Post by cdaxena on Nov 5, 2003 21:09:10 GMT -5
Forest Plan Revision Meeting Oct 29th - Spokane
Oct 28th, 2003
The Northwest Motorcycle Association has come up with some General Comments conerning the Forest Plan Revisions (the Word doc Rod refers to is in the following post):
========================================
The attached Word document is a list that Dave Hiatt asked me to compile with bullet items of key issues and comments for use during the upcoming Wenatchee, Okanogan and Colville Forest Plan revisions. Use this list as a guide and resource for making personal comments at public meeting or for submitting formal inputs to the Forest via email or letters.
Note that this list is not complete and was compiled on very short notice from the inputs of a few key NMA members familiar with these forests. Please feel free to add other issues and comments as you feel are warranted. I would appreciate being cc'd at my home email address with any new comments that should be included with the formal NMA inputs that will be submitted to the Forests shortly.
Written inputs should be mailed to: Forest Plan Revision Team - 1240 Second Avenue South - Okanogan, WA 98840
Refer to Dave's email below for other references and web links for information, including the list of of public hearings. The one next week on Thursday November 6th is in North Bend and is the only meeting that is reasonably accessible to most Western WA NMA members. Consider taking time to attend this or one of the other remaining meetings to help guide this process. (North Bend - Mt. Si Senior Center, 411 N. Main - Multi-purpose Room (Freeway Exit 31) - November 6)
Thank you,
Rod Jones
NMA Wenatchee Oversight Committee
General comments to all Forest Plans:
- Reasons supporting an increase in motorized trails
- the growth in numbers of off-road motorcycles is greater than that of any other trail based recreation.
- The continued decrease in trail miles available for trailbikes is causing unnecessary impacts and maintenance costs.
- Develop and implement a trail maintenance plan that routinely calls for an annual review of all trails and creation of a list of trails with major wear/damage that requires implementation of heavy maintenance and repair within a 5-10 year interval after placement on the list. There are too many motorized trails on the Forest in a state of serious disrepair .. some present real safety hazards for travel
- Implementation of trail management policy that allows closing motorized trails to hikers to reduce conflict.
- No closures of any trails currently open to motorized use.
- Every mile of motorized trail closed to motorized use shall be replaced by a mile of new motorized trail on the Forest of equal or better quality.
- Forest needs more beginner trail opportunities.
- Expand OHV trail opportunities by converting roads to trails to connect isolated trail segments into OHV loop trail opportunities
- Restore trails that were obliterated by fire fighting activities.
- ATV folks need more legitimate places to ride on the Forest. ATV opportunities can be created from road to trail conversions. As the USFS decommissions roads, they should be looking to see if ATV opportunities could be implemented
Wenatchee NF specific comments:
- Reopen North Entiat/Pyramid Mt. area to motorized use (full time, seasonal, whatever).
- Restore and put Negro/Shaser trails back on the inventory for motorized use.
- Completion of needed projects already identified or planned:
- Complete new Goose Creek to Maverick Saddle tie trail
- Scope and build new south trailhead access to Domerie Peak trail - maintain motorized access to majority of existing trail
- Restore Three Brothers trail (which is motorized) and list on ORV inventory maps
- Expand beginner/easiest trail in vicinity of Goose Creek campground. Consider trail from Goose Creek CG to Deep Creek CG that runs between the forest rd (#??) and Wenatchee River. This would create a larger, relatively flat trail loop between Goose Cr and Deep Cr CG.
- Consider snowmobile huts for winter time accommodations utilizing existing and historic structure settings (Whistling Pig meadow Shelter, Two Little Lakes Shelter, Hunter Trail Shelter, Taneum Shelter, etc.)
Okanogan NF specific comments:
- Create motorized loop trail opportunity Chelan Crest and Horsehead Pass with existing unmaintained trails.
ยท- Revise current regulations preventing motorcycles from traveling directly to lakes (Cooney, Upper/Lower Eagle, etc). Create designated areas for parking bikes just like those allowed for horses and pack animals.
- Create new motorized trail opportunities on Forest. Okanogan NF does not provide sufficient miles of motorized trails compared to the trail miles provided to non-motorized users.
Colville NF specific comments:
- Create new motorized trail opportunities on Forest. Colville NF does not provide sufficient miles of motorized trails compared to the trail miles provided to non-motorized users.
