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Found 6 results

  1. BLUERIBBON COALITION BRC Announces Release of BRC's Recreation News Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber, BRC is has added another tool to help our members and supporters learn about the issues that affect you. In an age of information overload, it's difficult to filter out the chaff and focus on just one issue. And when that issue is recreational access -- it's even harder to tolerate the misinformation and bias! BRC's Recreation News provides a snapshot of breaking news on recreation and public lands issues. We break it down by state, link to the story, and, when the mood strikes, we even offer some of BRC's legendary pithy commentary. Each day BRC's Public Lands Department staff scans the World Wide Web and the different media outlets in order to bring you the information that matters to you. We do this to help you protect your roads, trails and snowmobile areas. BRC's Recreation News is the place to stay on top of the issues. To subscribe, just go to www.sharetrails.org/subscribe, and fill out the appropriate information. Then under "Please select the mailing lists you would like to be subscribed to:" select "BRC's Recreation News" from the list of check boxes and then click "Subscribe". You must sign up to receive BRC's Recreation News even if you are already on the Action Alert list. This will not change any other list you are already signed up for. Thanks! Brian Hawthorne Public Lands Policy Director BlueRibbon Coalition 208-237-1008 ext 102
  2. BRC NATION-WIDE ACTION ALERT - IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED US FOREST SERVICE DEVELOPING NEW PLANNING REGULATIONS WILL GLOBAL WARMING TRUMP MULTIPLE USE? Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber, 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 [email protected]. 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: Forest Service Planning NOI C/O Bear West Company 172 E 500 S Bountiful, UT 84010 RE: New Planning Rule To whom it may concern, 1. The Importance of Recreation to the American Public should be emphasized in the planning regulations. A diverse range of recreational activities should be identified as one of the key "Ecosystem Services" that Land Use Plans should address. According to the National National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, the popularity and importance to USFS visitors of off-highway vehicle and snowmobile recreation has drastically increased in recent years. Ditto for mountain bike and equestrian use. Conversely, the amount of USFS lands available for motorized, mountain bike and, on some Forests, even equestrian trails, have been reduced via legislation, implementation of Forest Plans and site- specific recreation plans. Therefore, there is a need to emphasize a diverse range of recreation in the planning regulations. Please identify the need to emphasize a diverse range of trail- based recreation as a formal planning issue and develop at least one alternative where the planning regulations identify motorized and non- motorized recreation as a key ecosystem services and provides direction to enhance and expand opportunities for these popular activities. 2. Planning regulations should focus on procedures for developing, amending and revising land management plans. The Notice of Intent (NOI) states that this new rule will "consist of procedures for developing, amending, and revising land management plans" and it lists several "principles" that could be used in the development of a new planning rule. Note that none of the "Substantive Principles" have anything to do with procedures for developing land management plans. And only one of the "Process Principles" directly addresses the planning process. The agency says its existing planning regulations are costly, complex, and procedurally burdensome. I believe this is because the previous regulations attempted to address policy instead of planning procedures. Congress sets the policies for management of federal lands, and administrative agencies must act within those legislative limits. The new planning regulations should focus exclusively on planning procedures, not policy direction. 3. The concern over the trend away from Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Management should be identified as a planning issue. Each year more and more USFS lands are removed from multiple use management. Past planning activities and litigation have significantly expanded preservation- oriented management and significantly reduced areas available for multiple use. The reduction of multiple- use, sustained- yield management has been identified as a key problem affecting the health and economic well-being of States and local communities. The issue of "cumulative loss of multiple use sustained yield management" should be identified as a formal planning issue and brought forward for analysis. At least one alternative should include planning direction to enhance multiple- use, sustained- yield management. All Alternatives should include a complete analysis of the history of the MUSY Act and its sociopolitical importance to states with large areas of federally- managed lands. 4. There is a need to streamline the planning and appeal process. I agree with the agency's assessment that current regulations are costly, complex, and procedurally burdensome. However, incorporating many of the "Substantive Principles" are likely to exacerbate this problem. The issue of cost and complexity of planning should be brought forward for analysis and incorporated as a formal planning issue. At least one alternative should be formulated to streamline the planning process. The agency may also wish to ask Congress to clarify its intent on both policy and requirements for environmental analysis. 