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Montana Wilderness Association supports the work of the Eastern Wildlands Chapter and the Pryors Coalition, and we offer our endorsement of the Citizens' Vision for the Pryor Mountains of Montana. The Pryor Mountains form a unique and wonderful landscape, and they deserve the effort you have given for their protection. You have outlined concrete steps the Forest Service can take to alleviate the growing threat to the Pryors from excessive motorized use. The Forest Service should manage the Pryors to give everyone a chance to enjoy them in their own way: by riding horses, hiking, viewing wildlife, camping, hunting, discovering rare wildflowers, and also by riding ATVs and motorbikes. The Pryors are big enough for everyone, and we all have a place amidst their expansive beauty. The Pryors Coalition is right also in its approach to road designation. The Forest Service should indeed keep large areas of the Pryors open specifically for non-motorized use. As more and more people move to Southeastern Montana, these areas of refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city will become rarer and more precious. We need the foresight to keep places like Lost Water Canyon, Punch Bowl, and Bear Canyon as special as they are today. The Pryors Coalition proposal, if adopted by the Forest Service, will accomplish this -- while still providing over 75 miles of routes for motorized recreation. Clearly, the Coalition has pulled off an incredible balancing act. We are heartened to see the diverse interests represented by so many groups coming together to support this "Vision," from the Back Country Horsemen of Montana to The Cloud Foundation. We are pleased to add our organization’s name to the list. We applaud the Pryors Coalition's efforts to reach out to organizations with such divergent viewpoints, and we hope that new organizations will continue to join. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to voice our enthusiastic support for Eastern Wildlands and the good work of those striving to protect the Pryors. |