Snowkite Access in Jeopardy
Letter of Support:
Please help the kitesurfing family maintain access to beautiful locations at sites around the globe. All popular snowkiting sites within "Wilderness" designated areas in the U.S. are in jeopardy of being shut down. For instance, The Three Sisters Wilderness next to Bend and the Mt. Hood Wilderness area, which are incredibly beautiful spot's to Snowkite with vast snow-covered terrain and mountains.
Small groups of people feel that snowkiting should not be done in a winter wilderness area and want to shut down access to kiters. Therefore, we have formed a committee and will be meeting with the U.S. Forest Service, who does a great job of overseeing these areas, to discuss this issue. Some of the points that we will bring out in the meetings will be that snowkiting is eco-friendly, helps local businesses, is a healthy winter recreation, has a no impact on wildlife during the winter months, and has a large following of passionate participants. The one worry that we have is that if for any reason these sites are shut down, then a precedent could be set that could cause similar sites in the U. S. and around the world to also be shut down. The worldwide kite family loves to Snowkite and to kite surf in beautiful locations. These locations are away from the crowded cities and are in remote areas. Kiting in these areas makes the most sense because of the eco-friendly nature of our sport. Please help our sport maintain access to these beautiful locations by signing in to show your support.
Letter of Support:
Please help the kitesurfing family maintain access to beautiful locations at sites around the globe. All popular snowkiting sites within "Wilderness" designated areas in the U.S. are in jeopardy of being shut down. For instance, The Three Sisters Wilderness next to Bend and the Mt. Hood Wilderness area, which are incredibly beautiful spot's to Snowkite with vast snow-covered terrain and mountains.
Small groups of people feel that snowkiting should not be done in a winter wilderness area and want to shut down access to kiters. Therefore, we have formed a committee and will be meeting with the U.S. Forest Service, who does a great job of overseeing these areas, to discuss this issue. Some of the points that we will bring out in the meetings will be that snowkiting is eco-friendly, helps local businesses, is a healthy winter recreation, has a no impact on wildlife during the winter months, and has a large following of passionate participants. The one worry that we have is that if for any reason these sites are shut down, then a precedent could be set that could cause similar sites in the U. S. and around the world to also be shut down. The worldwide kite family loves to Snowkite and to kite surf in beautiful locations. These locations are away from the crowded cities and are in remote areas. Kiting in these areas makes the most sense because of the eco-friendly nature of our sport. Please help our sport maintain access to these beautiful locations by signing in to show your support.
"We the undersigned"
Would like to help the kitesurfing family maintain access to beautiful locations at sites around the globe. All popular snowkiting sites within "Wilderness" designated areas in the U.S. are in jeopardy of being shut down. For instance, The Three Sisters Wilderness next to Bend and the Mt. Hood Wilderness area, which are incredibly beautiful spot's to Snowkite with vast snow-covered terrain and mountains.
Small groups of people feel that snowkiting should not be done in a winter wilderness area and want to shut down access to kiters. Therefore, we would like to show our support because we beleive that snowkiting is eco-friendly, helps local businesses, is a healthy winter recreation, has a no impact on wildlife during the winter months, and has a large following of passionate participants. The one worry that we have is that if for any reason these sites are shut down, then a precedent could be set that could cause similar sites in the U. S. and around the world to also be shut down. The worldwide kite family loves to Snowkite and to kite surf in beautiful locations. These locations are away from the crowded cities and are in remote areas. Kiting in these areas makes the most sense because of the eco-friendly nature of our sport, please help our sport maintain access to these beautiful locations.
Thank you for your time and support,
Snowkiting is my biggest passion and my way of getting out into nature. Without these locations to snowkite, I will be forced to drive or fly to Idaho and Montana - the nearest non-Wilderness areas where I can do my passion. There are no other locations in Oregon besides these wilderness areas to do my passion.
"mechanized"? If you're seriously going to ban mechanization from wilderness, then you need to include spring-loaded trekking poles - because they are MECHANICAL. Ridiculous you say? Yeah, so is the ban on snowkiting.
snowkiting bonds with nature doesn't go against it!!!!!!
