FS Comments Project Workshop Mar 16th

[NTTD]

CORVA the Californina Off-Road Vehicles Association (a "Green Sticker" vehicle club) is offering a workshopto help with writing effective comments to submit to the Forest Service concerning trail closures.

Here is an overview:

The CORVA Comments Project Team is excited to announce a Comments Project Workshop to be held in Shingle Springs on Saturday, March 16th 2013. We are dedicating this workshop to the recently released Eldorado National Forest Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, with comments due to the Forest Supervisor on April 8th, 2013. The class will begin at 9:30, and will finish sometime in the afternoon. Bring a lunch and snacks, and be prepared to learn.



It'd be great if at least one of us could be there to get some insight for comments to share with the group.
I would like to go but cannot commit at this moment. I won't know until Thur or Fri if I can go.

It's open to any one interested, but space is limited. Those who are interested should contact Amy Granat CORVA director. PM me if you are interested and I will send you her contact info.

 

[NTTD]

UPDATE

I've been in touch with Amy, the host of this workshop. She says they have a larger venue than they've had in the past so space is not an issue.


My weekend is clear so I'm heading down in the morning.

If anyone wants to hitch a ride they're more than welcome to ride along.

I'm staying out of town tonight and will be taking US 50 down to Shingle Springs in the AM.

Meet up for a ride would be 7 AM in South Lake Tahoe at the "Wye" (intersection of 50 and 89).



PM me if interested.

 

[chicago]

Can't make it, but I look forward to hearing about it.
Thanks for going!!

K

 

[NTTD]

Great meeting.

Got LOTS of great info, quite a bit to process.

I'm putting together a "bullet point" summary to bring to the group. I'll post it here soon.

 

[chicago]

Great meeting.

Got LOTS of great info, quite a bit to process.

I'm putting together a "bullet point" summary to bring to the group. I'll post it here soon.

Great stuff!! Thank for doing that!!

 

[NTTD]

OK
Very sorry I did not get this out sooner, have been real busy the last couple weeks.

We still have the weekend to get comments in.
They are accepting comments until this coming Monday the 8th of this month.



Send comments as attachments to: comments-pacificsouthwest-eldorado@fs.fed.us
"Acceptable formats for electronic comments are plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), or Word (.doc)."





Things I picked up from the workshop:

• No limit on the amount of letters.
• Better to send three short letters about three trails, than one long letter about three trails.
• Comments should be short, clear, and SPECIFIC. HOW you use the trail, WHERE it goes (vista, capmsite etc.), HOW LONG you have been using it, How OFTEN you use it, How much $ you/your group bring(s) to the local area when recreating.
• Send letters making different points, with different arguments. You never know which ones will be the most effective.
  

They are currently taking comments ONLY concerning the trails, and sections of trails that intersect meadows "42 Routes". (Purple trails on overview maps, and red on detail maps.)
Placerville Ranger District maps
Pacific Ranger District maps
Amador Ranger District maps
If at all possible use the FS designations in your letters with the names of the trails.
Any comments NOT referencing one of the above routes are NOT relevant and are likely to be tossed away.


The FS MUST mitigate the impact of these trails on the meadows, that is already decided.

The only thing that may change is possible re-opening them WHILE the mitigation is in process.


Long term first-hand knowledge of any of these trails could be useful, e.g. if you have seen little change in a trail over many years, one could argue that trail could be left open during mitigation as little to no additional damage is likely to happen in that time period.

More info on this page:
42 Routes Project Update

 

[chicago]

Great stuff and also very informative!!

I never realized that you could submit more than one comment... Donno why I thought that...

I'll be referring back to this!!

K

 

[NTTD]

Yeah this was the super simplified version.

The guys teaching the class have years of doing theses comments under their belts, and learning what works and what doesn't.

I have more info probably more up your alley, stuff to go over either after the meeting or at another point when we can both make time.

K, you were also mentioned by description and from your presence on Pirate. I'll tell you more on Tue.