Essential for FS to Use Discretionary Authority in TMR Plans

Don Amador Reviewing Draft Smith River 

NRA Travel Plan with Local Access Leader

As BRC states in its June 9 comment letter on the Smith River NRA Draft Travel Plan,  it believes it is both legally necessary and pragmatically essential that the agency use its discretionary authority to formally establish a functional yet sustainable network of designated routes. 

June 9 BRC Comment Letter with Legal Citations

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/smith_river_DEIS_comments_FINAL_June_2014.pdf

As both agency staff and recreationists know, various preservationist and anti-access special interests will always incant a litany of alleged legal violations that prevent adoption of an Alternative that designates any meaningful network of vehicle route.  They are certainly entitled to voice their opinions, but the agency should carefully evaluate any such claims and realize they are thinly veiled efforts to advance an agenda that includes significantly reducing, if not eliminating, recreational use of vehicles in the National Forest System. 

HQ believes the agency is empowered to reject these anti-access positions through correct interpretation of the law, as reflected in various recent court decisions cited in the aforementioned comment letter.

There is a growing body of legal decisions that debunk the notion that “minimization” means the elimination of OHV recreation on Forest Service lands.

2014 NCAT Tour - North Coast "TMR Genie" Has Left the Bottle

The QWR/BRC Official NCAT SUV

As HQ prepares for its 2014 North Coast Access Tour (NCAT) early next week, it is reminded there are no silver bullets or shortcuts when it comes to OHV-related access issues.  The 2005 Travel Management Rule’s Subpart B planning efforts over the last nine years have been challenging for both users and agency officials.

Nowhere has this complexity been more evident than on the Smith River National Recreation Area located on the Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California.  During that time-period there have been stakeholder groups, lawsuits, a stipulation, and lack of a substantive or meaningful relationship between the agency and county.  

As the news article states below, it is my hope that the access community can find a way to support an alternative that embraces the tone, direction, and spirit of the earlier stakeholder process.  For better or worse, the “TMR genie” has left the bottle a long time ago and it is time to settle on a base network of routes.  Once that foundation is codified, I believe it will allow the agency and users to ID some post subpart B projects that enhance the OHV experience.

Triplicate Article (short overview of TMR history on the unit)

http://www.triplicate.com/News/Local-News/Designating-Forest-driving

Over the Memorial Holiday, HQ will ground truth the preferred Alternative with local interests to see if it is something that OHV can work with either as presented or in a modified version.  To the agencies credit, it does appear they have listened to some of our concerns by proposing the designation of the 305.125 4WD trail that at one time been slated for closure.

2007 Tour of the Smith River NRA

2007 Video of Jeep Tour of the 305.125 Road

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nU194f-ksU

On the other hand, the preferred alternative closes the only single-track motorcycle entrance-to-exit trail on the unit.  Strangely, the closure of that trail had never been proposed in any of the earlier discussions.

2003 Post-Biscuit Fire Motorcycle Tour of Smith River NRA

It is my goal to also stop by and visit with my access contacts in Humboldt County to get an update on TMR on the southern end of the Forest and to see what new OHV opportunities might exist on private or county lands. Hope to see some of you on the tour.  Thanks to all of you who make these efforts possible!

ACTION ALERT - Mendocino NF Holds Subpart A "Road" Meetings May 8-14

M5 is a FS System Road that allows for Mixed-Use by

Green-Sticker OHVs

The Recreation HQ wants to alert OHV enthusiasts about the ongoing public meetings (May 6-14 at various locations) the Mendocino National Forest are holding related to Subpart A of the Travel Management Rule.    

Link to Meeting Information

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

  

The start/end time for each event is 3:30pm – 6:30pm and dates/location are as follows:

May 8 - Covelo Round Valley Library Community Room (23925 Howard St, Covelo)

May 13 - Ukiah BLM Field Office (2550 North State Street)

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 urges riders and clubs to attend these meetings if at all possible.  If you can’t make it, try and have a friend or representative attend.  HQ believes it is important for users to attend these public formats to show your support for access to the Forest. 

