New Mexico Off-Highway Access Issues

[2manycruisers]

I came home from work depressed today. We are strategizing a large project in the Jemez mountains and pulled a map of the travel management proposed action for the area. Holy s***, the PA decommissions most of the roads in the Jemez! I expected closure of a bunch, but decommissioning means we can't even use them for administrative purposes, including contractor access, timber sales, or anything else. You will be able to drive every open road on the forest with a subaru if this crap is implemented. For example, the only road open near Paliza canyon is the road we first turned onto from 10 (forgot the number), everything else is proposed for decommissioning. Saddest part is knowing that most forests in the country will be doing the same thing.

 

[evanz80]

Well, that sucks. Is it too late to do anything about it?

When trucks are outlawed, only outlaws will have trucks.

 

[marcfj60]

SFNF EIS Comment Training

I have a friend (Mark) who is on the board of NMOHVA. He is very involved with all the activities of NMOHVA and OHV issues in and around NM. He has offered to attend one of our club meetings to discuss the forthcoming SFNF Environmental Impact Statement related to the Travel Management Rule. Here is his email as I received it:

*****

The Santa Fe National Forest Travel Management Plan is nearing another milestone. Like the previous ones, this one will be *important* for an OHV'er (4WD, ATV, motorcycle, UTV, anything with a motor). This Spring the SFNF looks to release their draft EIS (environment impact statement). This document will show what roads or trails they intend to designate for OHV travel in 2010 and beyond - no travel OFF these designatees will be permitted and is fine-able by any LEO (law enforcement officer). This document also discloses the "science" the NF used to make their road designation decisions.

Anyway, once that document is posted to the website, the public has 30 days to comment on it, any way they feel. Afterwards, the NF will review the comments, then post their final EIS (not TMP's end, but close). To comment on the *science* of their decision is important, as we may not like their exclusion of certain roads/trails from the final map. (Most of the OHV public comments as "You didn't include my favorite trail - put it back on the map!" To which is completely ineffectual legally, and to which the NF will not respond to). To find that the NF did not follow proper NEPA procedure (the law) in their EIS is where you can productively object.

Commenting on sections, roads, sciences or whatnot can be about one paragraph per comment, or longer. As many comments as we are willing and have the time to generate are welcome, and likely necessary. Those comments will be the substance for any legal battle down the road. To make intelligent, in-context comments is the key to any hopeful reversal. One needs to know how to make those effectual comments, which is not always obvious.

So, NMOHVA is looking for folk willing to object/comment on the draft EIS. The commenter will need to know how to comment, which NMOHVA will help with.

Is commenting on the EIS something you might be willing to do?

M

PS: again, if there are ones in your mud-hating, 4WD club you think would be interested, lemmeknow. Or, given their next club meeting date, I would be willing to come and talk about this.


************

Is anybody interested in getting involved in this way? Are there any objections to him attending one of our meetings to talk about NMOHVA issues and try to convince more of us to become more involved in the OHV issues in NM?

FWIW, Mark is an avid off-road motorcyclist which is where his OHV interest comes from. He owns a really nice, shiny 4-Runner as well but doesn't wheel it (try not to hold it against him).

Marc

 

[BionicCruiser]

Marc, sounds great to me.

 

[pappy]

Can he make it tomorrow? I will miss the meetings in March and April, assuming they will be the first Fri or Sat of the month.

 

[marcfj60]

I've invited him but haven't gotten a response.

 

[marcfj60]

Mark cannot make the meeting tomorrow due to other obligations (darn wives). But please don't hesitate to express interest. I can put you directly in contact with him if you send me a PM and will work on having him attend a future club meeting.

 

[marcfj60]

More regarding comment skills

Here's another email on the same topic as last week. This one comes from the president of NMOHVA. I am posting all the details with his permission this time. You can let me know of your interest and I'll pass along the email of my friend (the treasurer) or I imagine you can just go to the NMOHVA website and contact the organization directly, expressing your interest.

***************************

Hello,

Do you care enough about losing motorcycle trails in the Santa Fe
National Forest to spend a day learning how to save those trails?
Are you frustrated that none of your letters/comments/attendance
at Forest Service meetings seems to do any good?

If you answered 'Yes!" to both questions, we would like to offer
you the chance to actually make a difference! The New Mexico Off
Highway Vehicle Alliance is offering another opportunity to
attend a very special training session. In this training, you
will learn how to write comments that actually force the Forest
Service to respond. The class is taught by an ex-Forest Service
employee who understands exactly what it takes for your comments
to make a DIFFERENCE.

The class is an all day session, running from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
and will be offered somewhere in the Albuquerque area. NMOHVA
will pay half the cost of the training with money donated to the
NMOHVA Access Defense Fund by the Blackfeathers, The New Mexico
Four Wheelers, and others. The participants, or their respective
organizations, will be asked to cover the other half of the cost.
It should work out to about $40 per seat. Lunch, snacks, and
drinks will be provided.

This training is limited to twenty people if we have enough
interest to teach another session (we trained 20 people on Jan
30th). We are putting together a roster so see if there is
enough interest to offer another class.

We are not looking for a firm commitment yet as we don't know the
exact date the training will be offered. The class will be
offered on a Saturday shortly after the Travel Management
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Santa Fe National Forest
comes out, probably in early May.

Who wants to come? Send me your names and email addresses and I
will add your name to the roster. Some of you have already
indicated your interest but please send me your names again.

Thanks.

Mark
President - New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance

 

[SteveLCetc]

More bad news. If you don't get involved your kids will only be able to offroad on a computer.

NMOHVA

"The Mountainair Ranger District revealed its Travel Management proposal today which would ban the use of all motor vehicles on over 80% of the roads in the Manzano and Gallinas Mountains"

Despite their math problem (179/471 is not 20%) it's still a big problem, because the 471 is probably an underestimate.

 

[marcfj60]

If you don't like what you read, be willing to take action. Take the training class that NMOHVA is offering. Get involved.

My buddy with NMOHVA that has been passing along information to me would still like to talk at one of our monthly meetings. Since the details of the March meeting got firmed up so late, it wasn't feasible for him. I suggested he plan for the May meeting because it seems to be a pretty good turnout at Evan's house and I know at least one person in the group that would likely be interested but wouldn't be at another monthly meeting until May.

 

[SteveLCetc]

As I recall, Mark W went to Evan's last time. It will be good to have him there again.

 

[marcfj60]

I don't recall that. Doesn't mean it didn't happen, I just don't remember. Maybe you're thinking of the President. The guy I know is a Mark W but not the Pres.

 

[SteveLCetc]

Werkmeister came and gave us a presentation on Southwest Four Wheel Drive Association

I don't remember for sure if it was at Evan's, but I think it was.

 

[evanz80]

Werkmeister came and gave us a presentation on Southwest Four Wheel Drive Association

I don't remember for sure if it was at Evan's, but I think it was.

Yup, that's correct. I'm trying to remember how long ago it was (maybe 3 - 4 years?), but Mark Werkmeister attended one of the HDC meetings at my house.

It's fine with me to invite him again for the May meeting. We are tentatively planning for the Saturday after Cruise Moab, which will be May 8th, assuming that works for Shawn's work schedule.

 

[BionicCruiser]

it's good for the 8th.

 

[marcfj60]

Farmington's Glade is the next on the chopping block

Looks like the BLM is considering reducing access to the Glade area in Farmington. Here's the press release from NMOHVA. I already sent Graham a PM with the same details. I've been there a few times and attended a big-time rock crawling event there. It's a resource that our club has not taken advantage of (it is a 3-hour drive from Alb). but it would be a shame to lose access to some or all of it.


************

NMOHVA


The Farmington BLM Field Office has released a Proposed Action for the Management of the Glade Run Recreation Area just outside of Farmington, New Mexico. The public has until March 31 to comment during the BLM's official public 'Scoping' period. The BLM has presented three options, two of which would dramatically change the way OHV recreation is managed in the Glade.

'The Glade' is directly adjacent to the City of Farmington. It includes a rare 3,811 acre area designated as 'open' for cross country use and an additional 15,134 acres currently 'limited to designated roads and trails'. The entire area is a Special Recreation Management Area that is managed to provide for a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, including OHV recreation. The Glade is most famous for its truly world-class extreme rock crawling terrain and the many national-level 4WD competitions held there. It is also heavily used and enjoyed for a variety of other off road motorized recreation including both ATV's and motorcycles.

The BLM is proposing dramatic changes in how the area would be managed. They have presented two 'action' alternatives for the public to consider. In one alternative, approximately 8,000 acres would be managed specifically for motorized and non-motorized single-track. In the other alternative, the same 8,000 acres would be managed specifically for non-motorized recreation. In both of these alternatives, the 'open' area would continue as it is managed today and the rest of the Glade Run would continue to be managed for 'dispersed' motorized recreation limited to designated roads and trails only. In another interesting twist, until recently the Farmington BLM was planning a 60 miles ATV trail that would cross the area now being considered for single-track use only.

There will be a public meeting hosted on March 16th by the Bureau of Land Management Farmington Field Office at San Juan College (4601 College Blvd, Farmington, NM), Henderson Fine Arts building room 9008 from 6 PM to 8:30 PM to review the alternatives.

