Central Idaho - Potential to lose over 200,000 more acres

[Sled Idaho]

SAWS ACTION ALERT:
Clearwater National Forest Travel Planning – Scoping Phase
Central Idaho

Comment Deadline: January 11, 2008

Send Comments to:
Lochsa Ranger District, Kamiah Ranger Station
Attn: Lois Foster, Interdisciplinary Team Leader
Rt. 2 Box 191
Kamiah, ID 83536

Email: comments-northern-clearwater@fs.fed.us

Idaho, Montana & Washington SAWS Members,

Once again we are faced with the potential loss of our riding area. This time it is occurring in the Clearwater National Forest and amounts to over 200,000 acres. All area that is proposed for closure is currently managed by the forest as recommended wilderness area. Most of you know that the Northern Region of the USFS has decided to treat their entire recommended wilderness inventory as de-facto wilderness. Of course we aren’t happy about this and along with numerous other organizations including ISSA, TSA & Blue Ribbon have made it known to them that it is not right. Here is a link to information pertaining to our previous alert and rally regarding the practice of Region 1.

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/uploads/SAWS-BRC-TSA_Action_Alert_-_Region1_Management_Policy.htm

At this stage we are providing some more information and asking that people familiar with the area give us something more to work with. We have received some very helpful responses so far. We are also asking that you please pass this information along to as many people familiar with the area that you know.

The index for location of the following maps is attached.
http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/07/misc/Clearwater_index_area.pdf


Main Map Page – Snowmobilers are only concerned with the Winter Area Maps
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/Projects/TravPlan/Maps.htm#AreaMaps

These maps provide township & range information. I went through some 100K maps of the area and have added some landmarks to help folks orient themselves.

Map D - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/Projects/TravPlan/Assets/Alt_1/Maps/Winter/alt1_areaD_winter.pdf
Area south of Larkins Peak, Crag Peak, Heart Peak, Mallard Peak, Collins Peak & Surveyors Peak.

Map E - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/Projects/TravPlan/Assets/Alt_1/Maps/Winter/alt1_areaE_winter.pdf
Area south of Collins Peak, Surveyors Peak, Pole Mountain, & Five Lakes Butte; area north of The Nub & Collins Creek Cabin.

Map F - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/Projects/TravPlan/Assets/Alt_1/Maps/Winter/alt1_areaF_winter.pdf
Area west of the Montana state line beginning with Hoodoo Pass to the north and heading south through Heart Lake, Fish Lake, Cedar Log Lakes, Kid Lake, Admiral Peak, Shale Mountain, Granite Peak, Pilot Knob, Rocky Peak.

Map G - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/Projects/TravPlan/Assets/Alt_1/Maps/Winter/alt1_areaG_winter.pdf
Area north of and adjacent to the Selway-Bitterroot designated wilderness area. Area south of Beaver Ridge Lookout, area northeast of Colt Creek Cabin, and area in and around Hoodoo Lake and Hoodoo Mountain.

We would like to get a final action alert out by January 3 because the comment deadline is January 11. If people would put just a little time into giving us some specific information, we can probably make a difference at this stage of the process. Please contact Janine (JanineS-MT<at>Snowmobile-Alliance.org) or me (ScottC-ID<at>Snowmobile-Alliance.org) with any information you may have before January 3.

Important: The Idaho State Snowmobile Association is planning on putting together a meeting shortly after the New Year somewhere in the area. They will need your help putting together their comments, also known as comments on behalf of all Idaho snowmobilers whether they are ISSA members or not. Please contact Sandra Mitchell for more information or if you are able to help out. She can be reached at 208-424-3870 or at smitchel<at>alscott.com.

Thank you all for your interest in and dedication to protecting YOUR right to ride.

Scott.

PS - SAWS members received a Google Earth KML file of the proposed winter closures in the email. If you are not a SAWS member and want a copy of this KML, please join SAWS.

Snowmobile Alliance of Western States
Protecting the right to ride for the owners of 303,604 registered snowmobiles (2005) in the western United States.


