Van Epps, land closure issues

[ruffryder]

Here is an interesting comment from the group heading this up. Not sure if people saw this in the sticky.

And again, does the opposition to winter non-motorized recreation think it wise to oppose such an area that is on the hit list for several major organizations to prohibit snowmobile riding? In other words, would it be better to defend other areas for snowmobiling? Or does the opposition firmly believe that nothing will change, that snowmobiles will indefinitely have the run of the Forest by default of omission in management?

interesting read here folks

 

[justadude]

what a smug comment. really shows how there is a serious us and them issue going on.

 

[ruffryder]

Not sure how serious the us vs them issue is, as it seems to be only coming from different groups of people. Instigators of conflict I guess, as if there is no conflict, then they have no purpose.

 

[diamonddave]

Ruffy, you'd be a good choice to spearhead a campaign on our behalf. hint hint....

 

[hurleyboarder21]

good work urffy

ruffy has been trying along with a great effort from yammadog.

good work guys!!

 

[ruffryder]

The single biggest thing we can do is to stop riding in Wilderness.

 

[yammadog]

this is their push

This Washington State Parks website of Sno Park locations has maps of areas across the state. It is very instructive to view the maps and note the few designated non-motorized areas. this illustrates the need for USFS management to allow uses other than snowmobile riding in the winter by the designation of new and significant winter non-motorized areas.

http://www.parks.wa.gov/winter/trails/?TrailType=motorized

About the Wenatchee Mountains Coalition

Purpose: Advocacy for non-motorized winter recreation on Forest Lands.
Goal: Designation of USFS Non-Motorized areas for winter recreation. Specifically, we seek non-motorized status for the pristine unroaded crest of the Wenatchee Mountains.
Initial action -- the Thousand Skiers Project: One thousand skiers/snowshoers/Forest users will write (email) the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor and request designation of new non-motorized areas on the Wenatchee Mountains. The ‘significant’ area we are targeting is the unroaded Wenatchee Mountains ridge crest from Van Epps Pass to Three Brothers (mountain). This encompasses Ingalls Peak, Fortune Peak, Iron Peak, peaks surrounding Bean Creek, Earl Peak, Navaho Peak, Three Brothers and the Wenatchee Mountains Crest from Rd 9716 to the west of Diamond Head across Tronsen Head, Mt. Lillian including down to the Old Ellensburg trail to Mission Peak and on to the Mission Ridge Road including Lake Clara, Mission Peak, and surrounding areas. This area would offer many short day-tours, long day tours, overnight self-powered ski tours, and snowmobile road-assist tours. We hope to generate a thousand comments by August 15, 2010.

Contact information: Mail, email, or call
Rebecca Heath, Forest Supervisor
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Headquarters
215 Melody Lane
Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 664-9200
Email: blheath@fs.fed.us
Also send a copy of your message to the Forest Plan Revision Team: r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us
Carbon Copy Us: wenatcheemountainscoalition@hotmail.com. We need to track our support and to capture additional thoughts and ideas of non-motorized recreationalists. Your privacy is paramount, we will not share your contact information or reveal your identity.
Help us Succeed. Please forward this message to your skiing/snowshoeing friends. Ask for their involvement.


Thank you.

 

[winter brew]

sooo.....snowmobiles are OK as long as they are being used to expand the area that BC skiers can access...LOL! Selfish. It seems their ONLY reasoning is they want ALL the forest for THEIR particular use and other people don't matter. At least they are being honest.