I will be attending the May 13 meeting in Ukiah on behalf of BRC and QWR.  Thanks for your review of this alert.  

*Please fwd. to your OHV network.

Recent OR Court Decision Good for Both Winter and Summer Motorized Recreation

The Recreation HQ wants to congratulate the Oregon State Snowmobile Association and partners regarding a recent legal victory where a federal court issued a decision  that rejects the “user conflict” and “minimization” arguments filed by anti-access groups.  The case was regarding the Kapka Butte Sno-Park project on the Deschutes National Forest.

OSSA Legal Victory including link to Court Decision

http://www.oregonsnow.org/page4731122758.aspx

HQ believes there is a growing body of legal cases that are building support for the concept the FS and other federal land agencies can designate roads, trails, and areas for both summer and winter motorized recreation.

HQ Overview of the Minimization Issue

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2013/01/stanislaus-court-decision-and.html

Anti-OHV groups in OR were also rebuked by the court in 2010 when a federal judge rejected their petition to block construction/designation of a short OHV connector trail from Riley Ranch (a county OHV park) to the OR Dunes National Recreation Area.

Riley Ranch Decision

http://theworldlink.com/news/local/no-riley-ranch-appeal-planned/article_186e3d32-3fc2-5c61-a633-5ce75d192c5b.html

“Minimization” is a ploy anti-access groups have been trying use as a legal tool to force the agency to restrict or even ban OHV/OSV use during travel planning efforts.

OHV users in Idaho won a 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision which also nuked the concept of minimizing OHV/OSV out of existence on public lands.

9^th Circuit Court Decision in Idaho

http://www.sharetrails.org/news/2014/01/08/recreation-groups-cheer-circuit-court-victory

There also was another case in the 9^th Circuit regarding an AZ BLM travel planning process.

9^th Circuit Court Decision in AZ

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2013/06/ohv-gavel-of-justice-new-9th-circuit.html

There are two other recent cases in NV and CO where the court ruled against the concept that minimization means closure. 

NV and CO legal cases

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2013/03/legal-update-minimization-does-not-mean.html

These and other legal cases should help bolster the spirits of users and those agency planners who want to treat all recreation groups in a fair manner.  Minimization and user conflicts are important concepts to remember and address in planning efforts but there are ways to mitigate those concerns other than closure.

Travel Management for MTB and Equestrians at CA State Parks

The Recreation HQ has long supported the concept of land agencies designating roads, trails, and areas for OHV use.   Although we disagreed with a number of tenets in the 2005 FS Travel Management Rule, TMR is here to stay.  HQ believes public involvement, a genuine collaborative process, sound management tools, and line-officers that are committed to have a quality trail program are key elements to sustainable OHV recreation for years to come.

TMR also includes wet-weather or seasonal closures to help prevent trail damage during wet conditions and that is why it looks like the CA State Park proposal to designate routes and times of use to better manage MTB and other trail users is appropriate and needed.

CA State Park Rule Proposals (Comments due April 4)

http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/795/files/ccr_amended_draft_regulations.pdf

Some units of the Forest Service open and close designated routes and areas to OHV, MTB, and equestrians to avoid severe impacts to the trail system during wet conditions and HQ believes those Best Management Practices should be used at state parks (SVRAs already use wet weather closures and trail designations to manage OHV) to manage MTB and equestrian use.

OHV, MTB, and Equestrian Trails Opened or Closed Due to Wet Weather

I don’t think the MTB community does itself any favor when they oppose the use of modern trail management tools at regular state parks.  

Shutdown at DOJ Impacts OHV-related Lawsuits!

The Recreation HQ is concerned that OHV-related lawsuits and related management actions could be overlooked victims of the government shutdown.