Copyright © 2007 Snowmobile Alliance of Western States. All Rights Reserved.
Permission is granted to distribute this information in whole or in part, as long as Snowmobile Alliance of Western States (SAWS) is acknowledged as the source. If you are not yet a member of SAWS and you would like receive these alerts, please sign up on our web site at:

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/

***************************************************
If you are not a member of these organizations, please consider joining them:

Idaho State Snowmobile Association (SAWS member)
http://www.idahosnowbiz.com/

Blue Ribbon Coalition
http://www.sharetrails.org/

 

[CleElum Sledhead]

Wow. Over 5 hours after Sled Idaho posted this alert and zero replys and only 12 reads. Not much interest I guess. Almost down to the third page.

If this is any sign of the number of letters the Forest Service receives requesting that these areas remain open to sleds, I guess we can just write these area off too.

 

[Scott]

We cannot give up these riding areas.

 

[hilpulr]

I have sent comments and have asked all my friends to do the same. I love riding in these areas!

 

[Yamadoo04]

I sent in my epistle. I hope it helps.

 

[blue fluff]

Don't forget that the forums were down/out of commission a lot of the time Saturday and Sunday, so hopefully people will catch up now that things are working again. I looked at the maps last weekend and some of the info trying to figure it out. I sent in a couple emails last week. All the meetings are in Idaho or I'd go. I feel kinda ignorant about how they can do this and what we need to say that they'll pay attention to besides "don't close these areas, there's no negative impact and we use them." Is there anything important to say or do other than that, in your experience?

 

[SnowSnob]

Sent mine.
If alls we need to do is write a stupid letter to save an area we should not be losing any more riding areas....some people are just too damn lazy I guess.

 

[plycoupe]

The very audacity of some people wanting to ride in the Kings' forest. There are people with badges and guns to keep you out, and now you are going to complain about it? Next you will complain about the "security" cameras set up near trailheads.....

 

[TIM]

guide line for letters

this guide line come from the organization called IMBA they are a mountian bike group. The mountain bikes are being lumped in with ohv like the snowmobiles. All you have to do is change bike to snowmobile and the intent is exactly the same.

thanks
tim

1. It is premature to assume all these areas will become Rec Wild, so don't ban us during this process. Let the forest plan come out first. Add all the arguments we’ve used with Region 1 about recommended Wilderness. And we should probably add in as much as possible distinguishing bikes and motorized uses.


2. Addressing bicycling only in Rec Wild and on a few sections of road is hardly a comprehensive look at our activity. If the Forest Service wants to regulate bicycling, please work with bicyclists to identify our favorite trails and those that should be closed. Please avoid blanket closures. The scoping notice makes it sound like the FS's mind is all made up; otherwise they would have taken a route-by-route analysis and really looked at the value of each trail. It would be arbitrary and capricious not to do a route by route for a use that is popular in Montana and for which they know there is a demand.


3. Please consider leaving open a few select trails of great importance to our community. Though the agency claims the total mileage open to bicyclists would decrease only a small amount, we will, in fact, lose many of the best trails and many of those are in quiet, primitive settings. Bicyclists don't mind sharing trails, but don't want to be relegated to motorized and frontcountry routes only.


4. NEPA requires the best science be used in determining environmental impacts and designing federal projects and plans. The Forest Service needs to consider the numerous studies showing that mtb has no more impact than hiking/equestrian. The FS Planning Rule requires the FS to utilize the best available science, the final notice even reads “The final rule requires the use of the best available science to give the Forest Service and the people, communities, and organizations involved in the planning process sound information on which to make recommendations about the resource conditions and outcomes they desire.”


We don't have to have all the details for the scoping process. But we can show them we're identifying the issues we are going to address when the Draft
EIS notice is released.

 

[CleElum Sledhead]

SAWS sent out three alerts on this issue to our SAWS members. The last alert for this issue contained very detailed information as to what information to include in your comment letters.

All SAWS members from MT, ID and WA, with valid email addresses, should have received the last two alerts. The last alert was sent out Tuesday.

Comment deadline is January 11, 2008.

 

[student driver]

I put this up here when I got the action alert
http://www.snowmobilefanatics.com/forum/topic/80129/display.aspx#831230
and have sent in my letter via E-Mail as well.

It's now crunch time guys.
Only 1 day left that they will take our comments so get them sent.
It's REALLY that important.