wilderness
visitors. In short, despite the NPS's claims, the use of poisons is a matter
of expediency, not necessity.
What you can do:
Send a letter or electronic comments to the Park Service saying that you
strongly oppose the use of chemical poisons in the wilderness of Sequoia and
Kings Canyon NPs. Here are some points that you might consider making in
your letter, though please keep in mind that it is most effective if you use
your own words to describe how the poisoning of wilderness waters would
impact your use and enjoyment of SEKI's magnificent backcountry.
1) The DEIS fails to provide a compelling rationale for the necessity of
chemical poisoning. Fish removal in most of the areas proposed for chemical
treatments could be achieved through manual/physical means. In areas where
physical removal is truly not possible, the Park Service should look for
opportunities in other basins where fish could be removed by physical means,
rather than resorting to chemical poisons.
2) As documented in the DEIS, chemical treatments have severe impacts on
aquatic invertebrate communities even at the concentrations proposed for use
by the Park Service. Point out that rare and/or endemic invertebrate species
may be extirpated by chemical poisons, causing irrevocable changes to these
3) The impacts of physical fish removal on the enjoyment of park visitors
would be far less than the massive intrusion of chemical poisoning
4) Evidence from numerous other rotenone applications in the West indicates
that frequently a single rotenone treatment does not result in a 100% fish
kill, thus requiring multiple treatments over multiple years. Consequently,
both the ecological and aesthetic impacts are more severe than the DEIS
We know this is a busy season of year, and that we haven't given you much
time to respond. But your letter can be brief. The most important thing is
to let the Park Service know that the public is strongly opposed to the use
of highly destructive chemical poisons within wilderness areas---areas that
are afforded the highest level of protection of any lands in the United
The deadline for electronic comments is:
10:59 PM Pacific Time, Tuesday December 17
Comments can be sent directly to the Park Service via its website at this
The NPS's comment webpage for this project will disappear at midnight
Mountain Time. You must hit the "send" button by 10:59 Pacific Time.
Comments can also be sent via regular mail (postmarked by Dec 17) to the
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
ATTN: Restoration Plan/DEIS
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271
Please DO NOT forward this alert to the Park Service with your comments.
(It's better to not comment at all than to forward our alert to the NPS.)
Get involved. Together, we can make a difference !!!
NPS project website
for SEKI poisoning plan
High Sierra Hikers Association | P. O. Box 8920 | South Lake Tahoe | CA |
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"Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Mpango huo unazingatia kuondolewa kwa samaki wa aina ya trout kutoka maziwa mengi ya nchi za nyuma kwa kusudi la kuboresha hali ya samaki wa mlimani wa miguu ya manjano, ambao wamepungua kwa kiasi kikubwa katika miongo ya hivi karibuni, wanaathiriwa na samaki wa trout, na wanakabiliwa na hatari ya kutoweka kutokana na mafuriko kadhaa. "Ubadilishaji unaopendekezwa wa SEKI unapendekeza kutumia mchanganyiko wa mbinu zote mbili za kimwili (yaani, uvuvi wa umeme, uvuvi wa kamba, na uharibifu wa mikono wa viota vya samaki au ""reds") na sumu ya maji ya jangwa na dawa za kuua wadudu za kemikali." Mpango huo unalenga kuharibu maziwa sita, vidimbwi 26 na