 

Sequestration had already reduced the number of Department of Justice attorneys that work on resource and recreation legal issues.  There are many unfilled judicial appointments from even before the current belt-tightening further burdened our judicial system.  Criminal cases take priority. The shutdown has prevented DOJ lawyers from appearing or even talking to their agency clients.  District courts are already been focusing their limited resources toward cases with available lawyers and parties, meaning that cases involving federal issues are all ready losing their spots on the docket.

 

When the shutdown is presumably resolved, pro-recreation interests will face new challenges, as we are hearing indications that limited resources in DC and the field will affect the degree to which the federal government will strongly defend Forest Service OHV travel management decisions, or be able to address court-ordered remands or other necessary management actions.

 

To give some perspective, the cases involving the BRC Legal Team include 15 deadlines or hearings between now and the first week of December, including two 9th Circuit arguments.  These hearings are in the process of being extended or vacated as the uncertainty develops.  When the shutdown is resolved, DOJ lawyers will be scrambling to address the backlog that continues to pile up while they are prohibited from working.  The inability to resolve these cases potentially affects not only resolution of long-running cases but on-the-ground recreation options in areas including the Stanislaus, Eldorado, Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Clearwater, Custer, San Juan and Pike and San Isabel National Forests, as well as the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (Glamis).

 

In short, every day the shutdown continues, OHV-related cases could suffer the long-term consequences of reductions in and redirected priorities for DOJ staff and other federal employees.

 

Eldorado SEIS Appeal Resolution - Enviros Get Another Bite at the Apple

One of the "18" Closed Routes - The "Mud Lake" Trail

 

 

 On September 11, 2013 the Eldorado NF reached an appeals resolution with appellants of the June 14, 2013 SEIS and Record of Decision that would have immediately reopened 24 of the “42 meadow routes”  and opened another 18 routes after corrective action (mitigation, such as hardening a meadow crossing, fixing drainage, etc.) was taken.

 

Copy of Agreement

http://www.peer.org/assets/docs/ca/9_16_13_Final_Eldorado.pdf
 

List of the 24 open routes and 18 closed routes

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5435815.pdf
 

FS News Release on Agreement

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/news-events/?cid=STELPRDB5435834
 

Those corrective actions could range from a couple of hours of work with a pick and shovel to project-level NEPA efforts that might include a significant reroute or even installation of an OHV bridge.

HQ is still reviewing the resolution agreement, but it appears that environmental groups have managed to create an extra layer of red-tape by requiring the agency to allow them early review of any proposed   meadow project for those 18 routes.

 

The goal of many anti-OHV groups is to create an additional planning hurdle that must be crossed by the agency before that project can be developed.  It appears that goal has achieved in the resolution by creating a new modified NEPA process where those groups can gum up the project before it even gets off the ground.

Although the anti-OHV groups have succeeded in gaining some leverage in mitigation planning for those 18 routes, HQ believes that user groups should hold the agency’s feet to the fire by working hard to effect the Forest Supervisor’s promise to “get on with repairing the other 18 routes.”

 

Stayed tuned on this never ending saga.

 

 

Town of Stonyford Welcomes OHV Community Back to the Mendocino NF

Phil Ray (L), longtime resident of Stonyford and owner of Honda/Kawasaki/KTM

of Modesto, and Don Amador (R), owner of QWR and West. Rep. of BRC sit on historic

landmark bench in front of the Stonyford General Store

 

On behalf of the Town of Stonyford, HQ wants to extend a warm welcome to all the OHVers who have waited for almost one year to return to their favorite riding area.  I had a coffee conference this am with several of the City Fathers and business owners who are excited about having the off-road community back on the Forest.   They said it has not been the same with everybody gone.

