no grooming litigation in SOCAL

[donbrown]

Most of California are grooming with many feet of snow on the ground.

The most southern groomed area of the National Forest is not groomed and has 2 to 6 feet on the trails.

A "group" has files a lawsuit stating the endangered yellow legged frog which lives in a meadow and winter hibernates in tall grass roots may be effected.

The local NFS has never seen this frog & does not know if any are in this forest.

So how can they approve grooming (on paved roads underneath) (no meadows) if they can't even find the endangered species?

Any recommendations on who I can ask to help?

SAWS?

 

[Murph]

SAWS disbanded and redistributed their monies to other access groups one maybe two years ago.

Blue Ribbon Coalition has been represented at the "5 Forest" meetings up here.

 

[donbrown]

SO talked with REGION 5 (CAlifornia ) National Forest Director about grooming in SOCAL --- Sequoia National Forest / Monument area.

The mountain yellow legged frog became an endangered species a few years ago. It used to be all over the Sierras BUT** Fish and Game allowed foreign fish in the streams and these non local fish ate all the tadpoles **!!!!!

So 93% of the Sierras where the frog MAY HAVE LIVED has no frogs.

The NEPA National Environmental Policy Act requires an analysis to be performed to see the impact of various activities (grooming) will have on an endangered species.

Then an EIA environmental Impact statement is made public for feedback and comment . This takes about a month and is typically performed in August -September for grooming

Fish and Game made an impact analysis for the mountain yellow legged frog and did not mention any analysis performed for the Sequoia National Forest.

An environmental group filed a complaint and litigated all areas considered a suitable habitat must have a Impact Analysis and EIA performed.

Since the Sequoia National Forest has no Impact Analysis and EIA performed for the mountain yellow legged frog in the Sequoia Forest ... no grooming can be performed per federal law.

Based on the necessary steps to get paperwork advising the impact of grooming will take over a MONTH AFTER the analysis is complete.

TODAY the NFS does not know if or WHEN FISH and GAME COMPLETED THE ANALYSIS FOR THE SEQUOIA FOREST