COW Forest Plan proposes 238,800 acres for additional Wilderness

I don't even know what to say anymore...

I do believe it's time for the OEM's to step in and help out!!

diamonddave said:

I don't even know what to say anymore...

I do believe it's time for the OEM's to step in and help out!!

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i think its time for the average snowmobiler to step in and help out. 95% of snowmobilers are oblivious to this kind of stuff or they just dont care. 5% of us are doing all the work.

I would probably be considered one to not have done really anything but read and fret. I would thus be considered among the 95% mentioned. I really can't stand this type of thing, but..........What can someone like myself do? Where can someone begin? Honestly, I do not know where to begin. I have been using these areas for years and would not want to see this happen. I'm sure I'm not alone with this since I am probably 1 of 95%. Not being confrontational at all, just only informed with info but not familiar with what to do with it.

We need more conservative leadership in Wa for starters.

line8 said:

I would probably be considered one to not have done really anything but read and fret. I would thus be considered among the 95% mentioned. I really can't stand this type of thing, but..........What can someone like myself do? Where can someone begin? Honestly, I do not know where to begin. I have been using these areas for years and would not want to see this happen. I'm sure I'm not alone with this since I am probably 1 of 95%. Not being confrontational at all, just only informed with info but not familiar with what to do with it.

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organizations like SAWS and BLUERIBBON Coalition have action alert emails that simplify all the documents such as the C.O.W forest plan (colville, okanogan, wenatchee). Reading these action alert emails make it much easier to understand everything. i know dave with SAWS has already sent out 2 emails regarding the COW forest plan. Get on their email lists. Individual letters from snowmobilers are excellent. Do some research. Let them know how snowmobiling in these areas is very important to you and your family. Let them know that you ride in these specific areas they are proposing to close. Give them good reasons why they should keep it open to snowmobiles. Try not to get angry in your letter just come up with as many facts as you can. The FS uses a lot of flawed, old studies on snowmobiles. Letting them know evidence to the contrary helps. Let them know that Washington already has 4.5 million acres of wilderness and that is enough. Tell them that the sport of snowmobiling is growing and we need more areas, NOT less. If areas are closed it will have more impact on the areas that are open due to increased use. Just a few ideas. Make your letter personal put your name and address on there so they know who you are. I think mailing a letter is still best, but email is ok too. Of course join WSSA too and a local snowmobile club in your area. Donate some money to WSSA or SAWS if you can too.

Seen this on another forum and thought I would pass on.


U.S. FOREST SERVICE NEWS RELEASE

Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests

Forest Plan Revision

Release Date: July 8, 2011

Contact(s):

Debbie Kelly, Forest Plan Revision Public Affairs Lead, 509-826-3275
Roland Giller, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF Public Affairs Officer, 509-664-9314
Franklin Pemberton, Colville National Forest Public Affairs Officer, 509-684-7177


Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests
Announce Plan Revision Public Scoping Meetings

The Forest Service has scheduled a series of public meetings in July and August to share information about the Draft Proposed Actions for Forest Plan Revision for the Colville and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests. The Draft Proposed Actions were released on June 30, 2011, initiating a 60-day public comment period that ends August 29, 2011.

The public meetings are intended to help the public become familiar with the proposed management of the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee Forests, said Margaret Hartzell, Team Leader for the Forest Plan Revision Team. “Our goal is to introduce people to the proposed action and help them understand the information so they can formulate their comments” Hartzell said. “These public meetings are an important part of the ongoing collaboration between the Forest Service and the public in the development of these forest plans.”

Forest Service representatives will provide a brief presentation about the proposed action and the public comment process, followed by a short question and answer session. Before and after the presentation, tables will be set up in an open house format to provide an individual opportunity to learn more about specific topics of public interest, and to have one-on-one conversations with Forest Service representatives. At the Colville, Okanogan and Wenatchee public meetings, small group discussion sessions will also be provided.

Topics highlighted during the open house include: Vegetation Management, Access (including motorized and non-motorized recreation), Recommended Wilderness, Wildlife Habitat, and the Forest Planning Process. “While these public meetings are focused on providing information, we will accept written comments turned in during the meeting,” said Hartzell.

Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision
Public Meeting-Open House Schedule


Colville, WA, Saturday, July 16
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Community College, Institute for Extended Learning Center, Colville Center, 985 South Elm, Colville, WA 99114

Republic, WA, Thursday, July 28
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Republic Elementary School Multi-purpose Room, 30306 E. Highway 20, Republic, WA

Okanogan, WA, Saturday, July 30
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Okanogan County Fairgrounds, Agriplex Building, 175 Rodeo Trail Road, Okanogan, WA 98840

Spokane, WA, Monday, August 1,
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Spokane County Public Library, North Branch, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd
Spokane, WA 99218

Newport, WA, Tuesday, August 2,
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Newport High School Auditorium, 1400 West Fifth Street, Newport, WA 99156

Wenatchee, WA, Saturday, August 6
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Wenatchee Convention Center, 201 North Wenatchee Avenue, Wenatchee, WA 98801 (Next to the Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel).

Yakima, WA Wednesday, August 10,
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Yakima Convention Center, 10 North 8th St, Yakima WA 98901-2515

Cle Elum, WA Thursday, August 11
5:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m., Cle Elum Centennial Center, 719 E. 3rd Street, Cle Elum, WA 98922

Seattle, WA Saturday, August 13,
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Magnuson Park, Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115

Two Toll-Free “Lunch Time” Webinars—will also be held Tuesday, August 9 and Thursday, August 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m. to provide an opportunity for those people who may not be able to attend one of the other public meetings, or would like to participate in another review opportunity. More information will be announced via media release and posted on the project website when details become available.

Forest Plans provide broad direction to the Forest Service about how to manage the natural resources on national forest lands. “Much like county zoning plans, they allow certain activities and uses in certain areas and set the sideboards for those activities and uses,” explained Hartzell. “Comments provided at this stage in the plan development will be used to help us determine the scope of the environmental analysis and to develop a range of alternatives,” she added.

Comments are most helpful if received by August 29, 2011. Written comments should be addressed to the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision Team, Okanogan Valley Office, 1240 Second Ave. South, Okanogan, WA, 98840. Comments can also be sent via email to: r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us. Comments generated by the Draft Proposed Action are used to develop alternatives analyzed in an environmental impact statement.

To view or download the Draft Proposed Actions, and/or to access maps and other informational materials, visit the project website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/okawen/plan-revision or call Debbie Kelly, Forest Plan Revision Team Public Affairs contact at (509) 826-3275.

Message to interested stakeholders--

* Please help us spread the word about the meetings to others who may have an interest. Posters of the meeting schedule will be available on the project website that people and print and post to help advertise the schedule. Thank you for your assistance.
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More CLOSURE BS Never let a crisis go unused to keep us out

The following Forest Service Roads are closed to motorized use due to flood damage. It is unlikely that these roads will open to public travel in 2011.

• Road No. 3100 is closed from the Sno-Park to Barber Springs Road
• Roads No. 3111, 3111-112, 3111-115, 3111-117, 3120, 3330 and 3330-127 are closed
• Road No. 3350 is closed from mile post 1.6 to the junction with Road No. 3350-119

I attended the Forest Service meeting in Wenatchee on Saturday. There was only one other snowmobiler in attendance. I am calling every person I snowmobile with and trying to get them to write the Forest Service. I am going to do my best to become one of the 1%. My favorite riding area is on the list of RWA's thanks primarily to the effort of one person (although he has a 501 c3 foundation with some local wealthy backers and probably some federal grant money to boot).

Thankfully, I have friends with money, and some time. Hopefully we can help!!!

From Dave at SAWS at 7 PM tonight.....
_____________________________________________________________________________________


I have responded to this article, but I don’t if they will print my response.

Here is my response:

“I would like to comment in regards to the editorial from Robert Mullins and Gus Bekker in their editorial titled “Please, not just snowmobiles.“

They ask; “what is the reasonable middle ground?”. Well, it seems to me, that the middle ground would be shared use. Not exclusive use of any particular area of Wenatchee National Forest (WNF) as non-motorized use only.

I do not understand why some recreationists do not want to share our forests. Do we really want to go to the level of kids playing in a sandbox and drawing lines in the sand for which areas we are allowed to play in with certain toys? Please, no.

Do non-motorized users not want to use the groomed trails paid for by snowmobile funds? I would think not.

Over one third of Wenatchee National Forest (WNF) is already designated as wilderness, and non-motorized users have access to 100% of these areas and 100% use of the rest of WNF.

Although statements in their editorial falsely claim that non-motorized winter recreation is in the majority, this is simply not true.

Forest Service documents state that snowmobiling is the major use in WNF, just behind hunting, and is expected to increase by 350% by the year 2050. This means major dollars to the local economies.