 

Restored Trail Thru Impacted Area

Actually, it has been a real hardship for the local grocery store to stay in business during the closure period.  HQ is encouraging riders to stop by the store on your way up to Fouts and Davis Flats this weekend and buy some provisions.  The store has everything from fine cuts of rib-eye steaks to 120-link #520 chain.  When you are in there, be sure and say hi to the store’s owner, Trish Dearman.

 

Trail Marker with Vehicle Types Allowed

 

HQ expects the route network to be about 99% open with the exception of a couple very steep short sections off of Sullivan and Little Sullivan Ridges.

New Trail Width Restrictor

Again, riders can do their part to celebrate the reopening of Stonyford by riding only on designated and signed routes and honoring the vehicle width restrictions.  The agency has worked hard to install width restrictors to help the public identify which routes are appropriate and legal for their vehicle types.  The vertical trail markers should also have the symbol of the vehicle type allowed.

THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON YOU

 

 

Have a fun and safe weekend at Stonyford!

 

# # #

 

 

 

 

Chamber of Commerce Joins Fight at the OR Dunes

The "Future" of OHV at OR Dunes if You Don't Join the Fight

 

The Recreation HQ wants to remind fans of the OR Dunes to send in your comment letters by Jan. 24, 2013.  BRC has created a letter generator to make it easy to send in comments.  They will be routed to the Forest Service official email address and you should get a confirmation that your letter was received.

 

Direct Link to BRC’s OR Dunes Letter Generator (you can add your own specific comments about how you use and enjoy the Dunes)

http://www.sharetrails.org/issues/rapid-response-center

 

Also, HQ wants to let you know that a number of businesses and/or their associations have sent in letters about how important OHV recreation is to the local economy.

 

Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce Comment Letter

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

 

Again, please send in your comment letter and fwd this alert to your rider network.  If you are a business that depends on OHV recreation at the Dunes… please have all your employees send in a comment letter.

 

Let’s all continue the fight to protect responsible OHV recreation at the OR Dunes!

CODE RED OR DUNES ALERT - Comment Letters Needed Today!

The Recreation HQ is issuing its first CODE RED Action Alert for 2013.  HQ is asking all riders and OHV businesses that depend on recreational access to the OR Dunes, to STOP what you are doing and take 2 minutes to send a comment letter to the Forest Service’s travel planning process at the OR Dunes. OHV dune enthusiasts from across the county (even Europe and Asia) make the OR Dunes a destination site to visit.  Active military often spend their entire leave with their families and friends at the dunes.

 

Between 1972 and 2011, the acreage available for open OHV use has been reduced from 28,000 acres down to just below 6,000 acres.  Just 20 percent of the NRA is available for legal OHV use today.  Over time, that number will dwindle to practically nothing if you don’t act now.

 

BRC is making it easy for you (and your network) to send in a comment letter which is due January 24, 2013.  Anti-access groups are flooding the agency with requests to close the dunes to OHV --- we must blunt that attack with our own counter-offensive.  HQ understands that the agency is counting each closure-oriented form email as one distinct letter.  We will demand the same treatment.

 

BRC Action Alert with link to Letter Generator – the generator will send letter to the Forest Service
http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2013/01/15/oregon--comments-needed-on-oregon-dunes-10c-designated-routes-project-deis
 

OHV is not alone in our battle for access at the OR Dunes.  Coos County has joined us in the fight for responsible access for our families and passed a resolution in Dec.

 

Coos County Resolution in Support of OHV Recreation

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Coos_County_Resolution_Dec.4.2102.dunes.pdf

  

Douglas and Lane Counties are also considering passing resolutions that favor responsible recreation and resource management at the dunes.

 

Again, please send in your comment letter today and ask your riding and business network to do the same.

 

Thanks!!!

 

The Recreation HQ

 

 

 

"Minimization" Chapters Needed in Federal Travel Plans

Yesterday, HQ posted an overview on the issue of “minimization” as addressed (or not addressed) in the recent court decision on the Stanislaus NF travel plan.   This rather new and apparent successful legal argument being used by environmental law firms should be a clarion wake-up call to federal agencies who are in the middle (or just getting started) of travel planning efforts.

