Tahoe National Forest DEIS published - meetings, comment period...

[kcjeep6]

I will be there with a few club members

We need to pack this meeting, please show up if you can!

 

[jeepme]

Ill be there.

 

[Bryan C.]

I went to the Pirate 4x4 letter generator and whipped this up from scratch. You can use the pre-written comments of make your own like I did.

SUBJECT: TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

Dear [Letter Recipient],

My father and I would often drive out into the Tahoe National Forest while growing up. My family wasn't fortunate enough to have any extra money for vacations to exotic locations or ritzy hotels. My family liked to camp in the forest. We would hike to a secluded location and spend the weekend away from civilization and have the time of our lives. As my parents aged, their ability to hike and explore the forest diminished. That is when my family turned to off-highway vehicles. My father and I bought an old broken down Jeep and brought it back to life. We then spent the next 3 years attempting to explore every bit of the Sierras as we could, much of that time was spent in the Tahoe National Forest. My father eventually succumbed to his ailments, but I continue on this tradition with my own daughter. Now 6, we asked her what her favorite thing to do was. She said, "I love to go camping and play the dirt."

I am writing you today about my opposition to the proposed restrictions on winter use by off-highway vehicles in the Tahoe National Forest. I feel that any winter or wet weather closures will limit access to an extremely large National Forest. A Forest that has many users and offers many types of recreational opportunities. Off highway vehicle travel during snow conditions is one of my favorite winter pastimes. I have spent thousands of dollars modifying my Jeep for snow travel. To limit travel in the forest for 3 to 6 months every year is ridiculous. If the concern is over resource damage in only a few locations, then close those areas themselves, or allow the user groups to fix the problem areas prior to closing the area.

I also am opposed the closing any of the forest service roads and trails. I support the inclusion of non-system or user created roads into the road system. Another use restriction I am opposed to is specifically Rattlesnake Rd. These proposed restrictions will bar green sticker vehicles from traveling on this road. I feel this restriction is hurtful to the off-road community for many reasons. Rattlesnake Rd is of great importance to the users of the Fordyce Creek Jeep Trail. This road allows broken or disabled vehicles to exit the trail as easily as possible. Rattlesnake Rd also allows for green stickered vehicles to access the forest, Fordyce reservoir, and Fordyce Creek. Also of concern is the constant vehicle break ins and vandalism at the Eagle Lakes staging area. These break ins are forcing Fordyce Creek Jeep Trail users to park their tow vehicles at the Cisco Grove campground. If Rattlesnake Rd. is closed to green sticker or off-highway vehicles it will create serious issue of how to coordinate dropping off the OHV vehicle at the trailhead and parking at a campground one mile up Interstate 80.

Sincerely,

Bryan Cloward,
XXXX XXXXXXXXX XX #XXX
Dublin, CA, 94568

 

[XJ_ranger]

I got this in my e-mail inbox today:

This may be a repeat notice for some of you, but wanted to make sure you received it. There have been many rejected emails and so am sending this out to some again.

Tahoe National Forest
Travel Management Draft Environmental Impact Statement
November, 2008

Public Comment Period Extended One Month
​

The comment period for Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Tahoe National Forest Travel Management process will be extended for one month until December 26, 2008 announced Forest Supervisor Tom Quinn. “Because we had so many individuals, interest groups, and elected officials ask to have the comment period extended, we decided to provide an additional month. We appreciate the depth and complexity of the document and recognize that reviewing it is a formidable job. This extension will, in total, provide 90 days for comment. Thanks to everyone who has sent in their comments already and to those that are currently in the midst of reviewing the DEIS,” stated Quinn. This may also extend the time frame for the release of the Final EIS until later in the spring.

Public comments need to be postmarked by December 26, 2008. Comments can be sent to the: Tahoe National Forest, Travel Management Team, 631 Coyote St, Nevada City, CA 95959 or via email to: [email protected] .

Please note - Many of you who attended the recent public meetings signed in with new email addresses. Some of these addresses were very hard to decipher. If you know of someone that signed in but did not receive this update, please forward to them as their email address may reject. Thanks!

Ann Westling
Tahoe National Forest
Public Affairs Officer
(530) 478-6205

So, that means, ya'll need to get out and write your comments!

 

[XJ_ranger]

Just got this e-mail - Thanks everyone for writing letters!

It looks like the volume of letters was too much, and they are pushing back the publish date of the final EIS.

Thanks again for all your help guys!

Tahoe National Forest
Travel Management Update
March, 2009 ​

To Everyone Interested in the Motorized Travel Management Process:

The purpose of this update is to share the progress we are making regarding the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). I would first like to thank you all for taking the time to review the Draft EIS and to send in your comments. We received over 7,000 emails, letters, map packets and other supportive documentation. These provided a wealth of suggestions, concerns, and issues that we are responding to in the Final EIS.

We received comments on just about every aspect of the document including: recommended additions to the trail system; seasonal closures; wildlife issues; watershed, hydrology, and soil issues; non-motorized recreation; the existing road system; archeological resources; sensitive and invasive plants; roadless areas; access issues; maps in the document; National Environmental Policy Act requirements; air quality; growth of recreation; public meetings; mixed use; social and economic issues; etc.

In terms of our schedule, due to the complexity and volume of comments, more time is required to fully review and respond to comments and modify the EIS. Members of the IDT have been working long hours, including weekends, to address the comments and revise the EIS. Due to the complexity of this, we expect that a couple more months will be needed to complete the Final EIS. The Motor Vehicle Use Map is scheduled to be available in December, 2009.

Thanks again for the extensive work that you did reviewing and responding to the Draft EIS. And if any of you are interested in reviewing the cooperative agreement application proposed by the Tahoe National Forest for funding from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, this information is available on line at http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/ . The deadline for comments is April 6, 2009.

If you wish to be removed from this mailing list or know anyone that would like to be added, please send an email to [email protected].

Sincerely,
Tom Quinn
Forest Supervisor


Ann Westling
Tahoe National Forest
Public Affairs Officer
(530) 478-6205

 

[Bryan C.]

Looks like good news. The Tahoe National Forest Final Evironmental Imapct Statement report has been published.

Thread on Pirate: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=922807

Forest service announcement: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/projects_plans/ohv_inv/

Full draft: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/projects_plans/ohv_inv/FEIS_overview.shtml

I also saw a thread about the recent Sierra Chapter donation to Friends of Fordyce.