HUGE Props to BRC!!

[Kurtuleas]

BRC now has a letter generator for Upper Tellico!!!

It even has the ability to personalise eeach letter so they are not "form" letters! I wish they had this back during the ELDO DEIS

http://www.sharetrails.org/letters/letter.php?id=14

PLEASE make sure you drop a letter for Tellico even if you have never been there!

[randii]

Done! Take some time to customize it, for best impact, and to avoid having it discarded as a 'form letter.'

Randii

Forest Ranger Lohr,

Thank your for the opportunity to write and provide comments on scoping for changes at the Upper Tellico ORV Area in the Nantahala National Forest.

I strongly suggest that the Forest Service scope to reopen and maintain trails at Tellico instead of closing them. If the purpose and need for this action is to reduce sedimentation in streams, then let's address that scope specifically, instead of stating a goal of closing trails. Focusing on reduction of sedimentation in the proposed action allows the Forest Service to conduct a more comprehensive analysis under NEPA and will simultaneously provide recreation opportunities to OHV community AND reduce sedimentation in the Tellico River watershed.

In considering these simultaneous goals, I request that the Forest Service use only accurate, peer-reviewd science, with thorough citations and a well-balanced approach that considers sportsmen, environment, and multiple-uses, including OHV and 4x4 usage. The actual source of sedimentation must be concerned in any remediation plan -- community and logging sedimentation will not be addressed by closing OHV trails. Mitigation is likewise different, based on the source of sedimentation.

Please also consider that Southern Four Wheel Drive Aassociation volunteers have been working for years in cooperation with the FS, and is highly invested in continuing this relationship, regardless of any agency monetary shortage. Indeed, the motorized user community that has been successful in securing substantial funds for OHV management, with several grant and volunteer programs available. The OHV community is committed to help provide the tools to address legitimate concerns and maintain routes to mitigate them.

Please incorporate a training protocol into your plan that trains agency staff on grant attainment, ICE-T money usage, and managing volunteer programs. A first step in this training would be to work to establish Memorandums of Understanding with the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association and other recreational group.

I believe that current plan for Upper Tellico OHV Area is unfair, unwise, and scientifically and economically unsound -- please re-evaluate based on proper science and a thorough analysis of all reasonable alterantives, as mandated by NEPA process.

Randii

[MT4Runner]

WOW!

Originally Posted by MT4Runner

SUBJECT: COMMENTS ON UPPER TELLICO OHV SYSTEM

Dear Ranger Lohr,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed closures to the Upper Tellico ORV Area in the Nantahala National Forest.

I urge the Nantahala NF to consider scoping for reopening and maintaining trails at Tellico instead of closing trails. If the purpose and need for this action is to reduce sedimentation in streams, then that should be the desired outcome of this analysis, not closing trails.

I am extremely concerned that the FS is scoping to close trails at the Tellico OHV area based on inaccurate science. I feel that the FS is caving under the threat of a lawsuit by a sportsman-turned environmental group. Trout Unlimited may have valid sedimentation concerns, but there have been no peer-reviewed studies showing that the sedimentation in the Nantahala River is wholly and directly a result of use of the Upper Tellico OHV area.

Sincerely,

Shawn Baker,

[lttlbddy]

Mine failed:

This is a delivery status notification, automatically generated by MTA svpdxsmtp001.pdx.fs.fed.us on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:27:48 -0700 Regarding recipient(s) : comments-southern-north-carolina-nan...itee@fs.fed.us
Delivery status : Failed. Message could not be delivered to domain <fs.fed.us> .Failed while initiating the protocol. <[('comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahalatusquitee@fs.fed.us', 550, 'comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahalatusquitee@fs.fed.us... No such user')]> MTA Response :550 The original message headers are included as attachment.

I'll try again in the AM when I am more coherent.

[Jeepndel]

I appreciate the opportunity provide comments on scoping for changes at the Upper Tellico ORV Area in the Nantahala National Forest. I oppose closures at Tellico and request you consider and evaluate my comments as public input.

I request that the USDA Forest Service scope to reopen and maintain trails at Tellico instead of closing them. If the purpose and need for this action is to reduce sedimentation in streams, then let's address that scope specifically, instead of stating a goal of closing trails. I support the concept that the USDA Forest Service is about providing recreational opportunities and continue being the "land of many uses."

Focusing on reduction of sedimentation in the proposed action allows the Forest Service to conduct a more comprehensive analysis under NEPA and will simultaneously provide recreation opportunities to OHV community AND reduce sedimentation in the Tellico River watershed.

I further request that the Forest Service use only accurate, peer-reviewed science, with thorough citations and a well-balanced approach that considers sportsmen, environment, and multiple-uses, including OHV and 4x4 usages. The actual source of sedimentation must be addressed in any remediation plan. Community and logging sedimentation will not be addressed by closing OHV trails. Mitigation is different, based on the source of sedimentation.

It's critical that you take into account that the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association volunteers have been working for years in cooperation with the USFS, and is highly invested in continuing this relationship, regardless of any agency monetary shortage. The motorized user community that has been successful in securing substantial funds for OHV management. There are several grants and volunteer programs available.

The OHV community is committed to help provide the tools to address legitimate concerns and maintain routes to mitigate them. Upper Tellico and the entire Tellico OHV area needs to remain open, properly managed and available to all users.

Additionally, I request that you develop a training protocol into your plan that trains agency staff on grant attainment, ICE-T money usage, and managing volunteer programs. A first step in this training would be to work to establish Memorandums of Understanding with the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association and other recreational group.

There is nothing stronger and more supportive to your management concerns than a well organized, fully involved volunteer base. We have that on the Rubicon Trail with the Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR), and we have mitigated and developed solutions for every issue brought forth about the Rubicon. It can be done with volunteers and we are doing it. You can do it at Tellico just as well.

I believe that current plan for Upper Tellico OHV Area is unfair, unwise, and scientifically and economically unsound -- please re-evaluate based on proper science and a thorough analysis of all reasonable alternatives, as mandated by NEPA process.

Del Albright
Trail Boss, Friends of the Rubicon
Ambassador, BlueRibbon Coalition

[Kurtuleas]

The link has been forwared thru the FOE Myspace page.

Here is another comment I just sent in. I beg all of you to send something simular in order to make sure the Tellico rally has an even greater impact:

SUBJECT: COMMENTS ON UPPER TELLICO OHV SYSTEM

Dear Ranger Lohr,

I am writing to provide comments on the scoping letter for changes at the Upper Tellico ORV Area in the Nantahala National Forest.

On May 7th, 2008, Pirate4x4.com the leading 4x4 website in the world held a Virtual, Online rally for the Upper Tellico OHV area.

In a span of just a few hours, nearly 1,000 people posted thier concerns, testimonials of recreating in Tellico with thier families and arguments to keep Upper Tellico open in this online rally.

Today, more than 20,000 indiviual IP addresses have viewed this thread.

As part of the public input of this process, I demand that the comments by these users are added into the comments of this scoping letter.

The link to the rally thread is here:

/forum/land-use-issues/676594-official-upper-tellico-virtual-rally-thread.html

Sincerely,

Kurt Schneider,
Friends of Eldorado National Forest

[5keepers]

Done, and cross posted to many forums that I frequent. Has anyone posted this in Chit-Chat? That should generate some page views for BRC.

[fullsped]

Mine has been sent and I forwarded the link on to the rest of my club.

Eli

[007Crawler]

This Is An Excellant System But Needs To Be Advertised More To The O.h.v. Community. I Have Submitted My Responses And Sent This Information To Everyone That I Know.