What could snowkiting possibly do to the environment that hurts it?!! Crazy
Kiting is gentle on the environment. Start with banning cars and snow mobiles then we can talk.
Because I know and support many kiters and their fight is just!
I am a fellow kite enthusiast and have taken up snow kiting as something to do during the winter months when kitesurfing is to cold. This is a sport I enjoy for the mental release and also the physical work out I get while riding.
Snowkiting is an excellent eco-friendly way to enjoy the wilderness...
Because we all love snowkiting and we are aware about our impact in the nature.
I am a water kiter who believes in free and unrestricted access to public beaches in cases where cirtical wildlife habitat and public saftey are not impacted by kiting activities. Any federal ban on Kitiing has the potential to jepordize kiting access to some of the best water kiting spots.
Snowkiting is a non-motorized form of transportation/sport akin to cross-country skiing. Everyone involved I know appreciates the wilderness terrain, leave no tracks, and work hard to maintain access. A general ban is not the right approach to handle any issues with this sport.
Why on earth would you ban kiting where it harms no one?
Morons, If you want to ban something and do something that will actually protect a wilderness area why don't you makes yourselves usefull and ban the Cog Railway in New Hampshire. It a damn coal fired train that belches mercury laden smoke up and down Mount Washington which last I checked WAS WILDERNESS AREA. Leave the few kiters that are out there and go after some seriuos issues. It's easy to ban a small user group that doesn't have a voice or big money to back up thier position. Why not go after the people that abuse our wilderness areas soley for personal gain instead of acting like a bunch of jackasses. And stay the hell out of my neck of the woods. Idiots.
Right of access to public land must be limited by small groups with pernicious agendas.
I completely disagree with this measure. Snow kiting is a low impact "green' sport and should be supported not stopped.
Kiting harms none. It is silent, ecofriendly, and no different than backcountry snowboarding, possibly even better since we don't need snowmobiles to cart us around.
We've already lost a good # of locations to kiting not based on our behavior as kiters but from a misguided select few that are intent on saving us from ourselves and the environment in the process. Enough is enough.
snow kiting is an enviromentally friendly sport and should be supported not threatened.
I feel that the best place to go snowkiting is out in the mountains and the open wilderness, and that there is no reason that this sport should be banned from those areas. It would be a huge loss and I would like to help support the sport as much as possible.
This low impact sport should be used to showcase the argument for wind powered technology, not banned due to misunderstanding.
Kite flying is a non-environmental impact activity; no carbon emissions, pollution, nor noise. Please keep the wilderness open for this wholesome family activity.
Freedom to breathe.
Cross-country skiing, hiking, snow-kiting, canoeing, wind surfing etc.; these are the activities we should be preserving our wilderness for. Banning/restricting hunting and snowmobiling would be the right choice, but fencing off all wilderness areas and disallowing eco-friendly human activity would be a misguided move that would hurt wilderness areas in the long-run. Those who use wilderness areas for non-motorized activities are the very people who will fight to protect the wilderness.
Green sports with the low impact of snow kiting should be encouraged as an appropriate use of our USFS lands. The culture surounding snowkiting is eco-friendly, environmentally concious and safety oriented. Snowkiters are recreational enthusiasts who contribute significanly to the national economy through extensive travel and purchase of sophisticated snowkiting and backcountry equipment.
Kiting should not a problem for the environment. I would like to know if any other winter sport activities that could have more impact have been identified. I'd like to see an explanation from this group feel that kiters should be banned.
"Kitesailing" is a green alternative to other carbon heavy winter sports. By banning kites in the wilderness we as Americans will not only be losing amazing kiting opportunities but much revenue would also be lost by not capitalizing on this green venue.
When there is snow the ground is frozen meaning nothing can be damaged!
Kiteboarding is a silent, and environmentally friendly sport. Since it is non-motorized and non-mechanized it it compatable with current wilderness laws.
