WA SAWS Members,
This is not good news at all.
It appears that the Forest Service is attempting to slip this closure in under the guise of a safety issue, which allows them to by-pass the normal public comment period associated with recreation and land management actions on our public lands. This is outrages!
I am currently away from my main computer and I am using a slow speed internet connection, so I am not able to review information efficiently on the internet regarding this issue. I plan to look into this issue in more depth when I get back to my main computer with my high speed internet connection.
Also, I have no idea how long this closure has been planned, as I have not been notified by any of our 900 plus SAWS members in WA State that this was being proposed until today. Did this just come out of the blue?
We now only have one SAWS Rep to cover all of WA State, and that is me. We have also asked numerous times for SAWS members to become SAWS National Forest Watchdogs (SNFW) for every national forest across the western United States. We have had very few SAWS members indicate that they are willing to keep their eye on issues that are being proposed that negatively affect snowmobile access, and we have NO SNFW volunteers for Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Has this closure been known by any of our members prior to the actual closure announcement? If so, I would like to know what you previously have heard, and how you heard about it.
Once I have additional detailed information, I will send out a SAWS alert with my recommended actions for our members to take.
Dave Hurwitz
WA SAWS Rep
http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2008/12/mount_st_helens_sets_snowmobil.html
Mount St. Helens sets snowmobile boundaries
Posted by Terry Richard, The Oregonian December 29, 2008
A non-motorized zone along the Monitor Ridge and Worm Flows climbing routes on the south flank of Mount St. Helens has been established by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
The climbing routes are being closed to snowmobile use to improve safety for winter climbers, skiers and snowshoers.
Officials have also made mandatory climbing permits for all winter visitors who travel above 4,800 feet on the southwest Washington volcano. This is a change from previous policy that exempted snowmobiles from the climbing permit requirement.
Last April, a snowmobiler fell into the crater of the volcano and had to be rescued.
Tom Mulder, manager of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, said that closing the climbing route to snowmobiles increases safety and enhances the experience of climbers and skiers while still accommodating snowmobile use on the south side of the mountain.
The permit requirement helps track use. When assistance is needed, the climbers' register helps emergency responders identify who is on the mountain.
Between Nov. 1 and March 31, permits are required for all travel above 4,800 feet on Mount St. Helens. They are free and available by self-registration at Marble Mountain Sno-Park and at the Climber's Register at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, Wash.
During the spring climbing season, April 1 to May 14, permits cost $22 and are available for advance purchase on-line. Permits for the May 15 to Oct. 31 summer climbing season are limited to 100 climbers per day and will be sold on-line on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. PST on Feb. 1.
Detailed information about the Mount St. Helens climbing permit system and the non-motorized climbing corridor is available on-line at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/permit-system.shtml
A map of the non-motorized zone is available on-line at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/images/
non-motorizedcorridormap212208.jpg
This is not good news at all.
It appears that the Forest Service is attempting to slip this closure in under the guise of a safety issue, which allows them to by-pass the normal public comment period associated with recreation and land management actions on our public lands. This is outrages!
I am currently away from my main computer and I am using a slow speed internet connection, so I am not able to review information efficiently on the internet regarding this issue. I plan to look into this issue in more depth when I get back to my main computer with my high speed internet connection.
Also, I have no idea how long this closure has been planned, as I have not been notified by any of our 900 plus SAWS members in WA State that this was being proposed until today. Did this just come out of the blue?
We now only have one SAWS Rep to cover all of WA State, and that is me. We have also asked numerous times for SAWS members to become SAWS National Forest Watchdogs (SNFW) for every national forest across the western United States. We have had very few SAWS members indicate that they are willing to keep their eye on issues that are being proposed that negatively affect snowmobile access, and we have NO SNFW volunteers for Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Has this closure been known by any of our members prior to the actual closure announcement? If so, I would like to know what you previously have heard, and how you heard about it.
Once I have additional detailed information, I will send out a SAWS alert with my recommended actions for our members to take.
Dave Hurwitz
WA SAWS Rep
http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2008/12/mount_st_helens_sets_snowmobil.html
Mount St. Helens sets snowmobile boundaries
Posted by Terry Richard, The Oregonian December 29, 2008
A non-motorized zone along the Monitor Ridge and Worm Flows climbing routes on the south flank of Mount St. Helens has been established by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
The climbing routes are being closed to snowmobile use to improve safety for winter climbers, skiers and snowshoers.
Officials have also made mandatory climbing permits for all winter visitors who travel above 4,800 feet on the southwest Washington volcano. This is a change from previous policy that exempted snowmobiles from the climbing permit requirement.
Last April, a snowmobiler fell into the crater of the volcano and had to be rescued.
Tom Mulder, manager of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, said that closing the climbing route to snowmobiles increases safety and enhances the experience of climbers and skiers while still accommodating snowmobile use on the south side of the mountain.
The permit requirement helps track use. When assistance is needed, the climbers' register helps emergency responders identify who is on the mountain.
Between Nov. 1 and March 31, permits are required for all travel above 4,800 feet on Mount St. Helens. They are free and available by self-registration at Marble Mountain Sno-Park and at the Climber's Register at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, Wash.
During the spring climbing season, April 1 to May 14, permits cost $22 and are available for advance purchase on-line. Permits for the May 15 to Oct. 31 summer climbing season are limited to 100 climbers per day and will be sold on-line on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. PST on Feb. 1.
Detailed information about the Mount St. Helens climbing permit system and the non-motorized climbing corridor is available on-line at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/permit-system.shtml
A map of the non-motorized zone is available on-line at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/images/
non-motorizedcorridormap212208.jpg
