BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!
LINCOLN NATIONAL FOREST IN NEED OF OHV INPUT
Joanne Spivack, President of the New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance (NMOHVA), just sent us an email expressing concerns about the OHV public not being involved in the ongoing Travel Management Plan on the Lincoln National Forest.
I thought I'd forward some of the information in Joanne's email to those of in New Mexico and Texas. If you or anyone you know recreates on the Lincoln NF, please read the info below and contact the Forest staff in order to make sure your favorite road or trail remains open.
Joanne wants everyone to keep in mind that all routes not designated open in the final Travel Plan will be closed!
By the way, NMOHVAs website is an excellent source of info for all New Mexico OHV planning projects. BOOKMARK THIS SITE!! http://www.nmohva.org/
Thanks in advance for your support,
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102
_________________________________________________________________________________
Lincoln National Forest Needs OHV User Input!
The Lincoln National Forest is in the process of designating roads and trails that will be legal for dirt-bikes, ATVs and 4WD's to use. Once this process is complete, anything NOT on their map will become illegal for us to use. The Lincoln is planning to release a "Proposed Action" in January or February.
A Proposed Action is the beginning of the formal NEPA process. It will be a detailed proposal available for public comment and review. Input taken from the public comment will be used by the FS to identify important planning issues that will be addressed later on in the planning process. Issues may be used to develop specific alternatives for later review.
NMOHVA's concern is that with the January - February target date for release of the Proposed Action, time is extremely short to have any say on what is in that proposal.
Another concern NMOHVA has is regarding the availability of maps of the existing roads and trails that are now legal to use on the Lincoln. Thus far, the Lincoln has not posted any maps on their website.
Joanne and NMOHVA appear to be getting some response from the FS, however. In a recent email, Forest Service personnel now say:
We will be posting maps on this web site soon that show the "existing transportation network". That will be helpful to people who are familiar with the routes here. If they do not see their favorite route on that map, it isn't currently a "designated route", and we need to hear from them if that route is important to them....
Joanne says:
If you want to influence the outcome you need to get with them immediately. Are you satisfied with the roads and trails you have? Do you want more? Does there need to be more staging areas, new connections to create new loops? Is there some single track to add to the system? Do the 4wd folks want to be legal in the forest? (They missed out on the last round of planning decades ago.) Whatever it is, now's the time.
Since Nancy Taylor, the current Planning Team Coordinator is leaving, some 'relationship building' with her replacement, Peg Crim, or the other people on the Planning Team is a good idea. Just making a phone call would be very good. Personal contact is very important. The FS will be much more likely to give one of you a call if you have already reached out to them and you are friendly and helpful. (We've have also found the FS is much more like to play 'by the rules' when they know they are being watched.) You should be on a first name basis with the Forest Service people and them with you.
MORE INFO ON THE WEB:
Lincoln National Forest: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/
1101 New York Ave.
Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310
(505) 434-7200
Guadalupe District Sacramento District Smokey Bear District
Larry Paul or Marcie Kelton or Richard Carlson or
Deanna Younger Brian Long Clark Taylor
505-885-7400 505-682-2551 505-257-4095
You can also get on the mailing list or email updates by sending an email request to Peg Crim, Travel Management Coordinator at pcrim@fs.fed.us.
You can get more information on the Lincoln National Forest's Travel Management webpage at http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/MRI/index.htm.
LINCOLN NATIONAL FOREST IN NEED OF OHV INPUT
Joanne Spivack, President of the New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance (NMOHVA), just sent us an email expressing concerns about the OHV public not being involved in the ongoing Travel Management Plan on the Lincoln National Forest.
I thought I'd forward some of the information in Joanne's email to those of in New Mexico and Texas. If you or anyone you know recreates on the Lincoln NF, please read the info below and contact the Forest staff in order to make sure your favorite road or trail remains open.
Joanne wants everyone to keep in mind that all routes not designated open in the final Travel Plan will be closed!
By the way, NMOHVAs website is an excellent source of info for all New Mexico OHV planning projects. BOOKMARK THIS SITE!! http://www.nmohva.org/
Thanks in advance for your support,
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102
_________________________________________________________________________________
Lincoln National Forest Needs OHV User Input!
The Lincoln National Forest is in the process of designating roads and trails that will be legal for dirt-bikes, ATVs and 4WD's to use. Once this process is complete, anything NOT on their map will become illegal for us to use. The Lincoln is planning to release a "Proposed Action" in January or February.
A Proposed Action is the beginning of the formal NEPA process. It will be a detailed proposal available for public comment and review. Input taken from the public comment will be used by the FS to identify important planning issues that will be addressed later on in the planning process. Issues may be used to develop specific alternatives for later review.
NMOHVA's concern is that with the January - February target date for release of the Proposed Action, time is extremely short to have any say on what is in that proposal.
Another concern NMOHVA has is regarding the availability of maps of the existing roads and trails that are now legal to use on the Lincoln. Thus far, the Lincoln has not posted any maps on their website.
Joanne and NMOHVA appear to be getting some response from the FS, however. In a recent email, Forest Service personnel now say:
We will be posting maps on this web site soon that show the "existing transportation network". That will be helpful to people who are familiar with the routes here. If they do not see their favorite route on that map, it isn't currently a "designated route", and we need to hear from them if that route is important to them....
Joanne says:
If you want to influence the outcome you need to get with them immediately. Are you satisfied with the roads and trails you have? Do you want more? Does there need to be more staging areas, new connections to create new loops? Is there some single track to add to the system? Do the 4wd folks want to be legal in the forest? (They missed out on the last round of planning decades ago.) Whatever it is, now's the time.
Since Nancy Taylor, the current Planning Team Coordinator is leaving, some 'relationship building' with her replacement, Peg Crim, or the other people on the Planning Team is a good idea. Just making a phone call would be very good. Personal contact is very important. The FS will be much more likely to give one of you a call if you have already reached out to them and you are friendly and helpful. (We've have also found the FS is much more like to play 'by the rules' when they know they are being watched.) You should be on a first name basis with the Forest Service people and them with you.
MORE INFO ON THE WEB:
Lincoln National Forest: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/
1101 New York Ave.
Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310
(505) 434-7200
Guadalupe District Sacramento District Smokey Bear District
Larry Paul or Marcie Kelton or Richard Carlson or
Deanna Younger Brian Long Clark Taylor
505-885-7400 505-682-2551 505-257-4095
You can also get on the mailing list or email updates by sending an email request to Peg Crim, Travel Management Coordinator at pcrim@fs.fed.us.
You can get more information on the Lincoln National Forest's Travel Management webpage at http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/MRI/index.htm.
