Why is Eldorado National Forest closing roads to OHV’s

This is my take on the subject. How do the Handicap people visit the back country if they close the roads to travel?

Recently I visited the Eldorado National Forest service Website to see if the forest was open for vehicle travel. Forest travel is generally closed to vehicle travel from Jan. 1 to April 1 or until they deem the roads drivable due to what the weather has been doing. So as I was looking through the Website I found this.

Release Date: Apr 4, 2012 Placerville, CA

Contact(s): Frank Mosbacher

 

Forty-two off-highway-vehicle routes that cross meadows in the Eldorado National Forest may be closed to motor vehicle travel this recreation season while the Forest Service completes an environmental analysis, announced Eldorado National Forest Supervisor Kathy Hardy.

The potential travel prohibitions are the result of a February 2012 court order by U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton. The order said the Forest Service failed to comply with the National Forest Management Act in 2008 when it designated “open for public motor vehicle use” portions of 42 routes that cross meadows. Judge Karlton ordered the Forest Service to “set aside” the decision that designated these segments as open and to reconsider the decision.

A final court order with further direction to the Forest Service is pending. In the interim, Karlton ordered the 42 routes remain closed to motorized public use. The final order will identify specifically where travel will be prohibited until a new environmental decision is made.

“I know that prohibiting travel on these routes will be a big disappointment to forest visitors, but we have to be responsive to the order.” said Hardy. “I have a team of people lined up to complete a supplemental environmental impact statement as quickly as possible.”

The SEIS is scheduled to begin in April or May 2012 and to be completed by April 2013.

Hardy says many popular high county routes may be affected by the closure. Some of these routes include: Barrett Lake Jeep Trail; Squaw Ridge Four Wheel Drive Trail; Clover Valley/ Deer Valley Trail; Strawberry Four Wheel Drive Trail; Carson Emigrant Trail; Allen’s Camp Motorcycle Trail and the Bucks Pasture Motorcycle Trail. The Rubicon 4wd Trail is not affected by this court order.

Maps and a complete list of the routes affected by the court order will be posted on the Eldorado National Forest website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado. These maps will be modified to reflect the final court order once it is received. A free-of-charge motor vehicle use map that shows the routes that are open to wheeled motor vehicle use will be available at all Eldorado National Forest offices in June 2012 reflecting the final order.

“I intend to close the routes where it makes sense to do so if the final order prohibits travel on routes that cross meadows,” said Hardy. “A route may be closed near a meadow or some distance away depending on how difficult it is to turn a vehicle around.”

Some routes will also be closed indirectly because they branch off closed routes and will not be accessible.

Where the heck did this come from? As you can see there is nothing that says who or what group brought this to the Judge; or did the Judge read the National Forest Management Act of 2008 and then go out and drive these trails to see if they were compliant and then made this action on his own. I doubt it.  I know one thing, I ride these trails a lot and I don’t remember driving through any Meadows in the Silver Lake area; Which is the (Squaw Ridge Four Wheel Drive Trail, Carson Emigrant Trail, and the Mud Lake Area). There are several Meadows in that area but the road doesn’t run through them. One is at Mud Lake in which the road is a short distance from the meadow and parallels alongside it until you arrive at Mud Lake. Another is at Allen Camp which the road doesn’t run through the vast part of the meadow just to one side of it and maybe a couple of other small meadows which the road runs by one side of them. Anyway if a road runs through a meadow I guess that makes it two meadows: one meadow on each side. How about Hwy 88 through Hope Valley it runs through a meadow.

In my thinking this is the real reason why these roads are closed.  The area around Silver Lake is where horseback riders and hikers go. Plasse’s Resort and the Eldorado Forest Campgrounds don’t mention anywhere on their Web site about onsite or nearby 4 wheel driving even though the OHV roads are all around the area, but mention everything else i.e. ( hiking, biking, horseback riding etc.). At the entrance to the Mud Lake OHV Parking you drive by some cabins that have horse corrals. With this been said I wonder where the money came from to have some Lawyer read through the Forest Management Act of 2008 and figure an excuse to stop the riders in the area. I think that any Judge that puts an end to OHV being able to drive on these 4×4 trails are making it inaccessible for people with disabilities to visit the back country and enjoy what it has to offer should think again. The people that have brought this about are only thinking about themselves and making a profit. It’s all bought the money.  I see an even a bigger lawsuit coming. Title 3 Handicap Access Assures Handicap access for recreation. Why should a handicap person not be able to see the same thing a hiker or horseback rider sees? Why shouldn’t they have access?