For example,  there is a federal unit on the west coast that recently released a DEIS where there is only one or two sentences that loosely address the issue of minimizing motorized use impacts to the environment. 

In light of the many “minimization” lawsuits that have or will be filed, HQ believes that the Forest Service (and BLM for that matter) should devote an entire chapter to analysis of minimizing OHV impacts. 

That analysis should include any post Nixon-era land management decisions that already minimized OHV use or user conflicts per directives in his executive order 11644.  Other efforts such as signing that directs non-motorized users to non-motorized areas, etc. should be considered as well.

Nixon Executive Order 11644

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/11644.html

 

If OHV and the agency does not get a handle on the minimization issue… HQ believes that OHV recreation could become so minimalized over the next 10-20 years that it could functionally cease to exist -- as we know it today -- on federal lands.

 

Stay tuned on this issue as the fight for OHV recreation continues in 2013.

 

Donstradamus' Top Ten OHV Predictions for 2013

Donstradamus' Top Ten OHV Predictions for 2013

 

10 - President Obama takes family to Yellowstone and tours the area on snowmobiles.  The president enjoys it so much that he issues an executive order that codifies OSV use there in perpetuity.

 

9 - Federal land agencies official adopt “OHV recreation” as the only cost-effective management tool to eradicate non-native invasive plant species in coastal dune areas.  OHV use is prescribed and rotated in both motorized and non-motorized dune areas to address encroachment of non-native vegetation into open dune areas which are prime breeding grounds for the snowy-plover.  Snowy-plover populations skyrocket as a result.

 

8 - EPA’s resigning director, Lisa Jackson, joins a long list of retired anti-OHV federal employees at PEER’s faux OHV group called Responsible Trails America.  Jackson and RTA work to implement national speed limits, “no tire spin,” and “no jumping” travel policies (see sign below) so OHV can comply with the new EPA “OHV Dust Rule.”

 

 

7 - A pro-OHV benefactor in Germany or France donates $5M to several non-profit OHV organizations in the USA to help prevent off-road riding opportunities on public lands in America from suffering the same fate (i.e. banned) as they have in Europe.

 

6 - Kid Rock or another OHV friendly recording artist releases a new single that extols the virtues of family-oriented motorized recreation.  The song tops the charts in a few weeks and remains popular for several months. 

 

5 - At least two Indian Tribal councils in the West vote to open an OHV park.  Those new facilities will include hardened campsites; some RV hookups, designated trail systems of at least 75 miles, and a kiddie track where parents can watch their youngsters learn to ride.

 

4- Several Congressional members start a new “OHV caucus.”  This bipartisan body works hard to address excessive trail closures on public lands and to also streamline the route designation process.  The cost-recovery issue is reviewed as well.

 

3 - The 1^st ever urban “all-electric” OHV park is approved in a large metropolitan area to encourage use of electric-powered OHVs.  The Department of Interior decides to help support the project by installing a large wind turbine that will provide taxpayer subsidized free charging stations for the users.

 

2 - The CA OHV local assistance grants program gets welcome boost when the attorney general’s report finds that all 35M of the hidden “OHV money” in the state parks scandal can be used to restore the grants program to 26M for the upcoming grants cycle.   The report also recommends that all OHV-related funding pots receive permanent protection from future raids by the legislature.

 

1 - Realizing that OHV use is an important partner in resource management and land access, The Nature Conservancy creates a new branch of OHV Recreation at their main headquarters.  TNC’s new endeavor identifies numerous OHV opportunities on their existing inholdings which becomes an important factor in the public/private land recreational opportunity matrix.

 

BONUS PREDICTION: Luddite movement grows in OHV community as more riders cast aside GPS units because they are too distracting.  Instead, they choose to rely on maps and traditional pathfinder skills to navigate public roads and trails.