Several years ago at the Eastern Washington Cascades and Yakima Collaborative Process for Forest Plan Revision Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests, I suggested that we could possibly have 1/3 of WNF as non-motorized, 1/3 as motorized and 1/3 shared used. Many non-motorized recreationist in attendance, including Gus Bekker, did not want anything to do with this forward thinking idea. Why not, if they wish for separation of uses?

Hopefully, reasonable ideas will prevail…”

Dave Hurwitz
Snowmobile Alliance of Western States

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/aug/05/please-not-just-snowmobiles/

Please, not just snowmobiles
By Robert Mullins and Gus Bekker
Friday, August 5, 2011
Will it be Snowmobile National Forest, or expanded wilderness? What is the reasonable middle ground? The short answer is, please, U.S. Forest Service, manage the winter forest for multiple recreational uses, in some reasonable balance, in consideration of the impacts to nature, and for all of the public owners of the forest.
We are asking that the local Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest managers designate significant areas for non-motorized winter recreation — an activity of the majority of off-highway winter forest users. We ask also for reasonable management of the single dominant use — snowmobiles, by a relative few in the general public. The accessible areas set aside currently for winter non-motorized use are pitifully small. Most wilderness is inaccessible in winter to most people, although snowmobile riding allows access in some examples.
Skiers, snowshoers, winter campers, dog sledders, skijorers, climbers, runners, even snowmobile-assisted ski tourers, seek pristine, safe, snow-covered areas for quiet recreation. The challenge is to find quiet and pristine accessible areas away from the current typical situation of rutted, offroad, snowmobile speedways. USFS Wenatchee Forest management dates back to the days when snowmobiles were ridden almost entirely on roads.
The recent advancements of snowmobile technology and horsepower have allowed for the exponential expansion of offroad snowmobile riding in the winter forest. Areas normally ridden now include to the high summits of 5,000-plus feet to 7,000-foot peaks of the Wenatchee Mountains crest, from Mission Ridge to Ingalls Lake, and also across the wilderness boundary deep into the Alpine Lakes. To contrast, in summer, we all expect that when hiking a forest trail we will not see or hear loud, intrusive, motorized vehicles riding all over the offroad areas of the forest, and close to us as we hike (exception are trails legal for motorcycles or ATVs). Why, we ask, has USFS allowed the current snowmobile free-for-all to evolve on the winter forest?
Snowmobile riding is great recreation. However, that activity must be managed as are other uses. Cars, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles, mountain bikes, motor boats, horses, and even camping and hiking — all are managed in regard to where and how they are used on the forest. There has been little or no USFS consideration, planning, NEPA process, EIS, request for public input, not even a formal designation for snowmobile recreation for these currently used extensive areas of the pristine, unroaded Wenatchee Mountains. While snowmobile riding is a reasonable and legitimate activity, it is an activity on the forest that excludes the safe or reasonable quiet pedestrian use of the same terrain.
We ask for public input to Forest Service. We ask that winter non-motorized forest users describe how and where they recreate, and also share their thoughts about this issue and this need with the Forest Supervisor and the Forest Plan Revision Team. Contact Forest Supervisor Rebecca Heath and the Forest Plan Revision Team: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Headquarters, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA 98801,
Robert Mullins, Leavenworth, and Gus Bekker, Wenatchee, represent the Wenatchee Mountains Coalition.

WMC, in your article, why didn't you state that you are a snowmobiler? LMAO!!

duffman said:

I attended the Forest Service meeting in Wenatchee on Saturday. There was only one other snowmobiler in attendance.

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how many other people were there?

ruffryder said:

WMC, in your article, why didn't you state that you are a snowmobiler? LMAO!!

how many other people were there?

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There were two guys aside from me there who stated that they rode snomos, I spent time talking to them.

Good point about the Editorial, no particular reason that I chose. It has to do with editing down 900 words by over 1/2 for the Editorial Page Editor and then getting more tweaks done by him that I do not have the final call- editing. I do not hide that fact, I believe that it demonstrates that I have been around to see what is happening on the forest and certainly not against snomos. You can probably look forward to some front-page articles. Same with the Wilderness Watch article, they edited my article and refused to keep in the fact that we rode snowmobiles out to go skitouring.

IMO, as I have said, if snomo guys just keep saying "no, all mine", no compromise, no talking to this side then it just makes it easier for the forces against you. I am actually between, I first tried to work with snowmobilers last year, and look what was the response. So then we asked the large well-know Organizations who are less friendly to snomos to help our cause of winter rec/travel management, and they have taken up what was our cause to some degree.