It's up to us to keep it open and keep it clean.
non comprehension is no reason to ban this sport. far more damage is done by various other sports.
As a Conservation Biologist (BSc) I can see of no reason to ban snowkiting on wilderness areas, Kiting with the aid of a Snowboard or Ski's does not have any impact on the diversity, ecology or winter foraging activity of resident species. Snowkiting does also not hinder or intefere with any other winter activities.
snowkiting is a enviromentally friendly sport.. how rediculous to ban a sport which will do no damage to the enviroment.. people to do the sport whether it is on land, snow or water are all incredebly enviromentally friendly.. and enjoy being at one with nature
snowkiting or any other type of kiting does no harm to its surroundings. it is a "green" sport requiring nothing but the wind. there is no reason kiting should be banned
snowkiting and kitesurfing is a sport growing significantly in popularity. this sport just like any other land based or water based activity should receive the same rights as every other outdoor activity
I am an advocate of outdoor activities and a resident of Colorado. I have been kiting for several years and have never seen a negative impact on the environment as a result of kiting. It is a sport that, like hiking, rafting, and trail running, is best enjoyed in the wilderness. I see no rational reason for taking away the privilege of kiting in wilderness areas and find it disappointing that such a small group has been singled out as a threat to our vast and beautiful lands.
I snowkite in Ontario. I also base the bulk of my travel based on sport, being snowboarding, kitesurfing and also snowkiting. I have accessed the ocean and gulf of mexico via the state park system in Florida and i have full intentions to make further sport travel to the USA which includes kitesurfing as well as snowkiting as the US rockies has some of the best snowkiting terrain in North America. I am also concerned that banning snowkiting in wilderness areas could lead down the slippery slope of banning access to public beaches. I also see snowkiting as a relatively harmless activity when done properly. Kiteboarders are generally courteous and respectful of the environment and highly value any terrain to which we can gain access. We bring in tourism dollars when we travel as it is ingrained in our culture to support the small businesses that provide access, gear, meals and lodging. We also rival snowmobilers, boaters, and skiiers in spending power when you consider that an avid Kiter has several kites and boards averaging about $1000.00 and $400.00 each respectively. (i own 7 kites & 8 boards).
Snowkiting and kiteboarding in general is a popular travel tourism sport. I look forward to my trips to US parks to kite with my friends and family each year and am saddened to hear that this may not be possible int he future. Kiting is a safe clean and quiet sport and should be promoted alongside activities like snowshoeing and cross country skiiing.
The activity we call Snowkiting is a beautiful natural sport , we do not burn gas or make noise and make very little if any environmental impact. Why should we not be able to share with others in their activities in National parks. Rob from Canada
Kiters are people too!...and they come in all shapes, sizes, race, both young and old. There is more than enough land for everyone to enjoy.
Dont ban snowkiting
Has this world gone mad? There are still people out there not criminals, junkies or else who want to enjoy nature and what it gives us. It is good for tourism and harms noone, especially not nature. But there always has to be some grumpy old fart who who needs to let his frustration and bitternes out on the children playing ball in the streets. So disgusted. Will we ever learn?
I am a kiteboarder/snowkiter. I can't understand why snowkiting should be banned in this area since the kite is powered by wind alone and is one of the most environmentally friendly sports there is. Furthermore, everyone I have met though the sport is very environmentally conscious. I don’t believe any snowkiter would negatively impact the area.
Nuts to you guys! What more beautiful way to experience the great snow covered wilderness than swooshing along on a zero-poluting kite? Not like there's lots of crowds there or herds of whatever, either! Give your heads a shake! Fair use! What else do you want people to do to use these places, fly over in a plane? Unless of course you just don't want anyone using these places?! Doug Sweet
Nothing is harmed in the practise of this sport. There is no reason for such a ban.
Snowkiting has an active and passionate following all around the world. This following has created an atmosphere of camaraderie the likes of which snowboarding and skiing have never come close to matching. Safety and stewardship are central to this atmosphere, and any proposed ban on this sport overlooks the fact that what may appear dangerous or destructive is anything but.