# # # 

 

Happy New Year from Donstradamus and the Recreation HQ! 

 

 

 

 

Counties Join OR Dune Access Battle - Pass Resolution

The Future of OHV at OR Dunes?

 

The Recreation HQ believes that the Coos County Resolution (see below) articulates a well thought out foundation for a desired future condition for the OR Dunes.   HQ believes the agency has underestimated the resolve of the counties/users/small business owners to fight back against their effort to implement the 1994 Management Plan (actually that is a misnomer since it only focused on areas to close to OHV recreation and did not address the most important issue impacting the dunes and that is the encroachment of non-native vegetation).

 

Dec 4, 2012 Coos County Resolution

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Coos_County_Resolution_Dec.4.2102.dunes.pdf

 

One option for the counties is to ask  the FS to do a supplemental DEIS because they failed to properly analyze and create alternative(s) that address the real environmental crisis that is impacting the dunes nor did he vet the economic impact that the decision will have on OHV tourism. 

 

Another option is for the counties to engage the OR congressional delegation to help direct (i.e. new legislation, direct talks, etc.) the FS to develop a travel plan that fosters both a robust OHV program and a dune restoration program that deals with the encroachment of non-native vegetation that is taking over the open sand dune areas.   

 

Getting the congressional delegation involved on another Forest’s travel plan was key to having the Wallowa-Whitman NF withdrawn their proposal due to a massive closure of routes.  Their help may be needed to encourage the FS to push the “reset button” on the current dunes travel planning process.

 

Link to article on travel plan withdrawn on Wallowa-Whitman NF

http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/News/Local-News/FOREST-ROADS-PLAN-Access-to-firewood-big-fear

 

Many of the key tenets below were stated in the Coos County Resolution.  They should be non-negotiable going forward for the long-term protection and restoration of the OR Dunes to their 1972 condition of being mostly open dunes.

 

·         Re-designate all 10C areas to 10B open riding areas – for about 11K total acres open for OHV

·         Reestablish the Resource Advisory Council

·         Aggressively attack the encroachment of non-native vegetation in the non-motorized areas and utilize OHV recreation as a veg. management tool as well.

·         Cooperate and formally consult with the counties

 

Also, here is a great TV news story that recently ran on the Dunes issue.  One of the best OHV TV stories ever done on our sport.

 

TV Video/News Story on OR Dunes

http://www.kcby.com/news/local/Counties-join-fight-to-save-the-dunes-182460552.html

 

Thanks for your interest in the OR Dunes!

 

 

 

GREAT NEWS - FS Extends Comment Period for OR Dunes

Great News from the Recreation HQ!  As many of you know, HQ and other riders are concerned about the current proposal by the FS to severely restrict OHV recreation (particularly in the sand trail areas) at the OR Dunes.  The public comment period for the Travel DEIS was supposed to end on Dec. 10.

 

BRC Alert with Copy of FS Letter to Counties

http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2012/12/06/comment-period-on-oregon-dunes-10c-designated-routes-project-deis-extended

 

However, because of a lot of hard work by Save the Oregon Dunes club with help and support from BRC, local businesses, and county officials the Forest Service extended the public comment period until Jan. 24, 2013 to give Coos, Douglas, and Lane counties a chance to place the DEIS for the Oregon Dunes Travel Plan on their county commission agendas as an action item.

 

HQ believes the current preferred Alternative 4 in the DEIS is simply a recipe for disaster because it does not recognize the important role that OHV recreation has in managing encroachment of non-native plant species into the open dune areas.   Over time, new portions of the open dune riding area would have to be fenced off each year to provide habitat for species such as the Snowy Plover (it needs open sand to nest).  In 15-20 years, there would be no OHV recreation because of the need to continually close off more open sand areas for the plover.  OHV recreation as we know it would go extinct at the Dunes.

 

Stay tuned as this issue continues to develop.  Let’s hope the FS, local users, and the counties can come up with a long-term strategy (modified Alt. 5?) that will protect both OHV recreation and natural resources for generations to come.

 

OR Dunes Update - Rally at Riley Ranch (Nov. 17)

The Recreation HQ wants to make sure all fans of the Oregon Dunes know about the Rally at Riley Ranch on Nov. 17 (1-4pm).   As many of you know, the Forest Service released their DEIS for travel management of the dunes last month.   HQ believes it ignores good science and best management practices by trying to implement the closure oriented 1994 Clinton-Gore era travel plan.

BRC Alert on DEIS Comment Period – Comment Period Ends Dec. 10

http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2012/10/22/oregon--siuslaw-nf-releases-deis-oregon-dunes-nra-10c-designated-routes-project

 

Here is a link for directions to the Coos County OHV Park at Riley Ranch (a cool place!)

http://www.co.coos.or.us/Departments/CoosCountyParks/RileyRanch.aspx

 

Here is link to HQ blog on Oct. 22 with more info on the proposed travel plan (video of proposed trails to be closed)

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2012/10/siuslaw-nf-sticks-head-in-sand-in-odnra.html

 

SPECIAL OR DUNES DONATION INFORMATION

BRC has set up an "OR Dunes Account" at its main office where folks can donate via PayPal or snail mail.  This account will be used strictly to help fund BRC involvement with the two separate but related land use issues at the Dunes.

 

BRC Online donations

https://www.sharetrails.org/secure/join_or_contribute/?c=1

 

You are asked to click on the "General Fund" account which allows any funds collected to be used if needed in legal action.  Then you are asked to type in the blank space..."Oregon Dunes Account"

Again, these funds will be used for BRC work regarding Dune recreation.

 

Here is Facebook link to the event on Nov. 17 (1-4pm).  HQ understands that there will be special speakers including elected officials, business leaders, and other VIPs… including the most important VIPs (the riders who use the dunes!)

 

Here is link to the 2011 tour that BRC’s Don Amador took last summer of the dunes

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/08/keeping-ohv-recreation-alive-is-worth.html

 

Thanks for your attention to this important riding area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siuslaw NF Sticks Head in Sand in ODNRA DEIS

Historic Forest Sand Trail Closed in DEIS

 

 

The Recreation HQ is strongly disappointed in the preferred alternative (Alt. 4) selected in the Siuslaw National Forest’s DEIS.   HQ is still reviewing the document but it appears the agency is basically implementing their Clinton-Gore era 1994 Management Plan.  That plan functionally closes all historic sand trails that exist in forested or vegetated areas.   If the plan is adopted it will forever change the riding experience at the dunes.

 BRC Alert on the DEIS/ Comment Period which ends Dec. 10, 2012

http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2012/10/22/oregon--siuslaw-nf-releases-deis-oregon-dunes-nra-10c-designated-routes-project

 

YouTube Video of OHVers on Sand Trail Closed in DEIS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCplxKoWCTs&list=HL1350934866&feature=mh_lolz

 

Please see HQ blog from 2011 on FS Closure Plan

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/07/algore-roadless-chief-behind-closure.html

 

As some of you know, BRC toured the area last summer with OHV enthusiasts and even had the Forest Supervisor come out for a one day tour of the area.  Unfortunately, it appears the agency has stuck its head in the sand by selecting an ill-advised plan from a bygone era.  

 

For a background of BRC’s concerns about the proposed action, please read our July 25, 2011 comment letter which was apparently ignored by the agency.

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Oregon_Dunes_BRC_comment_letter_07.25.11.pdf

 

HQ believes it is important for OHV users and related businesses in the OR Dunes area to immediately contact their county commissioners and make sure the counties comment on the DEIS too.

 

Thanks for your time to review this issue!

