Nelson Guda has developed and deployed an incredible new resource for the location, description, and maps of the roadless areas.
His website http://roadlessland.org allows users to look at photos and comments about individual roadless areas and to upload their own comments and photos.
Because this was just announced, so far there are not a lot of comments and photos, but with some help this could become invaluable for locating places to explore with your own effort and to protect from the depredations of the industrial machine that is overrunning the planet.
I think it will be a lot of fun showing folks the photos you have taken and making comments about the places.
I’ve written a number of hiking guides. My tendency on comments was always political . . . .” Hike up the SW side of the ridge. Watch out for rocks that just small enough you can’t step on top of them, but too big not to notice each step. When you get on top, look to the west. The haze is from natural gas drilling and production at emission level’s far beyond that which is legal.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Absolutely excellent.
I noticed the timber industry is already using his website for their propaganda. See this comment from “Montanans for multiple use”:
“The Thompson-Seton has several closed roads within its boundaries. These roads have been closed for a while and are partly regevetated. Even though there was quite a bit of logging done in this area in the past there is still a lot of commercial timber left inside this roadless area.
Because it is not really roadless and because it has a large volume of commercial timber this area should be opened up for multiple use.
– from Montanans For Multiple Use”
I hate to say it, but my reaction was less than enthusiastic, not for the tool/site (which is awesome), but for how little is left. I grew up in Michigan, where there are two tiny green dots in a see of roads. Depressing.
Nelson has an awesome site here! I have used it and refer to it now nearly every day. I’m sorting through my photos taken in 7 of the roadless areas here in western Montana and will post some of the better ones on his site.
too bad it stops at the US borders, other than that a nice utility, albeit depressing.
Looks like a super site! Will be very useful with our support and input!
Congrats Nelson – and thanks!