A controversy is brewing over a Forest Service proposal to remove an unsafe and unnecessary bridge in New Hampshire's 45,000-acre Pemigewasset Wilderness. White Mountain National Forest's (WMNF) Pemigewasset Wilderness Bridge Removal Project seeks to address public safety concerns and at the same time, enhance the wilderness character in the Pemigewasset. The proposal to remove, rather than replace, the deteriorating bridge shows a commitment by the WMNF to uphold the intent of the Wilderness Act, our country's most visionary land protection law. As a nationwide citizens' organization working for proper wilderness stewardship and protection, we wish to share our view that the Forest Service is doing the right thing for Wilderness and acting in accordance with the law.

WMNF managers and engineers determined last year that the 180-foot suspension bridge crossing the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River is deteriorated to the point of causing concern for public safety. The wooden rails and decking of the nearly 50-year-old bridge have rotted enough to make the bridge unsafe for crossing. The structure lies within the Pemigewasset Wilderness and predates the wilderness designation established through the 1984 New Hampshire Wilderness Act.

The proposal includes closing and rehabilitating a 0.7-mile stretch of the Wilderness Trail that accesses the suspension bridge, connecting it with a steel I-beam bridge over Black Brook, also to be removed. WMNF plans to remove the two bridges using hand tools and other non-motorized, non-mechanized means, in compliance with the Wilderness Act.

WMNF, by proposing bridge removal rather than replacement, is upholding the ideals of the Wilderness Act, which generally prohibits structures and installations in Wilderness. The Act does seek to provide primitive recreation opportunities as an important wilderness value, but only in a manner and to an extent that protects and preserves the area's wilderness character. Removing this man-made structure will enhance the Pemigewasset's wilderness character by returning the area to a more natural state and will offer more primitive recreation opportunities, where visitors can experience nature on her own terms.

While there may be some controversy over removing this bridge, which will eliminate some loop hikes and make some trips longer, the Forest Service is doing the right thing for the public and for Wilderness. The Wilderness Act defines Wilderness as areas "…where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man ... retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation... which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions... " Removing this bridge will make the Pemigewasset a little wilder, as its wilderness designation intended it to be.

We encourage visitors to the Pemigewasset Wilderness and citizens throughout the area to lend support to the Forest Service's efforts to enhance this unique area. Send your comments by letter: Pemigewasset Ranger District, ATT.: John Marunowski, 1171 Rte 175, Holderness NH 03245, or by fax: (603) 536-5147, ATT.: John Marunowski, or by e-mail: jmarunowskifs.fed.us



Dawn Serra is outreach coordinator for Wilderness Watch, based in Missoula, Mont.