American Motorcyclist Association[capwiz:queue_id]
New Mexico Off-Highway Access Issues (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter 2manycruisers
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Latest:
July NMOHVA Newsletter
July NMOHVA Newsletter
As you know, off road motorcycles have many of the same issues that we do. Therefpre, it seems logical to support each other's actions. Here is an easy way to do that by automatically sending a letter:
American Motorcyclist Association[capwiz:queue_id]
American Motorcyclist Association[capwiz:queue_id]
a couple of items here. First, the USFS is planning another attack on our access to the Jemez, including the Paliza area. Details on that are here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/jemez_mtn_rest/pdfs/20120305_handout_SWJM_PurposeNeed.pdf
Then, the annual NMOHVA meeting is next weekend where the first item will certainly be discussed. The annual meeting is an open and friendly occasion and I encourage anyone who can make it to do so:
NEXT SATURDAY! - NMOHVA Annual Meeting Final Reminder
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/jemez_mtn_rest/pdfs/20120305_handout_SWJM_PurposeNeed.pdf
Then, the annual NMOHVA meeting is next weekend where the first item will certainly be discussed. The annual meeting is an open and friendly occasion and I encourage anyone who can make it to do so:
NEXT SATURDAY! - NMOHVA Annual Meeting Final Reminder
Steve - Thanks for sharing this info. It's good to hear that NMOHVA's efforts are making a difference.
SteveLCetc said:
Well, get out the chain cutters...
That's what it is going to resort to eventually.
It's not good. Here is some more info:
New Mexico 4 Wheelers
"SFNF Travel Management Decision is Out! So, what does this mean? It closes over half the roads in the forest!
Tank Trap==>GONE! Hill and Dale==>GONE! Guadalupe Crossing to Holiday Mesa==>GONE! Paliza Canyon==>GONE!...And many more!
"
New Mexico 4 Wheelers
"SFNF Travel Management Decision is Out! So, what does this mean? It closes over half the roads in the forest!
Tank Trap==>GONE! Hill and Dale==>GONE! Guadalupe Crossing to Holiday Mesa==>GONE! Paliza Canyon==>GONE!...And many more!
"
Last edited:
The New Mexican just posted a story on the Santa Fe National Forest Management Plan. Let's get those comments in before they close commenting!
Road feud: Forest travel plan, which pits off-roaders against ranchers and nature lovers, faces final test as groups prepare to appeal - The Santa Fe New Mexican
Road feud: Forest travel plan, which pits off-roaders against ranchers and nature lovers, faces final test as groups prepare to appeal - The Santa Fe New Mexican
September NMOHVA Newsletter; NMOHVA Files an Appeal on the Santa Fe National Forest Travel Management Decision:
NMOHVA Files an Appeal on the
Santa Fe National Forest Travel Management Decision
Village of Jemez Springs and the Jemez River Basin
Coalition of Acequias Join the Appeal
NMOHVA has filed a massive appeal challenging the recent Santa Fe National Forest's Travel Management decision. Forest Supervisor Maria T. Garcia selected a modified version of Alternative 2 which closes over 75% of the existing roads and trails and bans motorized game retrieval and vehicle-based camping on over 99% of the Forest.
Some of the major points of the appeal NMOHVA submitted include:
• The Forest Service did not adequately respond to the comments we submitted as required by NEPA regulations.
• The No Action Alternative did not accurately reflect the current baseline condition of the Forest as required by NEPA. The Forest did not even include all of the acknowledged Forest Service system roads in the baseline. The Forest chose instead to only "our best estimate of where people drive now." NMOHVA's investigation proves that the "estimate" was based on a random survey of only 18 road segments in a system that includes 7515 miles of roads!
• The Forest Service did not show that motorized use is causing unacceptable impact to the Forest resources. The agency concedes that they don't even know how much motorized use most of the roads and trails in the Forest are receiving. NEPA requires that environmental documents show cause-and-effect.
• The decision to exclude motorized use from many existing single-track motorcycle trails was based solely on the location of the trails in Jemez Mountain Salamander habitat. The fact is that the agency's salamander recovery plan doesn't even mention motorized use as a factor and the trails have existed for decades. NEPA requires that the Forest Service use the best available science in their analysis.
• The agency did not adequately analyze the social and economic impacts of removing motorized access from so much of the Forest in violation of NEPA and Forest Service regulations.
The local residents living in and near the Forest agree that the agency did not adequately study the impacts of removing motorized use. Both the Village of Jemez Springs and the Jemez River Basin Coalition of Acequias co-signed NMOHVA's appeal.
