I went to the Forest service planning meeting yesterday in Brevard just to see what it was all about. There were about thirty people there with about fifteen people from the Forest Service. This meeting was concentrating on the Courthouse falls area close to the BRP and hwy 215. It was interesting to attend, it seems that the largest concern is for the health of the salamander eggs in the creeks, I asked about opening some of the other forest service roads and the general reply was “no money for maintenance” and concerns about littering, vandalism and illegal camping and meth labs. There was a biologist from a company called “wild law” which is a law firm that sues over environmental issues, Tellico was brought up several times as an example of what happens when vehicles are allowed to use forest roads, and the usual sediment in the streams and erosion problems were also sited. Needless to say I was disappointed when the head ranger Michael Hutchins pretty much said “no new roads are going to be opened” the forest service in the Pisgah region in my opinion is not interested in accommodating the off-road community. Unfortunately the Off-road community has not represented themselves well at all by the abuse of the land which I have seen many times myself, to our huge disadvantage the people who will read this are not the one's who abuse the land and it just takes one jerk off to ruin it for anybody with a 4wd. There is going to be a similar meeting concerning the Nantahala national forest on March 18th in Franklin NC Rick Semington was the ranger that I spoke with about that meeting. I will be out of town that day so I will not be able to attend, but it would be nice if the offroad community was represented so that our voice is at least heard.
Chad Miller
Chad Miller
