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Eldorado Nation Forest Route Designation Workshop

2K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  randii 
#1 ·
For those of you not on the mailing list:

NEWS RELEASE
USDA Forest Service
Eldorado National Forest
100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Date: November 23, 2005 Contact: Frank
Mosbacher
Release: Immediate Phone: 530-621-5268
(cell) 530-409-10


Eldorado National Forest Route Designation Workshop December 14

Placerville, CA….The USDA Forest Service will continue its on-going public

conversations about the Eldorado National Forest route designation process

in a public workshop scheduled for December 14 in Placerville. The meeting

will be held from 7 PM to 9 PM in the El Dorado County Office of Education

Activity Center – Building I; 6767 Green Valley Road.



The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the comments Forest

Supervisor John Berry received on his proposal for how off-highway wheeled

motor vehicle routes should be designated in the Eldorado National Forest.

Forest Service specialists will also explain how these comments will be

used to develop alternatives to Berry’s proposal in the environmental

analysis that is currently underway.



The Forest Service began an Environmental Impact Statement on October

26 when Forest Supervisor Berry announced in the Federal Register his

intention to prepare an EIS and requested public comments on his proposed

action. Comments received between October 26 and December 1, the official

public comment period known as scoping, will be discussed at the meeting.



“This meeting provides a unique opportunity to learn how public

comments will be used in the environmental analysis and what people said

was important,” said Anthony Scardina Route Designation Project Leader.

“Perhaps more importantly, participants will have a chance to provide

advice to the Forest Supervisor before he finalizes the issues that will

frame alternatives to his proposed action.”



More information about the route designation project and workshop can be found on the Eldorado National Forest web site at:
www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado.

The Forest Service is under court order to complete the Eldorado National Forest Route Designation Environmental Impact Statement by December 31, 2007. A draft environmental impact statement is anticipated to be ready for public review in June 2006.
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#3 ·
I have bumped a few of the lawsuit and/or designation threads... sorta hard to tell where one issue stops and the other starts, so I bumped both.
That said, this meeting on December 14 for a better understanding of scoping, the process, and how comments will be handled. FOR YOUR COMMENTS TO BE REGISTERED AND RESPONDED TO, IT IS BEST TO GET THEM SUBMITTED BEFORE THE END OF THE OFFICIAL COMMENT PERIOD. USFS has committed to respond to comments received later than 30 days after they released the Notice of Intent and Proposed Action, but get 'em in now, before the end of November, for best impact.

Randii
 
#10 ·
cruzila said:
You weren't at the last one.
And you didn't make it down to Jackson. :p :p

You can make it up to me by buying me a beer after. :beer:

Randii
 
#13 ·
Oh well 2 of us made it. 7 excuses not to go and thirteen ignors.All and all it look to be a good showing overall .Except for the elitist bitch in front of me ,who cursed like a druken sailor every time some one made a comment about having access.While her husband sat there like a good bitch not interrupting her.
 
#18 ·
Chances are more likely that the new sup will follow the lead set by Berry. anything is possible though. Interesting about the level 1 roads being opened. I had not made that connection before last night.
 
#20 ·
That Level 1 roads are to be included in the discussion is in keeping with the National OHV Policy.

Not hearing any grumbling, I am assuming the 714 miles of non-system routes are back in the discussion list.

As this moves forward, the following are issues to keep in mind:

Maintenance - Forest is linking the designation of routes to maintenance and funding. I encourage everyone to argue against that and proposed that groups be allowed ot enter into Adopt-a-Trail agreements that will incldue a set level of "maintennace". Note, the amount of maintenance is not defined. And, re-routes and mitigation should be factored into your discussions.

Archeological and Historical - There are some routes that will be slated for closure due to archeological and historical issues. If it is labled "user created" you may not be able to support designation. If it an existing route, some form or mitigation and/or level of protection needs to be assigned before closure.

Parking off trail - There does need to be provisions for parking off trail (or travel off trail to a disbursed camp site.) Perhaps a tour can be arranged with the Supervisor and some congressional staffers to show what the impacts of narrow trails without out off-trail parking capability.

Vehicle type and season of use - Pay close attention. Limiting routes to vehicle type may be warrented in some instances. Site specific evaluation applies. The season of use is going to be an on-going hassle.

A group of national leaders is collecting a list of "issues" to present to the Washington Office. I am scheduled to be part of that group. I would like to carry issues forward as the ElDorado is in the lead with route designation and may reveal issues we can correct as the process moves forward.
 
#21 ·
John, just make sure they are significant issues. LOL

The 714 miles are NOT back on the table. But, from the feed back and comment we may yet see an alternative with some of them in there.

Now we wait to see what the alternatives are going to be.
 
#22 ·
The seasonal closure from Nov. 1 though May 1 is still bothers me but it looks like the ENF is looking at possible alternative. I thought the "18" snow depth" minimum was a reasonable compromise. I hope the new Supervisor is reasonable and takes our concerns to heart;)
 
#25 ·
Sorry I missed the meeting. I've been home for 3 weeks fighting a virus that is kicking my butt. At this rate, nobody is getting gifts!! Anyway, I talked to Don Klausman (Cal4wheel) at the Sunday meeting held a while back about Berry's position. He indicated the position likely would remain open for an extended period of time. I think he said they might appoint someone as temporary Sup while a search was done. I think he based this comment on passed experiences he's had in other forests. If this is true, it could be make things very difficult when working with the FS. But, it might provide an opportunity to go up the chain too. In any casee, I hope we get someone that is flexible, balanced and fair.
 
#26 ·
Verifying what Klusman said, I actually bumped into Tony Scardina at the airport this weekend, and he speculated that we'd probably have at least a couple interim Forest Supervisors before we get to the next full-time Forest Supervisor... likely drawn from within Eldorado National Forest (ENF) or Region 5.

ENF is a desirable post, and IMHO we'll get someone from outside the Forest as the next full-time Forest Supervisor. Berry served from 1999 to 2006 in the ENF, and before that he was a District Ranger in three ranger districts. IIRC, he took over from John Phipps.

There are too many variables to anticipate how this will pan out -- we have to just keep working the process as well as we can. I'm with Marlon in the hope that we get someone flexible, balanced, and fair. Marlon, let us know if you need some cough medicine or the appropriate Sierra Nevada elixir. :p

Randii
 
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