"The Village of Jemez Springs views the Travel Management closures as a drastic measure that we believe will have severe economic consequences for the Village," said Mayor Edmund Temple. "As the Village exists as an in-holding within the Santa Fe National Forest, these restrictions to the public's access to public lands pose a threat to the very existence of the Village. Fishermen, hunters, wood cutters, campers, families on day trips, and tourists from around the United States and the world are the life blood of the Village. The Village supports responsible and reasonable restrictions to protect the health of our national forests, but the Village believes these proposed regulations go far beyond that standard."
NMOHVA's appeal means that the Decision must be reviewed by the Forest Service's Region 3 office in Albuquerque. The Forest Service must rule on the appeal within a 45 day deadline(October 4th).
"We are hopeful that Region 3 will make the Santa Fe National Forest follow the NEPA rules," said Mark Werkmeister, NMOHVA Recreation Resource Director. "But NMOHVA is gearing up for the next step if they don't. We will have no other option than to challenge the decision in court."
Legal challenges are expensive and are only used when absolutely necessary. You can support NMOHVA's efforts by contributing to NMOHVA's ACCESS DEFENSE FUND. Help ensure that the Santa Fe National Forest stays open for everyone.
%3D[/url]
NMOHVA Files an Appeal on the
Santa Fe National Forest Travel Management Decision
Village of Jemez Springs and the Jemez River Basin
Coalition of Acequias Join the Appeal
NMOHVA has filed a massive appeal challenging the recent Santa Fe National Forest's Travel Management decision. Forest Supervisor Maria T. Garcia selected a modified version of Alternative 2 which closes over 75% of the existing roads and trails and bans motorized game retrieval and vehicle-based camping on over 99% of the Forest.
Some of the major points of the appeal NMOHVA submitted include:
• The Forest Service did not adequately respond to the comments we submitted as required by NEPA regulations.
• The No Action Alternative did not accurately reflect the current baseline condition of the Forest as required by NEPA. The Forest did not even include all of the acknowledged Forest Service system roads in the baseline. The Forest chose instead to only "our best estimate of where people drive now." NMOHVA's investigation proves that the "estimate" was based on a random survey of only 18 road segments in a system that includes 7515 miles of roads!
• The Forest Service did not show that motorized use is causing unacceptable impact to the Forest resources. The agency concedes that they don't even know how much motorized use most of the roads and trails in the Forest are receiving. NEPA requires that environmental documents show cause-and-effect.
• The decision to exclude motorized use from many existing single-track motorcycle trails was based solely on the location of the trails in Jemez Mountain Salamander habitat. The fact is that the agency's salamander recovery plan doesn't even mention motorized use as a factor and the trails have existed for decades. NEPA requires that the Forest Service use the best available science in their analysis.
• The agency did not adequately analyze the social and economic impacts of removing motorized access from so much of the Forest in violation of NEPA and Forest Service regulations.
The local residents living in and near the Forest agree that the agency did not adequately study the impacts of removing motorized use. Both the Village of Jemez Springs and the Jemez River Basin Coalition of Acequias co-signed NMOHVA's appeal.
"The Village of Jemez Springs views the Travel Management closures as a drastic measure that we believe will have severe economic consequences for the Village," said Mayor Edmund Temple. "As the Village exists as an in-holding within the Santa Fe National Forest, these restrictions to the public's access to public lands pose a threat to the very existence of the Village. Fishermen, hunters, wood cutters, campers, families on day trips, and tourists from around the United States and the world are the life blood of the Village. The Village supports responsible and reasonable restrictions to protect the health of our national forests, but the Village believes these proposed regulations go far beyond that standard."
NMOHVA's appeal means that the Decision must be reviewed by the Forest Service's Region 3 office in Albuquerque. The Forest Service must rule on the appeal within a 45 day deadline(October 4th).
"We are hopeful that Region 3 will make the Santa Fe National Forest follow the NEPA rules," said Mark Werkmeister, NMOHVA Recreation Resource Director. "But NMOHVA is gearing up for the next step if they don't. We will have no other option than to challenge the decision in court."
Legal challenges are expensive and are only used when absolutely necessary. You can support NMOHVA's efforts by contributing to NMOHVA's ACCESS DEFENSE FUND. Help ensure that the Santa Fe National Forest stays open for everyone.
%3D[/url]
Last edited:
Bump for previous post.
I heard through a reliable source that NMOHVA is doing a feasibility study to determine if it's worth it to sue the NF so any help toward their defend fund will help them determine what they can afford.
let's get this done at the next meeting, a donation to their fund. then we will have another one in Jan.
- Thread starter
- #140
The sad thing is groups like CBD are still complaining about the "destructive ORV" plan, like the forest didn't close enough roads already. I don't think they'll sue, though, they'll take what they can get.
