ACTION ALERT- Ask FS to Rescope Mill Fire Timber Project

ACTION ITEM – DO TODAY!

STONYFORD ALERT

As many of you know, the Mendocino National Forest is proposing to do a salvage timber sale to address various resource and safety issues that resulted from the Mill Fire this summer.  Generally, most recreationists are not arbitrarily opposed to responsible salvage timber operations that protect the resource and help in the area’s recovery so that it can be once again enjoyed by the public.   However, this proposal appears to have been created in a vacuum with basically no input from recreation professionals within the agency.

Although the public comment period for this current scoping period does not end until December 17, we feel it is important for you to immediately petition the Forest Service to withdraw the proposal and rescope it so that it analyzes potential impacts to OHV recreation and other public uses.

Your letters do not have to be long or thoroughly exhaust an issue.  Rather, each letter should address your history of use at the area, any expertise you have in recreation or resource management, issues that concern you, and suggestions on how the agency can improve the planning documents.

Here are key bullet points:

 

Ask the agency withdraw and rescope the Project due to planning deficiencies that failed to analyze or disclose the following issues.

 

•             Impacts to recreation program

•             Impacts to current and future OHV grants from OHMVR
•             Impacts to FS system roads and trails
•             Impacts to permitted OHV events such as enduros and dual-sport rides
•             Site-specific NEPA is required if system trails are converted to roads
•             Impacts to ongoing post-fire trail rehabilitation by FS and state park trail crews
•             Is plan to “clear-cut” wide paths along roads/trails for public safety really needed
•             Impacts to agency credibility with users including volunteer programs

 

Below is a sample letter that you can use as a basis to articulate your own specific concerns about the project.   There are links to the December 3, 2012 BRC comment letter and the November 28, 2012 comment letter from the Oakland Motorcycle Club that you can reference. 

 

BRC December 3 Comment Letter

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Mill_Fire_Project_BRC_Rescope_PDF_final_12.3.12.pdf

 

OMC Letter

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Mill_fire_OMC_response.pdf

 

Mill Fire Salvage Sale Scoping Letter

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/ScopingLetter_MillFireSalvageHazardTreeRmvl.pdf

 

Mill Fire Salvage Sale Proposal

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/PreliminaryProjectInformation_MillFireSalvageHazardTreeRmvl.pdf

 

Mill Fire Salvage Sale Map

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/ScopingMap_MillFireSalvageHazardTreeRmvl.pdf
 

Remember that your letters do not have to be long.  Usually one or two pages will do the trick at this point in the planning process. 

 

SAMPLE LETTER ************************************************

 

Date

 

Sherrie Tune

Forest Supervisor
Mendocino National Forest
825 N. Humboldt Avenue
Willows, CA 95988
FAX: 530.934.7384
Email: stune@fs.fed.us
 

Dear Supervisor Tune:

 

I am writing to you with the request that your office support the BlueRibbon Coalition’s request to rescope the proposed Mill Fire Salvage and Hazard Tree Removal Project.    My family has been riding at the Stonyford OHV Area since the 1980s.  The current proposal has many unintended negative consequences to the OHV program on the Grindstone Ranger District.  These impacts will be lasting and   devastating.

 

OHV recreation has an important impact on the area’s economy.   Thousands of people attend enduros, dual-sport rides, or camp each year to enjoy the trail systems that are threatened by the current plan.  The proposal appears to threaten that use by extending the closure another 2-3 years. 

 

Again, please rescope the plan so that OHV recreation and the sale’s impact to the trail system can be properly analyzed in creation of new scoping documents.  The Mill Fire had a severe impact on the OHV program; please don’t compound this issue by destroying our OHV program by authorizing a salvage plan that does not protect and enhance recreational opportunity on the unit.

 

Thanks for considering my comments.

 

John Doe

33 Steam Donkey Way
Trail Town, USA

cc: Phil Jenkins, OHMVR @ pjenkins@parks.ca.gov
      Don Amador, BRC @ brdon@sharetrails.org


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PS - Thanks to the RRMC, OMC, MCMA, SCSA, Valley Trail Riders, NBMC, and VCMC (there may have been other clubs too) for hosting a great meeting last night in Napa where we and about 60 riders discussed this issue.  Great to share stage with D36's Dave Pickett. Thanks for being engaged in OHV recreation!