 

[marcfj60]

You know how I posted about the NMOHVA teaching proper commenting techniques when dealing with Travel Management Plan issues? Here's an email I got that shows the value of learning the techniques to point out how the FS did not follow policy and procedures, making their Travel Mangement Rule null and void.

*******

Hello all,

This is what we have been preaching. This is a BIG DEAL. When was the last time you remember a court throwing out a EIS decision after being challenged by OHV recreationists? The info below helps provide verification that:

1) The agencies DO ignore the law.
2) This is the only way to preserve access when they do.
3) We can do this!

Mark

​

From: BlueRibbon Coalition [mailto:noreply@sharetrails.org]
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 4:03 PM
Subject: Recreational Groups Prevail In Travel Management Suit

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Russ Ehnes, VP, Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association
Phone: (406) 899-0898
Paul Turcke, Esq.
Phone: (208) 331-1800
Date: March 11, 2010
RECREATIONAL GROUPS PREVAIL IN TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SUIT
GREAT FALLS, MT (March 11)--A coalition of recreational groups has prevailed on the merits of their lawsuit challenging the Travel Management Plan for a portion of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in north central Montana.
The order was issued on March 10th from the Great Falls Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. The Court ruled in favor of the recreational group plaintiffs, finding that the Travel Plan violated the procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as the Montana Wilderness Study Act (MWSA).
On the NEPA claim, the Court found that the Travel Plan "reduced total motorized routes by nearly thirty percent from the most restrictive " present for public comment, and summarized, "the public was not allowed to comment on major portions of the because the original was not supplemented. Transparency required by law was missing." Other changes between the draft and final decision noted by the Court included restrictions on the off-trail travel allowed for camping and a change in the deadline for winter motorized recreation.
On the MWSA claim, the Court found that the final decision "eliminated roughly two-thirds of previously available motorized routes from the Middle Fork WSA." The Court agreed with prior analysis by the Court's Missoula Division that the MWSA requires the Forest Service to maintain the "wilderness character" existing in 1977 when the statute was passed. The Court thus ruled "he Forest's attempt at enhancement or creation of wilderness character in the Middle Fork WSA by adoption of the 2007 Travel Plan exceeded its authority under MWSA."
The remedy for the violations will be determined through additional proceedings. The order directs the parties to submit further materials on or before March 19th, and sets a hearing on the remedy issue for March 29, 2010.
The suit was filed by the Russell Country Sportsmen, Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, Great Falls Trail Bike Riders Association, Great Falls Snowmobile Club, Meagher County Little Belters, Treasure State Alliance, Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and BlueRibbon Coalition. Representing the plaintiffs are Paul Turcke of Boise, Idaho, Bill Horn of Washington, D.C., and Rob Cameron of Helena, Montana.
A copy of the Court's decision may be viewed at:
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/LCNF_Decision_dkt_45_3-10-10.pdf

 

[marcfj60]

I was talking with the treasurer about HD Cruisers support of NMOHVA and he mentioned that the last time we paid our membership was Feb. 2009. So we need to decide if we are going to support them again this year. My vote is yes. I think NMOHVA is the strongest organization we have in NM supporting our rights for motorized recreation on OUR public lands. Do we vote here or do it at a meeting?

If you want to attend the EIS commenting training class, we would probably still get the NMOHVA member pricing of $40 per attendee. I would like to propose that the club pay for whoever would volunteer to take the class, in the same way we did with the Tread Lightly class. The class is still set up for ~May, but no firm date that I'm aware of.

Lastly, is anyone here planning to attend the annual NMOHVA meeting which is March 27th? It would be good for someone in the club to be there (if we still want to support it) and represent HDC, giving us some visibility and credibility in their eyes. At this point, I cannot attend.

 

[SteveLCetc]

We voted to make it a continuing resolution, so we do need to send a check.

I went to the NMOHVA meeting last year. It was interesting. Plus, they had free pizza I can't make it this year though.

 

[2manycruisers]

OHV board meeting May 15
From an email I received from Sandia Jeep Club:
"Even though the state OHV program doesn't yet include full sized 4x4s it will and the OHV program manager could use some help at the public meetings, his advisory board is stacked by the governor heavily anti OHV. Would you please distribute this to SJC and ask the members to please attend if at all possible. If they don't want to talk just show up and let the board know they are PRO OHV (club shirts or whatever) Speaking out is better though."

May 15 - State OHV Program Advisory Board Meeting

See the NMOHVA Calendar(NMOHVA) for event details and contacts.

Agenda is here:
http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/ohv/documents/May2010Agenda.pdf