 

 

Wildfires and YOU

Scott Sinclair looking N. from the Smith River

NRA into S. OR in 2003 after the Biscuit Fire

Michelle Malkin’s excellent article on wildfires and the band-aid approach this administration (and others for that matter) have taken to address (or not address) fuel management (we used to call it logging) struck some very raw nerves with me today.

Malkin’s Article on Wildfires

http://www.news-press.com/article/20120621/OPINION/306210026/How-Obama-bureaucrats-fueled-western-wildfires

While extremely hot wildfires destroy human life, property, and our natural resources, they also impact public recreational use of federal lands.  I have seen wildfires destroy destination recreation areas … which are then closed to the public until they are reconstructed.   I wrote a 2003 article on the Biscuit Fire that impacted NW CA and S. OR.  which included a lot of areas that were “closed” to motorized access in order to “protect” them.  Some protection!

2003 Article on the Biscuit Fire

http://www.sharetrails.org/magazine/article/biscuit-fire-team-stealth-access-amp-big-lie

It seems right now that everything is upside down.   Growing up in Northern California in the 60s/70s, there were busy timber towns that employed a lot of people with well-paying jobs (I know because I worked in one of them).  Now those communities are ghost towns which are surrounded by federal timber land where the trees (and wildlife) are just waiting for the next wildfire to burn them.

I hope that I live long enough to see some common sense brought back into the environmental equation.   Resource management should be more than just installing a gate with a closed sign on it.

Thanks for your interest!

New FS Rule Green Lights Road Ripping

HQ is extremely concerned about the new proposed Forest Service rule that would allow categorical exclusions (Cat Ex) for the aggressive decommissioning (e.g. road ripping) of public routes.

Article on Proposed Rule to Rip Roads
http://politicalnews.me/?id=14873&keys=ENVIRONMENTAL-REVIEWS-RESTORATION-FOREST

BRC Media Release on Proposed Rule (good read and lots of info)

http://www.sharetrails.org/news/2012/06/13/blueribbon-coalition-criticizes-us-forest-service-proposed-rule

According to one notorious anti-access champion as cited in an E &E article…”The new categorical exclusions appear less controversial than earlier proposals that sought to exempt certain tree removal projects from NEPA reviews, said Andy Stahl, executive director for the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics.”  Hey Andy, how about cutting OHV some slack when it comes to designating historic "non-system" routes that have been used for decades and some even signed and maintained by the FS?

While some of the proposed cat ex’s for restoration work could be used to address OHV trail maintenance issues, HQ believes this new rule - with the usual lack of oversight from either the FS’s Washington Office or Regional Offices – basically gives the “green light” to Forests that are hell bent on the aggressive decommissioning of routes to go forth and rip.

One example of this is where the BRC et al filed a lawsuit which challenged the Smith River NRA’s road ripping (e.g. ground disturbing activities during the rainy season in the watershed of a wild and scenic river) without any NEPA process. 

BRC Lawsuit Challenging Road Ripping

http://www.sharetrails.org/news/2010/05/18/county-and-recreation-groups-challenge-illegal-road-decommissioning-northern-califor

Link to lawsuit

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Turcke_Six_Rivers_Lawsuit_Orig_Filed_May2010.pdf

Another example of an overzealous unit when it comes to decommissioning of route is on the Gunnison NF in Colorado.

HQ blog with info on that Unit (letters, etc.)

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/09/road-ripping-hits-colorado-nf.html

HQ history of Road Ripping (letters and strategy of eco-groups)

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/05/road-ripping-is-coming-to-forest-near.html

The most recent example of a unit that focuses on road decommissioning is highlighted in BRC’s June 5 scoping comments on a proposed action that combines TMR with a large road ripping project.

BRC’s June 5, 2012 Scoping Comments on the Six Rivers NF/Smith River NRA Proposed Action

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Tyrone_EIS_scoping_comments_6-5-12.pdf
 
 Stay tuned on this latest version of the road ripping saga...