5. There is a need to clarify the distinction between programmatic and site- specific planning, as well as what level of environmental analysis is required for both. The proper relationship between Forest Planning and project planning is a topic of frequent discussion. In the past, the agency asserted the "programmatic" or "general" nature of Forest Plans. However, recently completed Forest Plans blur the line, viewing subsequent site-specific processes as mere reiteration or "implementation" of the Forest Plan decisions. In addition, the agency seems to suffer from a multiple and often redundant requirements for environmental analysis. All alternatives should clarify the distinction between programmatic and site- specific planning and at least attempt to describe what level of environmental analysis is required in each. 6. It is unwise to "proactively address climate change" in the planning regulations. The agency's own "Climate Change Considerations in Project Level NEPA Analysis" (January 13, 2009) states that the effects of climate change are unknown, will vary regionally and will range the gamut from increased droughts to increased flooding. The document states: "It is not currently feasible to quantify the indirect effects of individual or multiple projects on global climate change and therefore determining significant effects of those projects or project alternatives on global climate change cannot be made at any scale." The only thing that is certain is the climate will change from its current and/or its historical condition. Effects of climate change are unknown. Impacts to the climate from human activities occurring on the forest, as well as the impacts of climate change on the forest, cannot be made at any scale. Please remove this issue from consideration as a "Substantive Principle." In addition, incorporating "climate change" into planning will be redundant. For example, the NOI says "Responsible officials will also need flexibility to be able to adjust plan objectives and requirements where there are circumstances outside of agency control: For example, where increasing water temperatures resulting from climate change make it impossible to maintain a sensitive fish species in its native habitat." However, such "flexibility" is already embedded in land use planning, and specific management prescriptions, standards and guidelines already address important issues such as "increasing water temperature." Indeed, existing Forest Plans contain very specific guidance regarding the monitoring of and management for sensitive fish habitat. 7. I strongly oppose the "alllands" approach. Please remove this from consideration as a "Substantive Principle." The agency has this exactly 180 degrees backward. Instead of trying to force adjacent landowners to abide by the agency's wishes, it should be mindful not to let the deteriorating condition of its own forest to result in damage to adjacent lands. 8. Generally, recreationists like green forests. No one can deny that a very large percent of the agency's forests are unhealthy. There is agreement that moving to a historic range of variability, at least in as much as we understand it, is probably wise. However, the only tool available to manipulate those variables in designated Wilderness and Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) is prescribed fire. This will be a big problem for the new focus on Restoration. Unlike what the general public believes, IRA's include lands that are highly modified, and not just by decades of fire suppression. Many have been commercially logged in the past and these "plantations" are susceptible to unnatural wildfire, insect and disease. The agency's current Roadless area management severely restricts any attempt to restore these lands to the historic range of variability. Therefore, it is logical to develop an alternative that emphasizes a more aggressive approach to achieving the historic range of variability outside Roadless areas and Wilderness. This should include commercial logging where appropriate, which achieves the agency's mandates for community health and prosperity, and also protects against so-called "fatal fires," and insect and disease outbreak. Sincerely, YOUR NAME YOUR ADDRESS
  3. Friends, Time is running out--please help rescue Tellico today! As we rapidly approach Tellico's effective closure date, April 1st, we need your help now more than ever to rescue Tellico. We do not yet believe we have generated enough letters from the OHV community to be most effective. If you have not done so already, it is vital that you take 10 minutes of your time to write a letter to the Forest Service. You CAN make a difference. We have made this very easy with our online letter generator (Comments on Upper Tellico System Draft EA - BlueRibbon Coalition). All you have to do is click here to begin the process. If you know a friend or family member who has not yet sent a letter, please encourage them to do so. For more information and background, see our previous alerts here: Please: Take Ten Minutes For Tellico Now! - BRC Action Alert They Want to Close Tellico! - BRC Action Alert As always, this has been a long and expensive fight and we ask that you help us to sustain the ongoing effort with your donations. You can donate simply and easily online at Contribute to Rescue Tellico - BlueRibbon Coalition Thank you for your help! Sincerely, Greg Mumm Executive Director
  4. PLEASE: TAKE TEN MINUTES FOR TELLICO NOW! We need you to send in comment letters to the Forest Service. Pass this on to your friends and fellow OHVers. UPDATE ON THE TELLICO EFFORT: BRC, UFWDA, and SFWDA have all teamed up to fight the battle for Tellico. Thanks to all who responded to our Phase 1 alert and have written, called and visited their elected officials about the USFS proposed closure of Tellico. We still need those calls and letters to continue. Don't let up. The letters to your congressmen are working! Jay Bird from SFWDA and Greg Mumm from BRC will be going back to Washington, D.C. to follow up with some offices early next week. At this late date phone calls will work the best. Please follow up on your letters to those who represent you. For more information and background, see our previous alert here: They Want to Close Tellico! - BRC Action Alert Now we are shifting to Phase 2. It is important and it is time to respond to the Forest