Now for the Eldorado National Forest Service who thinks they need to close the roads and spend a lot of time and money and have a team of people to complete a supplemental environmental impact statement as quickly as possible.”   Here’s your answer right know and it won’t cost anything. Have a group of forest service workers go out before you open the area and make a marked detour with surveyors tape around the area you don’t want them to drive. The riders will drive through the marked trail and presto; they’ll make a new trail. I’m thinking of sending a copy of this forest service release to a Lawyer and see what he thinks. I ride a Quad through the forest because I can’t Hike any long distances because of a herniated disc in my back and my hips hurt if I walk too far but I can ride a quad all day. I don’t see why I can’t continue riding where I have been because of some selfish people.

Harvey

 

Send a complaint to:

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights – NYAVE
Washington, D.C. 20530

Oregon’s Tillamook State Forest Receives Yamaha Grant

I take a special interest in what is happening in Oregon because I, Nancy, now live in Ashland, Oregon. I hope to get Harvey up North a bit and head out to the trails this next year. The following announcement made by Russ Ehnes, NOHVCC Executive Director:

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) announced that it has received a Yamaha OHV Access Initiative GRANT of $12,289. The grant provided critical matching funds necessary to obtain Oregon ATV Program and Recreational Trails Program grants funding a total project cost of $164,754. The GRANT (Guaranteeing Responsible Access to our Nation’s Trails) is part of Yamaha’s OHV Access Initiative promoting safe, responsible riding and open, sustainable riding areas.

Please click here to read more from Russ Ehnes, NOHVCC Executive Director

Happy Quad Riding in the year to come ~ Nancy

2010 Treatlightly! Charity Auction Now Live on Ebay

I received my email from TreadLightly!, did you? Help by placing your bid now and  help Tread Lightly! work to keep the great outdoors beautiful, healthy and open to the public. 100% of the proceeds go to TreadLightly!

Bidding starts at 40% to 70% off retail prices.

There is something for everyone!  Our featured items this year include a Yamaha Grizzly 450 EPS and a John Deere Gator CX.

Tread Lightly! would like to thank all of the outstanding companies that donated to their important cause.

Just a FEW of the Items Available Now:

Top Featured Items:

Grizzly 450 EPS ATV from Yamaha
Gator CX Utility Vehicle from John Deere

Outdoor Gear
Outdoor, Camping, Fishing and Hunting Gear from Cabela’s
Hennessy Expedition A-Sym Zip Hammock
Hunting Gear from Browning
High Sierra ATV Guided ATV tour for four near Lake Tahoe
“The Gas Can” by Campfire In A Can®
Framed Limited-Edition Photograph from Serenity Scenes
2 Night Stay at ArdPark Cabins in Missouri
Eco friendly Backpacking Gear from TwoKnobbyTires.com
25-Pack Personal Disposable Toilets from Biffy Bag
Portable Camp Sink from Sea to Summit
Telepro Avalanche Shovel from Voile-USA
Luxury Map Mattress from Therm-a-Rest

Powersports Accessories

Neoprene Dust Filter Riding Mask from RZRMask
Dakar Riding Pants from Klim USA
7/8″ Handlebars from Pro-Wheel Racing Components
Gloves, Pants, Jerseys, Helmets from Moose Racing
ODYSSEY® PC625 Battery by EnerSys®
V-Front Ramp Shield for Powersports Trailers from Caliber
Powersports Apparel and Accessories from Kawasaki
Pre-Oiled Air Filters from No-Toil Industries
Motorcycle Boots from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC
Extreme Spotlight H9 Kit from Cruiserheads.com
ATV and UTV Windshields from Powermadd
Renthal Motocross Handguards
$250 Gift Card to ProArmor.com
Factor Vertigo Helmet from EVS Sports
Stay-Lock Tie Downs from High Roller Products
UNO™ UTV Gun & Bow Rack from All Rite Products
Flywheel Puller Tools from Dennis Stubblefield Sales Inc.
Powersports Helmets from MotoMart at Carnegie
2-Cycle Exhaust Stealth Kit from dB Snorkel
LEAD-DOG Helmet Light