Oct 28th, 2003
The Northwest Motorcycle Association has come up with some General Comments conerning the Forest Plan Revisions (the Word doc Rod refers to is in the following post):
========================================
The attached Word document is a list that Dave Hiatt asked me to compile with bullet items of key issues and comments for use during the upcoming Wenatchee, Okanogan and Colville Forest Plan revisions. Use this list as a guide and resource for making personal comments at public meeting or for submitting formal inputs to the Forest via email or letters.
Note that this list is not complete and was compiled on very short notice from the inputs of a few key NMA members familiar with these forests. Please feel free to add other issues and comments as you feel are warranted. I would appreciate being cc'd at my home email address with any new comments that should be included with the formal NMA inputs that will be submitted to the Forests shortly.
Written inputs should be mailed to: Forest Plan Revision Team - 1240 Second Avenue South - Okanogan, WA 98840
Refer to Dave's email below for other references and web links for information, including the list of of public hearings. The one next week on Thursday November 6th is in North Bend and is the only meeting that is reasonably accessible to most Western WA NMA members. Consider taking time to attend this or one of the other remaining meetings to help guide this process. (North Bend - Mt. Si Senior Center, 411 N. Main - Multi-purpose Room (Freeway Exit 31) - November 6)
Thank you,
Rod Jones
NMA Wenatchee Oversight Committee
General comments to all Forest Plans:
- Reasons supporting an increase in motorized trails
- the growth in numbers of off-road motorcycles is greater than that of any other trail based recreation.
- The continued decrease in trail miles available for trailbikes is causing unnecessary impacts and maintenance costs.
- Develop and implement a trail maintenance plan that routinely calls for an annual review of all trails and creation of a list of trails with major wear/damage that requires implementation of heavy maintenance and repair within a 5-10 year interval after placement on the list. There are too many motorized trails on the Forest in a state of serious disrepair .. some present real safety hazards for travel
- Implementation of trail management policy that allows closing motorized trails to hikers to reduce conflict.
- No closures of any trails currently open to motorized use.
- Every mile of motorized trail closed to motorized use shall be replaced by a mile of new motorized trail on the Forest of equal or better quality.
- Forest needs more beginner trail opportunities.
- Expand OHV trail opportunities by converting roads to trails to connect isolated trail segments into OHV loop trail opportunities
- Restore trails that were obliterated by fire fighting activities.
- ATV folks need more legitimate places to ride on the Forest. ATV opportunities can be created from road to trail conversions. As the USFS decommissions roads, they should be looking to see if ATV opportunities could be implemented
Wenatchee NF specific comments:
- Reopen North Entiat/Pyramid Mt. area to motorized use (full time, seasonal, whatever).
- Restore and put Negro/Shaser trails back on the inventory for motorized use.
- Completion of needed projects already identified or planned:
- Complete new Goose Creek to Maverick Saddle tie trail
- Scope and build new south trailhead access to Domerie Peak trail - maintain motorized access to majority of existing trail
- Restore Three Brothers trail (which is motorized) and list on ORV inventory maps
- Expand beginner/easiest trail in vicinity of Goose Creek campground. Consider trail from Goose Creek CG to Deep Creek CG that runs between the forest rd (#??) and Wenatchee River. This would create a larger, relatively flat trail loop between Goose Cr and Deep Cr CG.
- Consider snowmobile huts for winter time accommodations utilizing existing and historic structure settings (Whistling Pig meadow Shelter, Two Little Lakes Shelter, Hunter Trail Shelter, Taneum Shelter, etc.)
Okanogan NF specific comments:
- Create motorized loop trail opportunity Chelan Crest and Horsehead Pass with existing unmaintained trails.
ยท- Revise current regulations preventing motorcycles from traveling directly to lakes (Cooney, Upper/Lower Eagle, etc). Create designated areas for parking bikes just like those allowed for horses and pack animals.
- Create new motorized trail opportunities on Forest. Okanogan NF does not provide sufficient miles of motorized trails compared to the trail miles provided to non-motorized users.
Colville NF specific comments:
- Create new motorized trail opportunities on Forest. Colville NF does not provide sufficient miles of motorized trails compared to the trail miles provided to non-motorized users.