UPDATE - Mendocino NF Subpart A Travel Management Meetings - Red Bluff is Tonight!

FS Road Spokesman, Ken Wysocki, Reviews Road Maint. Cost Chart

The Recreation HQ attended the Mendocino NF’s Subpart A Road meeting last night in Ukiah.  The Forest had prepared various “discussion stations” where agency specialists were available to review the road network and how they relate to resource, fire, and recreational activities.

Lone Motorcycle at the Ukiah Mendo Road Workshop

 HQ believes that access interests should come prepared for tonight’s meeting in Red Bluff with ideas and suggestions on how forest roads are used and/or could be used for forest health, resource management, and recreation.

Based on last night’s meeting, I suggest that you should be able to:

Highlight existing OHV recreational opportunities and how roads relate their use.

Identify ML 3 roads that could be reclassified as ML 2 roads for backcountry OHV touring and extended loop opportunities.

Identify ML1 roads (many are administratively closed to the public) that could provide looped OHV opportunity if they were open and managed as a motorized trail.

Identify ML 3 roads that should be designated as Mixed-Use to provide connectivity for non-street legal OHV recreation and touring opportunities.

Identify County road segments that could provide connectivity to the OHV trail network.   Work with county officials to have the county designate them as Combined Use (for paved sections) or Non-Highway (for native surfaced county roads) for use by green-sticker vehicles.  HQ believes that counties have an important role to play as a partner with users and the FS to create new OHV tourism opportunities.

Link to Meeting Information

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mendocino/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3798728

 

The start/end time for the event is 3:30pm – 6:30pm the last meeting is listed below (however, I understand the Forest might hold another meeting in June)

May 14 - Lake Red Bluff Recreation Area, Camp Discovery Group Camp

Shannon Pozas, the Forest’s road engineer states, “ To be clear, this is not a proposal or decision document, but a transportation study that will help inform future road management planning and can serve as an additional resource in future multiple resource projects,” said Pozas.  “Similar to the MVUM, this document will continue to evolve and change over the years, with opportunities for interested public to share their thoughts and engage in the process.”

As you may know, Forest Service System Roads are the backbone of the Mendocino National Forest’s OHV program.  Many are managed as OHV trails for dirt-bike, ATV, SxS, and 4WD use.  Some roads are designated as “Mixed Use” which allows for use by non-street legal OHVs. Other roads provide connector routes between the trail systems and Ranger Districts.  Roads also provide general public access for hunting, firewood, and driving for pleasure.

HQ has been disappointed in the turnout so far by access interests.  The turnouts have been dismal.  HQ hopes folks will attend the meeting tonight and share their views with the agency.