4×4 Products

TeraFlex SpeedBump Bumpstop Kit
M8000 Warn Winch
$100 Gift Certificates to Quadratec
PIAA OE Driving Lights from West Coast Offroad
Signal® Mirrors from Muth Mirror Systems
$500 Gift Certificate to BDS Suspension
Flat Style Fender Flares from Bushwacker
$500 Gift Certificate to ZoneOffroad.com
Winch Isolators from Daystar Products
Crush Proof, Water Proof Case from Off Road Trail Tools
Pocket Tire Plugger from Stop & Go International
The Ultimate Jeep Gift Basket from California Jeep Authority
Remote Control Crawler from Ultimate Offroad
Hi-Lift XT-485 X-treme Jack
Seat Belt Pads from Jettrim
Fridge Freezer donated by ARB Accessories

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE AUCTION HERE

We support Treadlightly!

Letter to the Editor Spring 2009

To the Mountain Democrat  March 2009

Quading in the El Dorado Forest (And Winter Closure)

I have lived in the Pollock Pines area for twenty nine years and always wanted to explore the forest but I never really was in to hiking. I always love boating and water sports and still do but I have nothing to do in the fall, winter and spring since I don’t snow ski much anymore. I wanted to have an activity that I could do with my family that would be year round.

Two years ago, at age 53, I decided to buy a Suzuki King quad for my wife and son and a Kawasaki quad for me and join the Quaders that drive up and down my road all the time and ride in the forest. I wanted to drive every dirt road in the forest and see every creek, stream, waterfall, meadow, canyon, forest and wildlife I could see. I went to the El Dorado National Forest Service Information office in Camino and they were happy to provide me with a Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map in which, after a few times of trying to use it, I found that it was of no use. Most of the roads were miss-marked. It didn’t distinguish the difference between dirt roads or paved roads; which on a quad is most important, as it is illegal to drive on paved roads.  So, if you planned a trip and came upon a paved road, your trip was finished. I found that the only way to travel with a quad in the forest is to leave bread crumbs like Hansel and Gretel so you could find your way back. Over the last two years I have traveled many dirt roads, some that maybe I shouldn’t have been on. The logging Industries own more forest land than you would ever imagine and the land is all gated off. This means it is hard to plan a trip across the forest without coming to a gate blocking the way. I found that when the roads are wet, not muddy, there isn’t dust for the riders behind you so many people like to ride in the fall, winter, and spring when the dust level is the lowest. But, now the Forest Service has a new law this year that closes the forest to off road vehicle use from Jan. 1st through “when they feel like opening it again”. It looks like this year roads will be open April 16th. Consequently, there goes our family’s year round quading activity without driving bazillions of miles when the forest is just down at the end of my road.

I don’t agree with the winter closure of all the roads. It’s got to make sense to me somehow. The Forest Service said they closed these routes to protect water quality, prevent erosion, and reduce damage to roads and trails. If they really wanted to do this they would not have let the recent logging activity take place in the forest. In the Po Ho ridge area, Arens Bros. Logging has been cutting for miles through that part of the woods and leaving plenty of open dirt from grading the roads and pulling out trees through the forest without any erosion control. They seem to spend more time and money making berms and digging trenches to keep people out of the forest than they do on erosion control. If a person was having grading done for a house, the County would make you put down straw or some kind of erosion control. Before the Loggers started to tear things up, the roads had pine needles covering the dirt, and trees and shrubs growing over from the sides in which we had to bob and weave to get through – making for fund and adventure. The roads had some pot holes with murky water in them but you would not sink in the mud, it was hard packed soil. There were only a couple of places that actually had mud and if the Forest Service poured some large three inch gravel in those spots, like what was done over in the Peavine Ridge area, problem solved. I think that logging is the biggest part of the erosion, and water quality problem, not quading. But, I’m sure that the green sticker that you pay for when you register your OHV doesn’t match the money they get from logging. Could it be that the forest service needs to make more revenue in these slow economic times by issuing fines during their slow time of the year?  Just my thoughts.