WMC said:

IMO, as I have said, if snomo guys just keep saying "no, all mine", no compromise, no talking to this side then it just makes it easier for the forces against you. I am actually between, I first tried to work with snowmobilers last year, and look what was the response. So then we asked the large well-know Organizations who are less friendly to snomos to help our cause of winter rec/travel management, and they have taken up what was our cause to some degree.

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Why is it that you always say something along these lines? You already have MILLIONS of acres of beautiful mountain areas where snowmobilers can't go. How the hell is this "all mine". Why do haters of motorized winter sports always seem to go into areas that are legal to snowmobiling when they could just as easily go to non-motorized areas that are better? If we compromise and get an area taken away, then the non-motorized poster children just move on to the next area to try to get it taken away from us. You will not stop until everything is non-motorized. Little by little is your strategy. The only reason big companies donate to non-motorized groups is for a tax wright off. Look we donated to the greenies, look how we are helping. It's really all a bunch of BS and most snowmobilers actually have a level headed mind to see that.

CO 2.0 said:

Why is it that you always say something along these lines? You already have MILLIONS of acres of beautiful mountain areas where snowmobilers can't go. How the hell is this "all mine". Why do haters of motorized winter sports always seem to go into areas that are legal to snowmobiling when they could just as easily go to non-motorized areas that are better? If we compromise and get an area taken away, then the non-motorized poster children just move on to the next area to try to get it taken away from us. You will not stop until everything is non-motorized. Little by little is your strategy. The only reason big companies donate to non-motorized groups is for a tax wright off. Look we donated to the greenies, look how we are helping. It's really all a bunch of BS and most snowmobilers actually have a level headed mind to see that.

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The Wenatchee Forest, now part of the Okanogen-Wenatchee NF, has never received the management that even the Okanogen Forest received long ago- and has occurred in other states, dividing of the rec resources. There are few areas of close access, including the Voluntary Snomo closure areas that are not honored, are less than 10 percent of the total acreage available to snomos, probably like 5 to 6 percent. If there were access to Wilderness, more folks could use it. To hike to Wilderness in winter one must travel often through what is now snomo terrain for an hour or two. I and many of us go overnight self-powered to climb and ski in Wilderness. Some edges of Wilderness are reached by skiers and snowshoers in a day trip. I bought a snomo in the '80s so I could ride out to get closer to Wilderness and ski terrain. My, how some snomo riders would complain if they had to do that to access their recreation! I hear complaining about a few miles of ungroomed road riding here! Personally I will go to bat for snomo access if it swings too far, I paid dues to BRC for a year or two around the early '90s. Different situation now, because of snomo technology and no USFS limits, so much of the Forest has been taken by snomos- legal, and nothing wrong with that except if nothing is left for other users, the current situation. Personally, I pay dues to no Organization now, although now the major Orgs are supporting our advocacy. Since I am not an environmentalist, I am a conservationist and believer in multiple uses (but not all uses at the same time on the same terrain!), I believe that the public should access public land. But again, no one use should exclude all others. On this case, most of the good winter terrain of the Wenatchee Mountains that I skied across self-powered in solitude in the early '90s is now completely taken over by snomos. There needs to be a better balance, with the lack of management now the Orgs advocate and USFS reacts to management problems by recommending Wilderness.

All we hear from snomo lobbyists is "no, all mine." Somehow I get the message from snomo folks that if they spend the money and buy a snomo their use is #1 and screw everyone else. Our advocacy speaks to legitimate use of snomos and good recreation opportunities for snomos, but we seek more balance for other uses in the winter Forest.

Someone should have warned poor CO 2.0...

WMC said:

All we hear from snomo lobbyists is "no, all mine******."

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Should of added,

******note, "all mine" is referenced to land currently available to snowmobiles and does not included non snowmobile areas, voluntary non-motorized areas, and massive amounts of wilderness and other non-motorized areas.

lol, WMC, you choose your words so interestingly.

ruffryder said:

Someone should have warned poor CO 2.0....

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Yep

ruffryder said:

Should of added,

******note, "all mine" is referenced to land currently available to snowmobiles and does not included non snowmobile areas, voluntary non-motorized areas, and massive amounts of wilderness and other non-motorized areas.

lol, WMC, you choose your words so interestingly.

Click to expand...

And then...

I tried but it seemed 1 cent was as low as I could go..