Service's draft Environmental Assessment with comments. We've made this very easy for you with an online letter generator (Comments on Upper Tellico System Draft EA - BlueRibbon Coalition). All it takes is for you to click here and there is a very easy process set up for you to send in your comments. It is vital that you take action to Rescue Tellico. The Forest Service has told us what they want to do and it is incumbent on the OHV community to change their mind. We NEED to generate as many letters as possible, so: PLEASE TAKE TEN MINUTES FOR TELLICO NOW! The deadline is fast approaching so don't put it off. Click here and help by sending in your comment letter. You CAN make a difference. As always, this has been a long and expensive fight and we ask that you help us to sustain the ongoing effort with your donations. You can donate simply and easily online at Contribute to Rescue Tellico - BlueRibbon Coalition . Thank you for your help! SFWDA, UFWDA, and BRC If you would prefer to send in your own letter, we encourage you to do so. Below are some talking points to help you with that effort. Letters need to be sent to: National Forests in North Carolina Attn: Candace Wyman 160 A Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801 Letters may be emailed to: Email: [email protected] Be sure to put in the reference line to the project: RE: Transportation System and Related Recreation Management Actions for the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle System and Temporary Closure of the Upper Tellico OHV System Nantahala National Forest: Cherokee County, North Carolina It is important to tell the Forest Service why Tellico is important to you and your family. Oppose the temporary closure of the Upper Tellico OHV System effective April 1, 2009 and ask the Forest Supervisor to reconsider that decision. The emergency closure is unwarranted and unjustified based on the information provided. Planning for many historic and permitted events in the area are and have been underway for sometime now based on the good faith of the Forest Service and the originally proposed action for planning in the area. The immediate economic impact to the surrounding communities of this temporary closure order is devastating and cannot be replaced. Communities affected by this sudden change in management are historically dependent on money brought into the area by OHV recreation and these events. The decision for the emergency closure prior to the decision on the draft environmental assessment appears to point to a pre-determined outcome for the environmental assessment. The Forest Service should/needs to conduct more complete planning. The draft environmental assessment needs to address findings and conclusions of the independent report from Caliber Engineering recently provided to the Forest Service which conflicts with much of the findings and the internal studies of the Forest Service in the draft environmental assessment. The draft EA does not consider the report commissioned by and provided to the Forest Service by the Enterprise Team, USFS Trails Unlimited, assessing the Upper Tellico OHV System. This report is also in conflict with the findings reflected in the Draft EA. Neither the Caliber study nor the Trails Unlimited report recommended closure of trails in Tellico. Both concluded the trails could be sustainably managed. Failure by the Forest Service to consider other sources of sedimentation invalidates agency implication that the OHV system is the cause of high turbidity measurements. This failure leads to an inaccurate and unsupported conclusion that closure of the OHV system will resolve turbidity issues, if such exist. Ask that the Forest Service to conduct additional study and planning in an Environmental Impact Statement. Given the potentially devastating economic impact to the local communities alone (as cited in the University of Tennessee survey), a finding of no significant impact cannot be a determined outcome. The range of alternatives should be developed utilizing the additional science and information provided in both the Caliber report and the Trails Unlimited report discussed previously. The Forest Service needs to exhaust all possible options to mitigate the issues prior to closure. The Forest Service must also recognize that closing the opportunity was never the intent or desire of the interested stakeholders. Proper management for the use is the better solution. Closure alone will not solve the stated issues. Mitigation of those issues still must take place. Resolving those challenges in partnership with the OHV community provides both the manpower and additional funding from the private sector necessary for proper mitigation. Be honest, professional and polite. Most importantly, be timely. Don't put it off. For more information and background, see our previous alert on Tellico here: They Want to Close Tellico! - BRC Action Alert
  5. Immediate Action Requested Omnibus Package Revived In Senate - Vote Scheduled Today Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber, In our last update on the massive omnibus public lands bill, we cautioned our members that the package is far from dead. We wrote: "Worse, possible scenarios are being considered that will prohibit full review as well as opportunity to offer amendments." True to form, Congress is pushing ahead with yet another vehicle for the omnibus package. This time it's H.R. 146 - "The Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program." This otherwise worthy bill will be amended to include the contents of the omnibus package. The Senate is expected to take the bill up at 2 p.m. eastern with the first cloture vote due as early as 5:30 p.m. At this point it looks as if the Senate leadership will either strike a deal to limit amendments in order for the bill to move quickly, or they will just push it through without allowing any opportunity for amendments. Either way, the bill is likely to see its first cloture vote TODAY! If the Senate passes the measure it is expected that House leadership will attempt to jam it through via one or more "closed rule" options. D.C. insiders expect House leadership to call the legislation up as a "preferential bill," which would prohibit committee review and limit amendments. BRC is asking all of our members and supporters to call their Senators NOW. Finding their phone number is easy. Click here and enter your Zip code. Simply tell your Senator that you oppose the Omnibus Public Lands Act and you want them to vote NO on H.R. 146. Be brief. Be polite. Do it NOW. As always, if you have any questions or need assistance call or email. Brian Hawthorne Public Lands Policy Director BlueRibbon Coalition 208-237-1008 ext 102
