Help!

[Kurtuleas]

Somewhere I had a post where it listed the total number of miles of the shores streams and lakes where people could fish in NC and compared it to the number of miles for OHV oppurtunies in the same area.

I think I even had it listed as a T-shirt idea.

I have searched my ass off for it and can't find it.

Does anyone remember seeing that post of does anyone have that info?

I am working on a comment.

[McCracken]

I remember the comment but I'm not sure where it was. I'll look.

[McCracken]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showp...&postcount=108

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showp...&postcount=109

[Kurtuleas]

AWESOME!

THANKS!


*off to write another comment*

[Kurtuleas]

Here's the comment I wrote with that info:



SUBJECT: COMMENTS ON THE UPPER TELLICO OHV AREA

To whom it may concern,

Once again, I would like to direct your attention to pages 190 and 191 of the Enviromental Assessment.

According to the data in the EA, there are 1053 miles of OHV trails on public lands within an 8 hour drive of Murphy, NC.

I pointed out in a previous e-mailed comment that in the states that contain those OHV trails, there are an estimated 5,510,000 OHV users over the age of 16 within those states. This works out to 14.4% of the total population of OHV users in the USA. (This data comes from an offical USFS study which can be seen here: http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/prog...nal_report.pdf)

Trout Unlimited is the force behind this Enviromental Assessment. This EA has been written becuase of thier doing.

The following data and information need to be added in the Enviromental Assessment, and the data also needs to be recognised by the US Forest Service:

There are 17 river basins in North Carolina ALONE.

In all those river basins there are a TOTAL of 37,542 miles of streams and rivers.

Times that by two for both sides of each stream and river that equals 75,084 miles of potental fishing for anglers.

I have not even inculded shoreline on lakes, the coast and in estuaries.

So let's compare:

Fisherman have roughly 75,084 miles of streams and rivers to fish on in NC alone!

According to the Enviromental Assessment, the OHV crowd has ONLY 1053 miles of OHV trails on public lands for 5,510,000 OHV enthusists.

Now I would like to direct your attention to the Forest Service's mission statement which can be found here: http://www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/mission.shtml

"CARING FOR THE LAND AND SERVING PEOPLE, captures the Forest Service mission. As set forth in law, the mission is to achieve quality land management under the sustainable multiple-use management concept to meet the diverse needs of people."

"SERVING THE PEOPLE."

There are 5,510,00 you are NOT serving by closing the Upper Tellico OHV area.

"Achieve quality land management"

Closing an area is NOT "land management"

"Multiple-use management"

Is closing the Upper Tellico OHV area, yet leaving it open to fisherman considered "Multiple-use"?

"To meet the diverse needs of people"

Once again, how is closing an area that has 5,510,000 potential users "meeting diverse needs of people"

There are only 1,053 miles of public OHV trail. The forest service is NOT following it's own mission statement becuase it is NOT meeting the needs of multiple use.

In fact, it is bowing down to fisherman who have 75,084+ miles to fish on becuase of a lawsuit and is ignoring the needs of OHV users who are now back into a measly 1,053 miles of trails. That is less than 1 foot of trail for every OHV user with an 8 hour drive of Murphy, NC.

The forest service needs to MANAGE Tellico, not close it.

The forest service must also include the data on the number of OHV users from within the area listed as with 8 hours of Murphy NC in the Enviromental Assessment and show HOW the USFS is "meeting thier needs"

The Enviromental assessment must also find the number of trout fisherman, and list the estimated number of miles availbe to them to fish on with the "8 hour travel time from Murphy" area.

Then this data between the two types of forest users needs to be compared in the document.