I do think that too many people on two wheel drive quads and motorcycles travel way too fast on the forest roads and sling too much dirt off the roadway in the corners, causing some of the problems. They should stay on the roads and slow up in the corners. Remember, these roads are meant for travel through the forest, not as a race track. I am the kind of person that believes that you try to leave the forest the way you found it. And that also means; take your trash with you and take care of the roads.

This month, the four El Dorado National Forest District Rangers will each host a day when people can drop-in at their offices to talk about the designated travel system. The open houses will be hosted at the Georgetown and Amador Ranger Stations on April 18 and at the Placerville Ranger Station on April 25. Time of the open house is 9AM to 1 PM as far as I know.

They also have new and better Maps.

If you are interested in trying to change or modify what is happening with the Vehicle travel in the El Dorado Forest show up and speak up.

Harvey Bolton

We need Connecting ATV roads through the forest that make since.

  April 10, 2010

   Last year at this time I wrote a letter to the Editor about Quading in the Eldorado National Forest. The topic was about how you couldn’t trust the forest service’s new maps and the closing of the forest during the winter months from Jan. 1^st through April or later when they feel the roads are dry enough to travel. At the end of the article I told how the forest service said that they would have a new and better map soon and that the four El Dorado National Forest District Rangers will each host a day when people can drop-in at their offices to talk about the designated travel system.

I went to those open houses last year and talked to many people that showed up with some of the same ideas. I talked to many Forest Service People also, two of them being Lester Lubetkin and Jon Jue. I told them that I spend a lot of time driving the forest roads and I found that their new Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map had many flaws. I told them that after a few times of trying to use the new Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map, that I found that it was a pain. Most of the roads were mismarked. It showed that paved roads were dirt roads were and that quads could ride on them. And gravel roads shown that quads could not drive on them. It didn’t distinguish the difference between dirt roads or gravel roads or paved roads; which on a quad is most important, as it is illegal to drive on paved roads unless they are designated for such use.  So, if you planned a trip and came upon a paved road, your trip was finished. Actually, according to the new Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map, if you come up to a gravel road on your Quad your trip might end there also.  And this is what makes this map ridicules. This means that for quad riding according to the map that you have a whole lot of dots without any connections because the gravel roads are the only way to connect the dots and according to the map quads can’t drive on the gravel roads. This would leave you driving your Truck and Trailer down the legal gravel road (while motorcycle riders ride by) to each little dead end legal dirt road you can ride on , then unloading your quad and reloading your quad to drive to the next legal dirt road you can drive on. I think this is ridicules. According to the Map these are the vehicles that can drive the on gravel roads where Quads can’t – highway legal vehicles which are Passenger Cars, trucks, motorcycles. Some of the gravel roads on the map like 10 N 46 or 10 N 36 are in some places either  to overgrown with brush or to steep and rocky to drive a car on for me, but the guy making the map in some office dosen’t know that. I think that quads are one of the safest vehicles out there if (as in all vehicles) driven responsibly. And they use a lot less gas than a car or truck also.  Lester Lubetkin told me that these roads fell under some classification and would need to be changed by the Highway patrol or some other authority and they would try to get it changed.  After the meeting I felt optimistic with the forest service I felt real hopeful that they would make the changes and to see a better map soon.  That week I stopped by the Ca. Highway Patrol Office in Placerville to see what they would say about how to change the classification of the forest service roads and they told me that they didn’t care what the forest service did with their roads and that it was up to them.