  6. THEY WANT TO CLOSE TELLICO! You MUST take action to Rescue Tellico NOW! The Forest Service has told us what they want to do and it is incumbent on the OHV community to change their mind. Background: On Friday, February 27, the USDA Forest Service rolled out the draft Environmental Assessment for the Upper Tellico OHV trail system. The OHV community has been extremely dismayed to learn that while there are six alternatives the Forest Service is considering, the Forest Supervisor, Marisue Hilliard, made it very clear that her preferred alternative is to CLOSE TELLICO. While we know that this is completely unacceptable and will cause immediate and intense emotional reaction, we are asking that everyone maintain a level head and concentrate on what our task is now. In addition, the USFS Forest Supervisor issued a TEMPORARY CLOSURE ORDER that will keep Tellico closed until they decide what the fate of the area will be. This means that if the temporary closure order stands, TELLICO WILL NOT REOPEN ON APRIL 1ST! What we are doing about it: The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA), and the United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) have teamed up to fight this and we are working as aggressively as we can to get you the right information. We have spent the last week "scrubbing" through the draft EA and developing a plan and now WE NEED YOUR HELP AND HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE MOST HELPFUL: STEP 1: The week of March 9th, THIS WEEK, we need you to call, write or, even better, visit your congressman, senator, state and local representatives. They need to know you feel angry, hurt and betrayed by the Forest Service. They need to know that the Forest Service is going to affect jobs and the economy in this difficult time. They need to know the real science and that the water is not bad. See the sample letter below for talking points. Feel free to copy and paste the letter, but be sure to personalize it with a short paragraph on why Tellico is important-what it represents to the OHV community and to you. Help your representatives understand how important Tellico is. Please forward any positive or negative reactions you get to Jay Bird at [email protected]. We want to know who our friends are and follow through with them. STEP 2: Beginning the week of March 16th, BRC, SFWDA, and UFWDA will have a letter generator up with comments you can make to the Forest Service about the EA. If you have already made comments, make some more. Each time you find out some new information, send it to the Forest Service. We need letters. We are currently refining our comment bullet points and will send out and post more information to help with your letters as we complete that process. But don't let that stop you from doing background preparation and comments yourself. WE NEED to have as much enthusiast involvement as we possibly can muster from the OHV community. BRC and UFWDA will be following through for us in Washington DC, working from the top down. They will meet with the Forest Service as well as other national organizations and some of those friendly representatives. Please read the Forest Service documents on their website at: Upper Tellico OHV Area Then take the time to review the independent scientific study SFWDA had commissioned at: Recommended Trail System Repair and Maintenance Plan Upper Tellico OHV System. If you see anything in the EA or Caliper report, or you have information that you want to make sure we don't overlook, please notify Heather Royston at [email protected] We each need to do our part to RESCUE TELLICO and YOUR INVOLVEMENT IS CRITICAL! Thank you for your help! SFWDA, UFWDA, and BRC A SAMPLE LETTER TO SEND TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE CAN BE FOUND HERE FOR COPY AND PASTE. OR THERE ARE GENERAL TALKING POINTS TO USE BELOW... You can find out your representatives' contact information and where to send your letter or email to by visiting the BRC Rapid Response Center at http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/and simply typing in your zip code. Upper Tellico OHV Area Proposed Closure Order TALKING POINTS Congressional attention to this problem cannot wait. The USFS has issued a proposed temporary closure notice prohibiting all use of the Upper Tellico OHV system effective April 1, 2009. REPAIRING THE AREA IS THE BEST SOLUTION: o OHV enthusiasts spend 4 times more money on lodging, food, and gas than other outdoor sportsmen o $4.8 million annually in tourism revenues by OHV users o Repairing contributes $1.5 - $2.6 million in OHV revenue annually o Repairing would create more than $1.4 million in local jobs o Nearby streams are currently healthy o Nearby streams have excellent water quality per North Carolina standards o Nearby streams are capable of sustaining viable, reproducing native trout populations o Nearby stream channels are very stable o Nearby stream channels convey stream flows without streambed erosion o The trails are repairable and very much maintainable/sustainable after repair CLOSURE IS A BAD SOLUTION: o Closure creates ZERO OHV tourism revenue o Degradation of water quality and degradation of aquatic habitat in Upper Tellico is non-existent o Historic clear-cutting of land in Upper Tellico has contributed more to the off-site sediment transport than the trail system o Closure of trails is neither warranted nor recommended by USFS trails experts!
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