Brand New Tellico Proposal

[McCracken]

no not yet but........


I spoke with the Ranger Station this morning and I have news to share with everyone. Here's what I have learned.

1) The new proposal/environmental assessment will be here next week or the week after. That means 2 weeks folks, max!!!!

2) The decision will be made by the end of December of this year! No more stringing this thing out or wondering what will happen when. It's this year people. We either sack up and make our presence known or... you know the rest.

3) There will be 6 alternatives proposed with 1 being the one preferred by the Forest Service

4) All comments should be funneled to the Asheville office. This is where this is being handled. Candice Wyman is the woman in charge of handling this.

5) ~500 comments were filed last period. If you think that turns heads you're in for a surprise. We're going to need double that this round.

Get your pens, keyboards and stamps ready. We have got to get on this. We have 30 days from it's release date. I hope we can count on all of you.

[GSW]

Huge.

Thanks for getting the info and giving us all a heads up.

[Boco]

Excuse my ignorance, but I've never been to tellico and would love to go one day with my father. When my mother gets well. But That may be a little while. So where do I send a letter to. When you say Asheville office that completly goes over my head.

[McCracken]

The regional office for the districts is there. This issue is so big that the district for the Upper Tellico area is not handling it. Once the new proposal comes out then we'll need to send letters to the Asheville Regional office so our voices over the decision can be heard.

[hbhound]

What is the address for the Asheville Regional office?

[GSW]

Originally Posted by hbhound

What is the address for the Asheville Regional office?

http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/

USFS
Attention: Candice Wyman or Marisue Hilliard
160 Zillicoa Street, Suite A
Asheville, NC 28801


828-257-4200

[bigjerm]

I am ready. Is the Pirate Letter Generator going to be used? As soon as word comes through Ill send a mass message to everyone in the Face Book Save Tellico group to get them going.

[McCracken]

I'd already send out the news. everyone needs to be aware it is coming instead of trying to figure out what's happening in 2 weeks.

then once it breaks, we send out another. nothing wrong with being up-to-date

[Kurtuleas]

Originally Posted by bigjerm

I am ready. Is the Pirate Letter Generator going to be used? As soon as word comes through Ill send a mass message to everyone in the Face Book Save Tellico group to get them going.

Yes, the letter generator will be in full effect once the public comment period starts.

I will also fab up a "How to write a substantive letter" FAQ to make it as easy as possible.

we need to work hard to get clubs and the people in the south that do not use computers much to also send in letters.

[jesster]

Subscribed.

[s10er8]

All the suspense over the past year and now the time has come.

I cannot wait to see the Forest Service preferred proposal, hopefully it's one that SFWDA and the offroad community agree with. Let's hope it includes Upper Tellico being open on Jan 1

[frazier2209]

Thanks for the updates Nick. Ready with keyboard in hand to do whatever I can.

[chris demartini]

Originally Posted by Kurtuleas

we need to work hard to get clubs and the people in the south that do not use computers much to also send in letters.

Good point, I was going to send in a paper letter instead of just another email so they could see how far some people travel from to use the park.

[GSW]

Originally Posted by chris demartini

Good point, I was going to send in a paper letter instead of just another email so they could see how far some people travel from to use the park.

Emails are certainly good. But letters are always better.

[thumping]

Read...just say when.

Oh, and thank you for keeping us posted.

[Crawfords Campground]

Great Job Nick! It's coming to head folks...get ready to put the pen to paper. Sending snail mail is the best, it clogs up the system and forces them to actually look at the letters as they will be buried if we do it right. It's one thing to see a couple thousand email letters and another to see the same in a pile of paper. They will not have a place to store it if we play our cards right. Their fingers will be ripped up from paper cuts and it will take tons of time to go through each one. LETS MAKE A STATEMENT!!!

[04 rocko taco]

Thanks for the updates!
Subscribed, I got my fancy writing pen ready to go!!

-Chris

[navy-jeepster]

TELLICO LAWSUIT DISMISSED - FOREST SERVICE TO RELEASE NEW PLAN

October 30, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Greg Mumm 208-244-2112
Carla Boucher 757-546-7969

Court papers filed today indicate that the lawsuit brought by motorized recreation advocates against the US Forest Service over the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle Area will be voluntarily dismissed. The case was filed by the BlueRibbon Coalition, United Four Wheel Drive Associations, and Southern Four Wheel Drive Association and challenged temporary closure orders issued by the Forest Service in December 2007. According to a stipulation entered by all parties to the case, it is the Forest Service's "stated intention to complete a public planning process and announce a new decision in the near future which will likely substantially impact or change the interim orders referenced in the complaint..." The Forest has provided proposed management alternatives and received comments through July 2008, on the new plan from the recreation organizations and many others interested in Tellico management.

"We are pleased that the Forest Service has made active management of Tellico a high priority, and that this planning process seems to have avoided some of the diversions that have delayed similar decisions in other areas," observed Jay Bird, immediate Past President of Southern Four Wheel Drive Association. "Under these circumstances, and mindful of the desire for both Forest Service personnel and recreational enthusiasts to focus on the new decision and future management, we agreed that dismissing this action was the right thing to do," Bird concluded.

The dismissal is without prejudice, meaning that these same organizations or other interested parties could file administrative appeals or lawsuits challenging the ultimate outcome of the new planning process. Further information about the plaintiff organizations, including information about the ongoing planning process at Tellico and developments in other matters, can be found as indicated below.

# # #

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. www.sharetrails.org

United Four Wheel Drive Associations is an international organization comprised of four wheel drive enthusiasts, clubs, associations, and businesses dedicated to providing community services around the world, education in responsible land use and safe vehicle operation, and protection of our natural resources through conservation practices. 1-800-448-3932. www.ufwda.org <http://www.ufwda.org>

Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) was founded in 1987 to promote responsible land use and to keep public lands accessible for motorized recreation. Since the formation of Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, the focus and mission is to promote responsible land use and to help keep public lands open for motorized recreation. For more information on the activities and accomplishments of Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, please visit www.sfwda.org <http://www.sfwda.org> or contact us at 1483 N. Mt. Juliet Road, PMB # 222, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122

[04 rocko taco]

Heard anything else on this?

Are they having any other meetings on the subject? should we go ahead and be sending letters? or should we be waiting?

[k9crazy]

Nothing new yet, we are still waiting on the EA. Keep the pen at the ready...

[dlc]

Btt

[4-lo]

Originally Posted by McCracken

1) The new proposal/environmental assessment will be here next week or the week after. That means 2 weeks folks, max!!!!

its been two weeks, whats new?

[GSW]

Originally Posted by 4-lo

its been two weeks, whats new?

What appears to be new is that the FS is running a little short on time to get a new proposal out, receive 30 days worth of public comment, thoroughly evaluate the feedback and make a decision by the end of the year.

Obviously there are two big holidays in the mix too. Wonder if they plan to release the document just before Thanksgiving in an attempt to "fly under the radar" so to speak. Then they could make their final decision while everyone is busy and otherwise occupied for Christmas. Just a crazy conspiracy theory that probably has no merit.

[McCracken]

Sorry, I've been flying under the radar too lately. I haven't heard anything. I need to call them back and ask what the deal is.

[rockcity]

subscribed.


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