After last year’s talk with the forest service my sister Nancy and I decided to make a magazine on Internet called  ONEwithQUAD.com  . So we started it in January. We wanted to help people find good places to go on their ATV’s (QUADS’s) and UTV’s. We wanted to show good routes through the Eldorado National Forest with places to see and to promote good responsible riding and care of the forest.  We wanted to work hand and hand with the Forest Service.    Now because of the Forest Service, I feel like I need to sit on my hands.                                 

ONLY ONE PROBLEM.  I met with Lester Lubetkin about a couple months ago and he told me there wouldn’t be an updated map for another year. But then the last time I looked the Forest Service finally made changes to the Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map, but they ONLY fixed the mistakes they made as in showing some of the paved roads as dirt roads kind of mistakes. They didn’t make any of the changes to the map with the roads that could have connected the dots were AVT riders could have better routes through the forest.  It’s been a year and that’s all the Forest Service could muster.  The only thing they seemed to get out of the open houses was the mistakes they made about the paved roads being dirt on the map. Other than that what did we get out of having an open house? What does it take to let a quad drive on a gravel road through the forest land an act of Congress? I’m always the person that wants to do everything on the up and up and would like to be on the same page as the Forest Service , but what the Forest service shows on their maps and what the public actually drives their ATVs on in the Forest are two different things . The people drive their Quads on the gravel roads anyway.  The map just makes it illegal to do so. You would think we were trying to legalize pot.  Maybe it takes somebody to do a million dollar survey to prove that a quad can drive down a gravel road with other vehicles? In Nevada you can drive down a gravel road. We drove a hundred and fourteen miles on one last year.

It makes it hard to map out a good quad round trip and stay in the boundaries of the Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map. I guess on our ONEwithQUAD.com Magazine I will have to map out a good Quad trip and state that it doesn’t totally comply with the Eldorado National Forest Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map.  You can’t have a cohesive Motor Vehicle Restrictions Map without letting ATV’s drive gravel roads. Why that’s just Prejudice against ATVers. And it’s a Travesty, Sham and a Mockery, It’s a Travishamockery. At least the Forest Service could say that they will be lenient on ATV,s traveling gravel roads until they get this matter changed  in the future year.

Trying hard to make better roads to travel.

Harvey   @ ONEwithQUAD.com

We need more access to trails and better maps…

We think we need more access to trails and better maps. See what the ATV group in Canada is saying about their trails:

January 28, 2010 —COWICHAN VALLEY – All-terrain vehicle riders in the Cowichan Valley say they are tired of being relegated to logging roads and want better to more trails.
The local ATV club is campaigning to be allowed on multi-use trails such as the Trans Canada Trail, right alongside hikers, cyclists and horse-back riders.

The Quad Riders Association of British Columbia says in other parts of Canada there’s far more access for all-terrain vehicles, and it’s time for this province to follow suit. The group says its dedicated to educating other riders on being responsible. Within the last month has started a trail patrol to curb rowdy behaviour.

The quad riders club has met with the regional district about improving trail access and is going to meet with the village of Lake Cowichan in early March.

BlueRibbon Coalition

BlueRibbon Coalition

Join, Renew or Contribute to BlueRibbon Online

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national (non-profit) trail-saving group that represents over 600,000 recreationists nationwide The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season is beginning.

1-800-258-3742
http://www.sharetrails.org

Join Blue Ribbon.

BlueRibbon Coalition – ACTION ALERT

BRC NATION-WIDE ACTION ALERT – IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED
US FOREST SERVICE DEVELOPING NEW PLANNING REGULATIONS
WILL GLOBAL WARMING TRUMP MULTIPLE USE?

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is beginning the process of revising their regulations that govern how the agency prepares Forest Plans. Known as the “Planning Rule,” these regulations will be the driving force behind how the agency develops, amends and revises their Land Use Plans.

This is a big deal.

The FS is proposing a planning rule that will shift what is left of any emphasis toward multiple use/sustained yield to such things as global warming, ecosystem management and their new buzz word – restoration. Our action alert below gives a brief analysis and explains why BRC is concerned, and why we are encouraging our entire membership to respond.