mabwawa 4 na vijito vya maji vya kilomita 27 katika maeneo ya mbali zaidi ya SEKI kwa kutumia dawa za kuua wadudu zenye rotenone, ambayo huua viumbe vyote vinavyoweza kupumua kwa kuzuia oksijeni. Maziwa yaliyo kwenye orodha ya hatari ya sumu ya kemikali ni pamoja na: Ziwa Amphitheater (karibu na kilele cha uchunguzi), Ziwa Slide (karibu na Monarch Divide), Ziwa na vidimbwi katika chini ya Sixty Lakes Basin, Ziwa Moose (karibu na Tablelands na Tokopah Valley), na ziwa mbili zisizo na jina katika chemchemi ya Mto Kern (karibu na Ziwa Amerika Kusini). "Mito ya 27 iliyopendekezwa kuharibiwa inajumuisha mito inayounganisha maziwa na vidimbwi mbalimbali, pamoja na mito iliyo chini ya maziwa ambayo itatibiwa kwa kutumia tu ""Mashirika ya Safari ya High Sierra"" inasaidia juhudi za busara za kulinda na kurejesha mwamba wa miguu ya manjano wa mlima, lakini tunapinga sana matumizi ya sumu za kemikali katika jangwa la Seki kwa sababu nyingi." Kwanza, hakuna haja ya kutumia sumu; samaki wangeweza kuondolewa kwa kutumia mbinu za mikono. Pili, maeneo mengi ya mbuga hiyo yangefungwa wakati wa sumu ya kemikali, na hivyo kuathiri sana wageni wa porini. Tatu, maji ya jangwa yangekuwa yasiyo salama kunywa kwa majuma (au hata miezi) baada ya sumu. Na nne, sumu za samaki kama vile rotenone hazichagui, na zinajulikana kuua wanyama wengine wasio lengo. "Hii ni kwa sababu, kwa mujibu wa National Park Service (NPS), ""rotenone"" na kemikali nyingine za kuua samaki ni ""piscicides,"" ikimaanisha kwamba sumu hizo ni sumu kwa samaki; hata hivyo, ukweli ni kwamba ni sumu kwa viumbe vyote vinavyoweza kupumua kwa gills, ikiwa ni pamoja na amphibians, wadudu wa majini, zooplankton, na wanyama wengine wasio na uti wa mgongo." Kwa hiyo, NPS ni kwa kweli kusisitiza kwamba mifumo ya ikolojia ya majini kuwa "kurudishwa" kwa manufaa ya vyura lazima kwanza kuharibiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Rotenone itakuwa na athari kali kwa wanyama wa majini wasio na uti wa mgongo na viumbe vingine visivyo vya lengo, lakini ina maoni kwamba athari hizi zinazidi faida za uwezekano kwa vyura na viumbe vingine vinavyotumiwa na samaki.""" NPS inajaribu kusawazisha matumizi ya sumu za kemikali kwa kusema kwamba kufikia malengo yake ya kurudisha haiwezi kupatikana kwa kutumia mbinu za kimwili pekee. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""kuangamiza samaki kwa asilimia 100 katika maziwa ambayo wanataka kuua kwa sumu haiwezekani kwa sababu maziwa ni makubwa sana na ya kina kirefu sana kwa mbinu za kimwili.""" Hata hivyo, NPS inathibitisha kuwa tayari imeondoa samaki kabisa kutoka maziwa 11 ndani ya SEKI kwa kutumia mbinu za kimwili tu, na maziwa mawili ya hayo ni makubwa zaidi kwa ukubwa kuliko maziwa mengi (nne kati ya sita) ambayo sasa yamependekezwa kwa sumu ya kemikali. Kwa mfano, NPS inapendekeza kuondoa samaki kutoka Ziwa Wanda - katika ekari 228 ziwa kubwa zaidi katika SEKI kwa suala la eneo la uso - kwa kutumia mbinu za kimwili tu. Ni kwa nini NPS inaweza kuondoa samaki katika ziwa hili kwa kutumia wavu wa gill, lakini sio katika ziwa la Amphitheatre au Moose? "Jibu linalowezekana ni kwamba NPS haitaki kutumia sumu ya kemikali mbele ya umma.""" Ziwa la Wanda liko kando ya njia ya John Muir, na NPS ingekuwa na uwezekano wa kufunga eneo hilo kwa matumizi ya binadamu ikiwa ziwa hili lingekuwa na NPS pia inaelezea sumu za kemikali katika mitandao ya mkondo wa maji ya maji kwa sababu ni ngumu sana kuondoa samaki kwa kutumia uvuvi wa umeme na wavu wa gill. Hata hivyo, sifa hizo hizo pia hufanya iwe vigumu sana kuua samaki kwa njia ya kemikali. Hii inamaanisha kwamba maziwa mengi, vijito, na vidimbwi zingehitaji kuharibiwa mara kwa mara - mara nyingi