Region 6 Forest Plan Revisions

[cdaxena]

Colville, Okanogan & Wenatchee National Forest Revision Plans
www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/cow/index.htm

[jaxonc2]

Do we need to attend these meetings and voice our positions? or what?
What do you suggest?

[cdaxena]

Yes, it is very important that we have concerned members attend and participate in these forest revision meetings for each National Forest of our concern which are the Colville, the Panhandle and the Clearwater National Forests. Our needs and wants cannot be met if we do not let anyone know what they are.

[cdaxena]

Forest Plan Revision Meeting Oct 18th - Spokane

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SAWS Action Alert:
Washington State Forest Plan Revisions Information

Colville, Okanogan, and Wenatchee National Forest Plans Revision Activities Comments

As many of you are aware, the Colville, Okanogan, and Wenatchee (COW) National Forests are going through a Forest Plan Revision (FPR) for the first time in about 15 years. It will be complete in March of 2006.

During the FPR the forest service will attempt to add as much roadless land as possible as new designated wilderness. In the 2004 issue of the COW N.F. publication Cascade Lookout, the article "Join the Effort to Revise the Forest Plan" states "Evaluate and determine whether roadless areas should be recommended as part of the National Wilderness Preservation system”. Currently there are over one million acres of so-called roadless areas. As you most likely know, many of these so-called roadless areas contain roads that we use for recreation. For more details on these tactics, please refer to my editorial Forest Plan Revisions - Is the Goal to Convert Roadless to Wilderness.

The forest plan revision team this week released their September 2004 News, providing the agenda and schedule for meetings that will occur this fall in towns near these forests where you will be able to provide input. You should attend one of these meetings and tell the forest service about the activities you participate in, particularly ALL areas (by name), where you snowmobile in these national forests.

Here’s the Meeting Schedule - All Meetings begin at 7:00 P.M. and end at 8:30 P.M.


Spokane
18-Oct Spokane County/WSU Extension Service N 222 Havana, Spokane

Ione/Metaline Falls
19-Oct Selkirk High School, on Hwy 31 between Ione & Metaline Falls

Colville
20-Oct Community Colleges of Spokane, Colville Campus, Dominion Room

Newport
21-Oct North Portable Building On Campus of Old Sadie Halstead Middle School, now largely vacant; (portable bldg. is on right as you face the front door)

Yakima
25-Oct Red Lion Yakima Gateway Hotel, 9 N. 9th St.

Wenatchee
26-Oct Wenatchee Red Lion Hotel, 1255 N. Wenatchee Ave.

Cle Elum
27-Oct Cle Elum Ranger District Office Conference Room

North Bend
28-Oct Snoqualmie Ranger District, 42404 SE North Bend Way, North Bend

Okanogan
3-Nov Agriplex Annex, Okanogan County Fairgrounds

Republic
4-Nov Republic Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room

Tonasket
8-Nov Tonasket High School Commons

Methow Valley
8-Dec Liberty Bell High School Multi-Purpose Room


Please make every effort to attend one of these meetings, but regardless of your attendance, please go to the FPR web site and provide a very detailed list of all the places you do ride. Be specific and tell the forest service why each of these areas that you ride in are “special” to you or why they have ”value” to you. These catch phases that are used by the forest service are very important. If 100 snowmobilers mention that ten different riding areas provide the same “value” – for example, let’s say the value is for “good high marking areas” - then the forest service may decide that six of these ten areas can be closed to snowmobiles, because you can achieve the same “value” in the other four areas. Keep this in mind when submitting your very specific comments about the areas you ride and the “value” that the specific area has that you cannot get anywhere else in these forests.

Many of you may remember the I-90 Wilderness study from two years ago in which the forest service proposed to close Lake Ann, Scatter Creek area, and areas around Van Epps Pass as new wilderness near Cle Elum. That proposal is far from over. This is the FPR that the forest service will use to advocate that these new recommended wilderness areas be treated as designated wilderness, even though Congress has not yet authorized them, and may never do so. Make sure you review detailed maps and provide the names and “values” of the places you ride, and also encourage all of your riding buddies to comment at the FPR web site, or come the winter of 2006 some of your favorite riding areas in these forests will be gone forever.

[cdaxena]

Subject: Recreation Travel meetings delays till after Jan 1.
From: "Deborah S Wilkins" [e-mail] Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 13:00:43 -0800


Lots of changes happening in the Recreation Travel planning world. The National Rule was release a week and half ago. The processes that we have been using on the Colville fit into the national direction, but there
are some details of the rule the Forest needs to take into consideration as we start Phase 2. For these reasons, the Rangers have decided to hold off on
any meetings till after the new year. I will give more details as they become available. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause people.
Thanks for your interest. deb
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Debbie Wilkins
Recreation, Engineering, Lands, and Minerals Staff
Newport and Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts
Colville National Forest
Telephone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
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