For those of you who don’t want to know the details, or are busy with work and family, you can use our letter generator. For those of you who wish to send your own email to the USFS, we put together another one of our INSANELY EASY 3- step action items below.

Please send your comment email today. The comment deadline is February 16, 2010!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact BRC.
Thanks in advance for your support,

Brian Hawthorne Ric Foster
Public Lands Policy Director Public Lands Department Manager
208-237-1008 ext 102 208-237-1008 ext 107

BRC NATION-WIDE ACTION ALERT – IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED
US FOREST SERVICE DEVELOPING NEW PLANNING REGULATIONS
WILL GLOBAL WARMING TRUMP MULTIPLE USE?

SITUATION: The U.S. Forest Service is beginning the process of revising their regulations that govern how the agency prepares Forest Plans. Known as the “Planning Rule,” these regulations will be the driving force behind how the agency prepares Land Use Plans and will guide land managers in developing, amending, and revising land management plans for the 155 national forests and 20 grasslands in the National Forest System (NFS).

The USFS has released a proposed action that includes several so-called “Principles” that will be used to formulate the new regulations. The agency is asking for comments on these principles, and is asking the public to identify important issues and alternatives. (Read the Notice of Intent HERE)

BRC’S CONCERNS – WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU

Land management planning is one way the USFS complies with requirements under such laws as the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (NFMA), the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 (MUSYA) as well as laws like the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Wilderness Act of 1964.

Sadly, planning regulations can also be used to dilute the requirements under NFMA and MUSYA and expand the requirements of other laws, such as the ESA and the Wilderness Act.

By including such nebulous guidance as, “restoration and conservation to enhance the resilience of ecosystems to a variety of threats” and “proactively address climate change through monitoring, mitigation and adaptation, and could allow flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and incorporate new information,” the proposed emphasis will further shift the agency away from multiple use management.

If that’s not bad enough, the agency’s proposal does virtually nothing to address the analysis paralysis problem. Current regulations provide multiple levels of seemingly never-ending environmental analysis. The result is a series of one-way procedural gates for litigious environmental groups. We often describe the situation by saying the environmental groups have executed a corporate takeover of the US Forest Service.

The agency has several problems with its planning. But the key problem is that the agency assumes it has the authority to change the policy that was established in Congress. The agency is attempting this via their planning regulations, which are supposed to be all about the procedures for revising land management plans, not the policy those plans will implement. As a result, the planning rules are unworkable. Plans take years to complete, are unbelievably expensive, totally unresponsive to public input and often include conflicting management guidance. By the time all the levels of environmental analysis are completed on a project, it’s time for a new land use plan. Sadly, this new proposal will likely make things worse.

More info on the web:
The FS has a website with all the information and links to other background documents.

We have reformatted the Notice of Intent for easy reading. Take a good look.

BRC’S THREE-STEP ACTION ITEM
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS:

NOTE: Please be polite and, if possible, make your comment letter as personal as you can.

STEP 1: Open your email program and start a draft email. Address the email to
fspr@contentanalysisgroup.com.
Put “New Planning Rule” in the Subject Line.

STEP 2: Use the comments below as a guideline for comments in your email.
Cut and paste is okay, but try to make your comment letter as personal as possible.

STEP 3: Take just a minute to add a bit about where you live, where you like to ride
and how much trail-based recreation means to you. Be certain to include your
name and address. A return email address is NOT sufficient! (“anonymous” emails
are often discarded).

COMMENT SUGGESTIONS – For your printable version (in PDF format) of suggestions and comments click here.

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national (non-profit) trail-saving group that represents over 600,000 recreationists nationwide The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season is beginning. Federal employees, please mark BlueRibbon Coalition and Check #11402 on your CFC pledge form to support our efforts to protect your access. Join us at 1-800-258-3742 http://www.sharetrails.org
_______________________________________________________
As a non-profit, grassroots organization funded primarily by membership dues and donations, we greatly appreciate your support. Visit http://www.sharetrails.org/make-a-difference-now to help fund our efforts to protect your trails!

(Cousin Tim Fish sent this alert to us here at Onewithquad.com. Thanks cuz!)