kwa miaka mingi. Wakati wa matibabu hayo, maeneo hayo yangefungwa kwa mara kwa mara kwa matumizi ya umma hadi mkusanyiko wa rotenone utakapopungua hadi viwango "safi". Kwa sababu uharibifu wa rotenone unategemea joto (yaani, rotenone inadumu kwa muda mrefu katika maji baridi), itakuwa wiki au hata miezi kabla ya wageni wa jangwa wanaweza kunywa maji kwa usalama baada ya sumu. Kwa kuongezea, helikopta na (au) mifugo (yaani, farasi na punda) itatumiwa kusafirisha vifaa na wafanyakazi wa watu 8 hadi 15 katika maeneo haya ya mbali kwa matibabu haya, ikisababisha kelele, msukosuko, uharibifu wa mazingira dhaifu, na fursa zilizopunguzwa za upweke. "Kama matokeo, ""DeSIS haijatoa ushahidi wowote wa kulazimisha kwamba sumu ya kemikali ya maji ya jangwa ni muhimu kwa kutimiza lengo la kuanzisha mtandao wa maeneo ya makazi kwa ajili ya vyura, na HSHA inaamini kwamba malengo haya yanaweza kukamilika kwa kutumia mbinu zisizo za kemikali, ambazo ni chini ya uharibifu kwa mifumo ya ikolojia ya maji, na chini ya intrusive kwa wageni wa jangwa.""" Kwa kifupi, licha ya madai ya NPS, matumizi ya sumu ni suala la ufanisi, si uhitaji. "Kama unavyoweza kufanya, tumia barua au maoni ya elektroniki kwa Huduma ya Hifadhi ukisema kwamba unapinga kabisa matumizi ya sumu za kemikali katika jangwa la Sequoia na Kings Canyon NP.""" Hapa kuna mambo ambayo unaweza kufikiria kufanya katika barua yako, ingawa tafadhali kumbuka kuwa ni ufanisi zaidi ikiwa unatumia maneno yako mwenyewe kuelezea jinsi sumu ya maji ya jangwa itaathiri matumizi yako na kufurahia ya backcountry ya SEKI. 1) DEIS haitoi uthibitisho wenye kushawishi wa uhitaji wa sumu ya kemikali. Kuondolewa kwa samaki katika maeneo mengi yaliyopendekezwa kwa matibabu ya kemikali inaweza kupatikana kwa njia ya mikono / kimwili. Katika maeneo ambapo kuondoa kimwili ni kweli haiwezekani, Huduma ya Hifadhi inapaswa kuangalia fursa katika mabwawa mengine ambapo samaki inaweza kuondolewa kwa njia ya kimwili, badala ya kutumia sumu ya kemikali. Kama ilivyoelezwa katika DEIS, matibabu ya kemikali yana athari kubwa kwa jamii za wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo wa maji hata katika viwango vilivyopendekezwa kwa matumizi ya Huduma ya Hifadhi. "Kama vile, ""mimea ya wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo inaweza kuharibiwa na sumu za kemikali, na kusababisha mabadiliko ya kutoweza kubadilishwa kwa hizi."" - Rotenone, ""Uchunguzi wa Rotenone unaonyesha kwamba matibabu ya mara moja hayasababisha uharibifu wa 100% wa samaki, na hivyo inahitaji matibabu mengi zaidi ya miaka." Kwa hivyo, athari za kiikolojia na urembo ni kali zaidi kuliko DEIS, tunajua hii ni msimu wa shughuli nyingi wa mwaka, na kwamba hatujakupa muda mwingi wa kujibu. Lakini barua yako yaweza kuwa fupi. "Kila mtu anaweza kutuma maoni yake kwa huduma ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi ya Hifadhi.""" "Kama unavyoona, lazima uingie kwenye ""Tuma"" kabla ya saa 10:59 kwa muda wa Pasifiki." Maelezo yanaweza pia kutumwa kupitia barua ya kawaida (postmarked na Desemba 17) kwa Hifadhi za Kitaifa za Sequoia na Kings Canyon ATTN: Mpango wa Kurudisha (DEIS 47050) General Highway, Three Rivers, CA 93271 Tafadhali usipeleke tahadhari hii kwa Huduma ya Hifadhi na maoni yako. Ni bora kutosema chochote kuliko kuhamisha tahadhari yetu kwa NPS. Jiunge na jambo hilo. Pamoja, tunaweza kufanya tofauti! !! NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: NPS: N "Kifungu cha 8 ""Kufanya kazi kwa njia ya HTML"" - Kifungu cha 8 ""Kufanya kazi kwa njia ya HTML"" - Kifungu cha 8 ""Kufanya kazi kwa njia ya HTML"" - Kifungu cha 8 ""Kufanya kazi kwa njia ya HTML"" - Kifungu cha 8 ""Kufanya kazi kwa njia ya HTML"""