According to the California Wilderness Coalition, Granite Chief wilderness is currently facing a logging project that would create a permanent road system for loggers. The goal of this project is thinning to establish better forest health and to protect us from serious wildfire danger. According to the CWC, "To facilitate mechanical thinning, permanent roads may be constructed in Backcountry Management Areas (BMAs) set aside by the Forest Service for non-motorized recreation. The BMAs are popular destinations for backcountry skiing, mountain biking, and hiking. Within the BMAs, are two Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs), including portions of the Pyramid IRA along the eastern boundary of the Desolation Wilderness and a potential eastern addition to the Granite Chief Wilderness." Although we do believe fire safety is very important, we are worried about the impact of these permanent roads being created in IRAs. These are very special areas and it does not only seem wrong but in fact, is a violation of the Forest Service’s Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

The question we ask, is there any other way we can protect ourselves from fire danger without constructing new roads in these wilderness areas? It seems wrong to take such a beautiful untouched area and bulldoze through it creating roads and tearing out trees that will impact it forever. How can we keep our community safe while also preserving our beautiful natural habitat? Honestly, we are unsure what the best answer may be but want to make sure that everyone understands what is going on and how our nature may be impacted. The voice of the community must be heard on issues like this so that we all have input on the future of our home. Please feel free to leave a response in the comments to help promote a productive community discussion on this issue.