Forwarding electronic comments from Christropher Lish. David Francomb White River National Forest Deputy District Ranger Aspen-Sopris Ranger District 970.963.2266 ext. 3136 Cell: 970.274.0889 dfrancomb@fs.fed.us From: Kerven, Grant -FS On Behalf Of FS-Mailroom R2 White River Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:39 PM To: Francomb, David A -FS Subject: Fw: WWW Mail: Comments on White River National Forest -- Oil and ----- Forwarded by Grant E Kerven/R2/USDAFS on 10/30/2012 02:38 PM ----- 10/29/2012 11:18 PM To Mailroom R2 White River cc Subject WWW Mail: Comments on White River National Forest -- Oil and To Whom it may Concern: I attempted to email the following comment to wrnfoilandgascomments@fscomments.org per the instructions at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/whiteriver/home/?cid=STELPRDB5391635 . But I got a message back that: Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address. <wrnfoilandgascomments@fscomments.org>: No MX or A records for fscomments.org Please provide me with a valid email address to which I can submit my comments or accept the comment copied below. Thank you. Christopher Lish Monday, October 29, 2012 White River National Forest-Oil and Gas Leasing DEIS PO Box 1919 Sacramento, CA 95812 Dear Mr. Fitzwilliams, As you consider long-term plans for oil and gas leasing in the White River National Forest, please protect our public wildlands from the risks of fracking and other threats. Oil and gas extraction—including drilling, fracking, processing, and pipelines—threatens our clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, pristine and un-fragmented natural areas, as well as the health of nearby communities. Not enough is known about the extent of these risks or how to safeguard the environment and human health from them. “Our duty to the whole, including to the unborn generations, bids us to restrain an unprincipled present-day minority from wasting the heritage of these unborn generations. The movement for the conservation of wildlife and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose and method.” -- Theodore Roosevelt I urge the Forest Service to place all roadless areas of the forest off-limits for new leasing. This was found essential by the national Roadless Rule to preserve the integrity of wild forests and to protect habitat and drinking water from industrial development. Preserving these lands is even more important in the face of ceaseless development pressures and the changing climate. The Thompson Divide, in its entirety, should be unavailable for oil and gas leasing. In addition, the Forest Service must require the highest level of air pollution controls to protect the nearby Class I airshed—which includes natural wonders like the world-famous Maroon Bells. “I think America will have come to maturity when it will be possible to erect somewhere in the United States a great bronze marker which will read: “’Beneath these lands which surround you there lies enormous mineral wealth. However, it is the judgment of the American people, who locked up this area, that these lands shall not be disturbed, because we wish posterity to know that somewhere in our country, in gratitude to nature, there was at least one material resource that we could let alone.’” -- Freeman Tilden I support Alternative B, which places nearly 1.5 million acres off-limits to leasing, while the other alternatives would leave open at least a quarter of a million acres for future oil and gas leasing. If future leasing is allowed, any development should be restricted to areas that are already disturbed, and surface occupancy should be prohibited anywhere on the forest that is not already developed. “Every man who appreciates the majesty and beauty of the wilderness and of wild life, should strike hands with the farsighted men who wish to preserve our material resources, in the effort to keep our forests and our game beasts, game-birds, and game-fish—indeed, all the living creatures of prairie and woodland and seashore—from wanton destruction. Above all, we should realize that the effort toward this end is essentially a democratic movement.” -- Theodore Roosevelt Please protect the beautiful White River National Forest. “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” -- Aldo Leopold Thank you for your consideration of my comments. Please do NOT add my name to your mailing list. I will learn about future developments on this issue from other sources. Sincerely, Christopher Lish Olema, CA This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.