Sierra Sledders/ We need your help!

[powturn]

Yikes ....

The Tahoe National Forest just released a Draft EIS (Environmental Impact Study) outlining 5 potential courses of action for snowmobile management. It's a response to an OSV (over snow vehicle) lawsuit against 5 forest districts in California filed by Snowlands and Winter Wildlands, two groups historically working their hardest to ban snowmobiles from anywhere they think someone might want to ski or snowshoe.

Alternatives 3 and 5 are absolutely unacceptable if you use snowmobiles to access the backcountry. Alternative 3 completely closes off Blackwood Canyon past Barker Pass, completely eliminates Castle Peak, and closes the entire corridor from Boca Reservoir out to Stampede. Alternative 5 closes Castle Peak, completely closes the entire area around the Black Buttes and Grouse ridge areas, and cuts off a good swath of the road between Boca and Stampede reservoirs. Both options also create a 1 mile corridor on either side of the entire length of the PCT, (Pacific Crest Trail) which sees zero foot traffic in the winter anywhere more than a mile or two from a parking lot. Yes, a 2 mile swath around a summer trail that no one is on in the winter that you would have to avoid. In order to cross this trail no one is on, you'd have to travel miles along it to a designated "PCT crossing" to avoid the zero people on the trail.

Alternative 1 is essentially no change, and is what I will be advocating. But more than anything, we need to pick any alternative over 3 or 5. This is basically a response to a very small vocal group of people who consider themselves backcountry users who refuse to acknowledge the thousands of acres of wilderness and additional closures in the Tahoe National Forest. As anyone who actually gets out knows, there are tons of places to go to avoid snowmobiles. Keep in mind, this is not the Tahoe Basin. This is everything to the north, and to the west of the crest along the west shore. There are at least 3 groups that will be sending out form letters for all their members to submit as comments, many of them who have never been and never will even go to the areas that are affected. The last round when this was announced included comments from people in Montana, Boston, Seattle etc who had obviously no familiarity with our area. But it will happen again because Snowlands and Winter Wildlands will send out their calls to submit comments.

The project page is here.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=45914

If you look at the "Project Documents" tabs at the bottom, the maps and the proposals are listed under the "analysis" tab if the links here don't work.

But here are the documents released.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/ww...T3_4282549.pdf

https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/ww...T3_4282550.pdf

https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/ww...T3_4282551.pdf

https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/ww...T3_4282552.pdf

THIS IS HOW YOU SUBMIT COMMENTS

https://cara.ecosystem-management.or...?Project=45914

THIS IS THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU SEND THEM TO.

joetchavez@fs.fed.us

Due Date for Comments 5/28/2018


Again, saying you support alternative 1 is essentially supporting no change. None of the alternatives add to snowmobile access (shocking right?).

[WILLIS]

http://forums.westcoastsledders.com/...showtopic=4988

[NWAlpineAssassin]

There are two meetings/open houses that are coming up. PLEASE do your best to attend!


May 1st, 2018 6-9pm
Snowmobile user groups are welcome to attend an open house to learn more about the Tahoe National Forest Draft EIS on the OSV Plan. This open house will educate users on the 5 proposed alternatives within the Draft EIS and help provide content/direction for letters in support to the USFS.


Location: The Depot Brewery and Distillery 325 E. 4th Street, Reno NV




May 2nd, 2018 3-7pm
USFS is hosting an open house to provide comments on the Draft EIS.


Location: Auburn Holiday Inn, 120 Grass Valley Highway, Auburn CA 95603


Additional meeting was added




May 9th, 2018. 5-7pm


Location



Sierra City Community Hall






13 Castagna Alley, Sierra City, CA 96125
USFS is hosting an open house to provide comments on the Draft EIS.

[NWAlpineAssassin]

Here is a link to the comments page, takes no more than 2 minutes to fill out. Content to include: you support alternative 4 which keeps all the riding areas open and vehemently oppose alternatives 3 and 5 which substantially impact riding areas. Thank you all, this is a tough uphill battle!

https://cara.ecosystem-management.or...?Project=45914

[nregistered]

Alternative 1, the "no action" alternative, is included only because it has to be. There is no way the FS will choose alternative 1.

Although statements of personal opinion have some value - "I prefer alternative z because..." you should try to make your comment substantive. This would give you standing in the future to object to the final plan, so if your comment is substantive, it's given much more weight during this stage of planning.

Comments are considered substantive when they are within the scope of the proposal, are specific to the proposal, have a direct relationship to the proposal, and include supporting reasons for the responsible official to consider.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...rdb5409879.pdf

https://www.fs.fed.us/dirindexhome/f...909.12_50.docx

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...eprd520671.pdf

[donbrown]

I asked and commented. Have till 31 MAY

[kidwoo]

Just an FYI, some friends of mine and I have formed an advocacy group that we feel accurately represents the north tahoe/reno snowmobiling community.

We've been in touch with congress, the forest service and are all over social media trying to get out information on this decision process. The tahoe national forest is just the beginning.

Make sure we have your email address.

check it ou

www.sierrasnowmobilefoundation.com

www.facebook.com/sierrasnowmobilefoundation

[nregistered]

And now in the Stanislaus, lots of low elevation riding to remain open, but say goodbye to Ebbetts and Sonora zones: