Save Tellico - Official Thread

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CandyPants

CandyPants

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Hello everyone. THE TIME IS HERE to "Save Tellico."

I am Heather Spivey and I am leading the effort for SFWDA in the public forum. I hope that you will see my name a lot in the upcoming months because that means that we are getting our message out to the public. Working with the wonderful folks in SFWDA, BlueRibbon Coalition, and United Four Wheel Drive Association, we have responded to the NOI in the media and expect to have articles hitting the papers this week.

So, many of you have been showing your support on the various boards with posting articles you see and calling for supporters to comment on them. We have also seen a lot of questions asking how you can help. I have a list of things here that you can do to help. The only thing we ask is that you maintain professionalism whenever speaking or writing in a public forum. This board included. Remember that anyone can read what is written on the internet and in a paper and we need to maintain the moral highroad in order to keep the respect and trust of the USFS that SFWDA has worked so hard to gain over the years. This is an emotional issue for most of us, I know it is for me. But try to remember that if we are perceived as hot headed or aggressive, it will not serve us well in the end.

Things you can do to help save Tellico:

1) Support Rob and the folks on the ground working so hard with the USFS on a day to day basis. Please volunteer your time and resources to go to help on work days. I know it's hard to get away for a weekend or during the week for a few days, but your sacrifice now will help ensure access for the future.

2) Monitor the media. There is no way that we can see every article that comes out in the media. If you see something, please post it up here so we can read it and react if necessary.

3) Pay attention to the updates that we'll post up. There will come a time when we will need you to write letters to the FS expressing your concern for their actions and suggesting alternatives for them to consider. Again, professionalism is a must.

4) Join SFWDA. If you haven't already, please consider joining SFWDA. Donate money to help fund the fight to protect Tellico. http://www.sfwda.org/

5) Join BlueRibbon Coalition and United Four Wheel Drive Association. BRC and United have jumped in and are helping us at SFWDA through the legalities. Their resources are not bottomless and they need our support to continue fighting for true public access to public lands. http://www.sharetrails.org/ and http://www.ufwda.org/index.htm

6) TreadLightly! We need, more than ever, to practice sound environmental wheeling. But don't stop at just holding yourself to these ethics, hold others to them too. We need to be self policing. If you see folks out on the trails that are behaving irresponsibly, educate them as to what could happen if they continue their behavior. Remember that one bad apple spoils the whole bunch.

As I said above, there will come a time when we need more help. I will try to keep this thread up to date as things happen. I can’t tell you how much your support and help means to this effort, and I (and I think I speak for SFWDA as well) really appreciate your support as we move forward.
 
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Article in Chattanooga Times Free Press

Forest Service under fire
Conservation groups threaten to sue about erosion problems caused by off-road vehicles.
By Richard Simms Correspondent
Public lands and water resources are often classified as “multiple use,” offering a wide variety of recreational pursuits. “Multiple use” often means multiple problems, however.
On the lake, fishermen despise jet skis. On trout rivers, fly-fishermen scorn rafters, tubers and even “bait fishermen.” And in the Cherokee National Forest, it appears that lots of folks loathe off-road vehicles.
On behalf of several conservation groups, the Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a formal “Notice of Intent To Commence Civil Action” against the U.S. Forest Service. That is a required legal precursor to a potential lawsuit against the Forest Service.
The SELC is representing the North Carolina and Tennessee councils of Trout Unlimited, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project. The groups say the USFS is violating the federal Clean Water Act, state laws and its own regulations in failing to prevent mud from severely eroded off-road vehicle trails from polluting streams in the Tellico River watershed.
Terry Seyden, a spokesman for the USFS, said the Forest Service agrees there are problems.
“We’ve been dealing with water-quality issues through a stakeholder process for many years,” Seyden said. “I understand people are frustrated that not enough improvement has been made fast enough. We haven’t gone as fast as we’d like, either.”
Seyden said at least part of the problem has been a lack of funding. The complaining organizations aren’t willing to let the USFS off the hook, however.
“The Forest Service has come up short in taking decisive action to fix this problem,” said DJ Gerken, staff attorney with the SELC. “We are letting them know that the law is unambiguous. Water quality and trout come first.”
Steve Fry from Chattanooga is the former Tennessee state chairman for Trout Unlimited.
“The Forest Service is responsible for what goes on there,” Fry said. “They have the task of managing the forest. We don’t have any problem with that form of recreation (ORVs) — we just think the runoff needs to be managed better.”
Most of the designated ORV trails in question are in North Carolina, but the runoff impacts the Tellico River, which is a favorite area for avid trout anglers in southeastern Tennessee.
“The streams running out of the Tellico area have 100 times more mud in them than similar streams unaffected by ORV use,” said Barry Sulkin, Tennessee PEER director and a former chief of enforcement for the Tennessee Division of Water Pollution Control.
The groups are calling on the Forest Service to close permanently the most environmentally damaging ORV trails and close the entire system in the wettest months.
ORV enthusiasts are ready to protect their interests, though. In a tersely worded news release, Heather Spivey of the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association said, “It appears at first blush that the erosion issues recently publicized by the involved parties are inaccurate. They failed to account for the significant investment from the (SFWDA) and their membership to improve erosion control measures and to remedy siltation issues within the Upper Tellico ORV area.”
Spivey said that in 2005 and 2006, SFWDA volunteers contributed labor, equipment and materials valued at more than $100,000 to help control and curtail erosion.
“We do feel the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association has worked very, very hard with what limited resources they have,” Fry said. “We’re not saying they’re bad guys. But we still feel the Forest Service needs to put more effort into it.”
Spivey said in a telephone interview that the SFWDA has about 850 members and most are family memberships, “so the number of participants is much higher than 850.”
As for the conservation groups threatening a lawsuit, she said, “We don’t intend to fight against each other. We’re both environmental proponents. That’s the message we want to get out to the public. We want to find common ground and arrive at an environmentally friendly solution.”
Both groups met independently with USFS representatives this past week in an apparent attempt to reach a compromise.
“Hopefully they’ll come to the conclusion,” Seyden said, “that a lawsuit is not the best way to achieve the objective.”
Said Fry: “They (USFS) have given us a proposal to basically try and settle this issue without going to court. We’re going to have to get together and discuss what they’ve proposed. No decisions have been made.”
Spivey said she hopes it does not come to a courtroom battle, but if it does, “I can tell you that we would get involved. It would be in the best interest of our folks who take part in this legal activity.”
Gerken said he expects a decision on whether to take the issue to court by the end of this month.
E-mail Richard Simms at sports@timesfreepress.com
ON THE WEB
Public Employees For Environmental Responsibility: www.peer.org Tennessee Trout Unlimited: www.tctu.org Southern Environmental Law Center: www.southernenvironment.org Southern Four Wheel Drive Association: www.sfwda.org Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project: www.sabp.netU.S. Forest Service in North Carolina: www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc
This story was published Sunday, August 12, 2007​
 
Article from The Clean Water Report

[SIZE=+1]ACTIVISTS SEEK TO TEST CLEAN WATER ACT IN OFF-ROAD VEHICLE DISPUTE[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=+2]_______________________________________________[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=+2]Date: August 20, 2007 - [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]</B>[/SIZE]​

Environmentalists are planning to sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, claiming that the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) in a national forest is damaging water quality, in a case that sources say could act as an important precedent for future claims in the increasingly common dispute between environmentalists and recreational users of federal lands.


A coalition of environmental groups represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue June 28, and will decide by the end of this month whether to accept an offer from the Forest Service, one source involved in the case says. The source was unwilling to discuss the terms of the offer during consideration. Relevant documents are available on InsideEPA.com. See page 2 for details.
</I>

SELC represents several chapters of Trout Unlimited (TU), Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project, who are alleging the roughly 2,000-plus ORVs each month in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina are polluting the Tellico River in violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA). TU claims that these violations are causing problems with the local trout populations.


Disputes over the use of ORVs on federal lands are not a new issue, but this is likely the first time the CWA has been invoked as a method to change trail use, one pro-ORV environmental consultant following the issue says.


“I do see the Clean Water Act as something that will come into play more and more,” the source says, noting that the growing popularity of outdoor recreational activities and increasing development diminishing open spaces will likely increase disputes over land uses. But, the source says, environmentalists’ claims in this case are “reaching” to invoke CWA violations.


“The success or failure of this lawsuit will be precedent setting as to what the Forest Service will do in similar situations” in the future, the source says, as well as whether groups will use the CWA as a legal driver to remedy disputes over ORV activities.


At issue is the water quality of the Tellico River, which runs through North Carolina and Tennessee. The complainants argue that the activities of the ORV users are harming the water with excess sedimentation and turbidity resulting from the large vehicles going through and near streams, as well as digging trenches with their wheels into forest lands, which reroutes waters. “Brook trout are highly sensitive to water quality and are especially vulnerable to excess sedimentation and turbidity,” the notice of intent to sue states.


The notice says sand and dirt, which are primary components of sediment, are specifically listed as pollutants under the CWA, but the Forest Service has not obtained a CWA discharge permit for the Tellico ORV area.


SELC argues the ORV activities violate sections 301, 401, 402 and 404 of the CWA. Section 301 requires effluent limitations for point sources, section 401 requires state certification that an activity complies with CWA discharge requirements, section 402 covers permits for point source discharges, and section 404 covers permitting of dredge-and-fill activities.


Surface runoff collected and channeled by human activity is covered by sections 401 and 402, while “the deposition of dirt and sediment by as many as 2,400 ORVs/month is a discharge and fill regulated” by section 404, SELC says.


Stakeholders are meeting to discuss the future of the Tellico trail, sources say, on Aug. 24, and SELC will decide then whether to file suit by the Aug. 28 deadline.
 
Here is the agenda for Fridays public meeting:
Upper Tellico OHV Trails – Nantahala NF
9th Annual Stakeholders Meeting Agenda
Tellico River Corridor – Cherokee NF

August 24, 2007
Murphy, NC
09:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

09:00 Welcome, Introductions, Review Agenda – Tina Tilley, USFS
Keith Lannom, USFS

09:15-11:00
Water Quality Protection - Forest Supervisor

Status of SELC/TU/PEER NOI - Forest Supervisor

Statement from SFWDA Jay Bird, President SFWDA

Statement from SELC Squeak Smith, T.U.

Questions/Answers Panel

11:00-12:00

Wild Trout Monitoring - Jason Farmer, USFS
Doug Besler NCWRC

Watershed Monitoring - Brady Dodd, USFS
Tyler Baker, TVA

Operations & Maintenance Update - Bill Champion, USFS


Partnerships – working for the future

Round Robin - All

Close Out - Tina Tilley, USFS
 
We attended the Tellico stakeholders meeting yesterday. The Forest Service presented their plan and a discussion was held. Trout Unlimited has very careful with their words, even differing to their lawyer on some answers, but it appears to us that since the Forest Service has opted to go with a NEPA( engineering studies and public comment) approach instead of emergency closure that TU is going to file the lawsuit soon.
The UFWDA and BRC lawyers will do the preliminary work for us but when it goes to court we (SFWDA) will have to pay, so we will start fund raising as soon as the suit is filed.
 
Here's a little more of my take on the meeting and what's happening at Tellico:

The FS has said that they could do an emergency closure, but they are not going to. That is a small victory for us right now.

As for the meeting, it went well, we were very well represented and eveyrone was very professional and polite.

Only 3-4 TU people showed up at the meeting, which is interesting that they didn't have the support of their members there.

As far as content of the meeting, there are a number of items that the FS are starting right away including trail assessments, more maintenance, and some review of Trails within 100 feet of streams. Some of these items involve looking at closure of some trails (2, 7, 9) and/or seasonal closures. There are also longer term items that do include trail relocation, closures, and other management items. But these are just a list of things that the FS is putting out there (in my opinion) to dissuade TU from filing a lawsuit. What they have to realize is that if they close our trails, TU might not sue, but we will.

So, now that that's out on the table, the meeting was a meeting. Pretty much the same as what's happened year after year at the stakeholders meeting. But the important part this time is what is read between the lines, and here's my take.

If you ask me, there is going to be a lawsuit by TU. The FS seems to believe that their immediate actions and long term promise of actions will derail the suit. I disagree. I think TU will sue regardless. They want trails closed and if the FS does not cave, they'll sue. That's my opinion.

Now, that being said. Here's the important part for all of us. We will not cave either. The leadership of Southern Four Wheel Drive has engaged UFWDA and BlueRibbon and is prepared to do whatever it takes, in whatever arena, to keep Tellico Open.

In a nutshell, that will entail at least 4 things:

1) Fundraising - Yep, we're gonna be asking for money...and we're gonna need lots of it. We'll be paying for a portion of our legal representation as well as for trail maintenance now and in the future.

2) Awareness - Folks, it's time to get everyone on board and aware of what is going on. We will be putting together flyers for distribution, a website, and other ways to get the word out there. We'll need everyone's participation and support as we go forward.

3) Volunteerism - Without what has been done to date by volunteers at Tellico, we would be NOWHERE! This and only this has given us a dog in the fight. We need to keep it up and show the FS and TU that we will not let this go.

4) Participation in Letter Writing - We will be asking people that love Tellico and want to keep it open to write letters to their congressional representatives and senators asking for things. We will also need for people to comment on any actions that the FS puts out there for public comment. We will provide form letters for your use when it's time.

Right now we are in a wait and see time. If TU files, we will also. If the FS starts closing our trails, we will take action. But regardless...we are getting ready for something...one thing or another.

SFWDA is actively forming teams to address all aspects of this threat. We are putting together a "Tellico Rescue Team" that will raise money, work with our legal team, look at the science of the complaints in the area, continue the trail work at Tellico, and support the fight to keep the area open.

I know that this is progressing slowly, but it will for a while. We need to let the NOI expire at the end of the month and be ready to jump in head first either when TU files the suit or when the FS takes an action we don't agree with. And we will be ready.

I hope that answers questions for you. I know it's not all inclusive and doesn't have something that everyone can go out and do RIGHT NOW. But have patience. You will be called upon to help and when we do, we will really need each and every one of you.

PM me with questions if you want.
 
John Smith said:
Perhaps SFWDA or someone will start a Save Tellico legal defense fund or something.
Click to expand...

SFWDA is starting their fund raising campaign so when the lawsuit is filed we will be ready to go. For now UFWDA and BRC are paying their Attorneys to do the preliminary work, one of the benefits of membership, are you a member? SFWDA has set up a Rescue Tellico fund Goto sfwda.org and click on the link. Soon there will also be a place here on MUD to donate
 
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From this morning's Asheviile Citizen-Times


Upper Tellico runoff sparks controversy
Off-roaders face trail eviction
by Jon Ostendorff, jostendorff@citizen-times.com
published September 6, 2007 12:15 am


HANGING DOG – The U.S. Forest Service may close trails in one of the nation’s most popular off-road driving spots because of fears muddy runoff from four-wheel-drive tracks is hurting fish.

The agency hasn’t made a final decision on the Upper Tellico Off Road Vehicle Area, about two hours west of Asheville and 11 miles from Murphy. But a temporary closure this winter is likely.
Web Extras: Multimedia & Related Content
gallery Upper Tellico Off-Road Trails Area
Adobe Acrobat PDF Forest Service plans for the Tellico area (23 KB)
Adobe Acrobat PDF Letter from a business owner who rents cabins to off-roaders regarding the Tellico area. (37 KB)
Advertisement

The 38 miles of trails in the Nantahala National Forest attract off-road enthusiasts from across the nation and the world. It is one of the few places in the Southeast where people driving jeeps, trucks and specially designed all-terrain vehicles can find challenging driving in a wilderness setting.

But runoff from poorly maintained trails is choking out brook trout, the Southern Environmental Law Center told the Forest Service in a July letter threatening that the organization may sue.

The off-road drivers deny the allegation, saying also that they volunteer time restoring trails and spend big money at area businesses.

That includes Tellico Cabins, run by Chuck and Helen Davis. Helen Davis said her business would take a direct hit should the trails close.

“The off-roaders are 100 percent of my business,” she said.

Officials with the government will study the condition of about seven miles of trails within 100 feet of streams. At minimum, the Forest Service could close the area from January to March to make repairs. At most, it might close some trails forever.
Cause is debatable

The Southern Environmental Law Center is representing Trout Unlimited, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project in its threat to sue.

The environmental groups believe the sediment from the vehicle trails damages the Southern Appalachian brook trout’s spawning grounds and harms aquatic life critical to the trout’s survival.

The 8,000-acre Tellico area straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee line. It has 13 trails for off-road vehicles.

Studies set to start next year would help determine what is causing the sedimentation, said Bill Champion, forestry supervisor for the area.

The Upper Tellico has a long history of off-road vehicle use, he said. Before the Forest Service bought the land in the 1980s, it was logged and had been an off-road spot since after World War II. The Forest Service closed 80 of the 100 miles of roads and trails in the area when it bought Tellico.

“Yes, there is sediment in the river, but there has been sediment in the river for 100 years,” Champion said. “What we don’t have is a good handle on is what impact does it have and how much is too much.”

The environmentalists want the Forest Service to permanently close the most environmentally damaging trails and shut down additional trails during the wettest months.
Studies planned

The Forest Service has a long-term and short-term plan for the Tellico area. It discussed the plan at a public meeting on Aug. 24 in Murphy.

First, it will study about seven miles of trails within 100 feet of streams and creeks. Based on that study, it will make repairs designed to stop sedimentation.

Next, it will study all 38 miles of trails and complete construction of the Fain Ford Bridge.

Then, it will analyze the potential for a wet-weather or seasonal closure of the area and the permanent closure of three trails: 2, 7 and 9.

In the long term, the Forest Service plans to work with stakeholders — which can be forest users, environmentalists, businesses or anyone else interested in the Tellico area — to revise a list of priority needs.

That discussion would include evaluating the density of the trails, types of uses and how often the uses would be allowed in Tellico. Monitoring water quality is also part of the long-term plan.

“We are really just getting started,” Champion said.

Sedimentation in the past has been a killer for the brook trout and continues to be the biggest cause of water pollution in WNC.

Extensive logging nearly wiped the fish out. It has only recently made a comeback. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, after a 30-year ban on catching brook trout, is now allowing fishing in almost all of its creeks.
Economic impact

Trail closures aren’t something Davis would like to see happen.

She has seven cabins and can accommodate 40 people at full capacity. The business offers everything the off-road enthusiasts need, including a shop for repairs.

“When we started this business, we did it with the off-roaders in mind,” she said. “I haven’t even had to market to family vacationers.”

She doesn’t buy environmentalists’ assertions that the area is over-crowded with 2,400 vehicles a month. She says the biggest event of the year, the Dixie Run, an event sponsored by the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, usually has about 500 vehicles.

The off-road advocacy group says volunteers in 2005 and 2006 contributed labor, equipment, and materials for trail maintenance valued at more than $100,000.

Drivers must pay a fee of $10 a day to use the area.

Davis said the off-road community is family-oriented and has money to spend on vacations. The sport itself can be quite expensive, with some vehicles costing more than $20,000 and dedicated solely to off-road driving.

“They are the nicest people,” she said. “And they leave my cabins clean.”

Sande Kimball, executive director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, which represents businesses, including hotels and motels that would benefit from off-road enthusiasts visiting the area, said her board has directed her to remain neutral on the “politically charged” issue of trail closures.

“We just hope that they reach an amicable solution that will benefit everybody, the environment as well as keep the four-wheelers coming into the county, which is very important to tourism,” she said.

Contact Jon Ostendorff at 828-452-1467, via e-mail at jostendo@ashevill.gannett.com
 
Roger and K9crazy...

your west coast friends will be ready to help when called upon.

also Roger, perhaps some local club action with regards to berms and barriers to help control erosion and run off will go a long ways.

Keep up the good work, stay focused, don't get frustrated.

Thanks!
 
TRT2 said:
.

also Roger, perhaps some local club action with regards to berms and barriers to help control erosion and run off will go a long ways.

Keep up the good work, stay focused, don't get frustrated.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

STLCA donated $2500 to SFWDA to support the work at Tellico, $250 each to UFWDA and BRC to help with the legal battle, and another about $400 in repair parts for SFWDA equipment. Over the last 4 years GSMTR has raised close to $10,000 for the maintenance effort at Tellico.

SFWDA maintains 2 military 5 ton dumps and a back hoe at Tellico for trail work and rents additional equipment as needed, so far this year Southern has spent over $12,000 on equipment rental and repairs.

This year STLCA volunteers have put in over 700 Hours, Upstate Cruisers have put in over 100 Hours and other SFWDA volunteers have put in over 1200 Hours doing trail maintenance.

We have moved 300 tons of surge rock to stabilize areas of the trails and will move more after 1 Oct .when the USFS gets next years money and can afford to buy us more rock. Tellico gets 80+ inches of rain a year so there are many areas of dirt trail the literally have to be covered with surge rock as they stay muddy and continue to erode most of the year with out it. There are about 1500 water berms on the trails at Tellico, most years the USFS contractor maintains less than 25%, the rest are left for the volunteers.

This years efforts have been some what greater than past years due to the NOI, though most of the work was planned last Dec., months before the USFS received the NOI. For the past 27 years SFWDA’S efforts have been the only reason Tellico has remained open. SFWDA volunteers are involved in work at several other Forest service areas in the Southeast. In addition to the repair efforts every March we have 150+ SFWDA volunteers that participate in the annual Tellico clean up.
 
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For those that are tracking the development of the efforts to help keep Tellico Open, the SFWDA has formed a "Rescue Tellico" committee that will do fund raising, PR, Legal, trail maintenence, and will monitor the science of what is going on out there.

The official name of this effort is "Rescue Tellico" and we have a "Rescue Tellico Fund." The PayPal link is open http://www.sfwda.org/trails/tellico/donate.html) and the "Rescue Tellico Fund" is kicking!

Also, from ideas presented from the boards and other places, the "Rescue Tellico" logo is in draft form and will be unveiled soon!

We are also expecting another article on Wed in a local paper, I'll post it up when I see it online.
 
In our last meeting with the Forest Service they layed out a plan that stated they would do engineering studies before taking action but apparently now they are caving to the otherside. SFWDA will have a form letter out soon, if you write or e-mail please keep it civil and to the point.

File Code: 2350-5/1950
Date: September 17, 2007







Dear Interested Public,

I am seeking comments on two proposals to establish new Forest Supervisor’s Orders on the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area in Cherokee County, North Carolina. This OHV area, located 15 miles north of Murphy on the North Carolina/Tennessee state line, includes approximately 38 miles of existing roads and trails that are managed for motorized recreation use. The following actions are being proposed:

1. A Forest Supervisor’s Order prohibiting motorized vehicles on Lower Trail # 2, Trail # 7, and Trail # 9, duration of order not to exceed one year or until a reasonable plan is in place to prevent adverse impacts to the aquatic resource.
2. A Forest Supervisor’s Order prohibiting winter-time motorized vehicle use on the Upper Tellico OHV Trail System from January 1 to March 31 each year. This would include all trails in the system except Trail # 1 and the upper section of Trail # 2 which would remain open as system roads used by vehicle types normally found on public roads.

The following persons would be exempted from these orders:

• Persons with a permit from the Forest Service specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission.
• Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
• Owners or lessees of land in the Closure Area are exempt from the prohibitions listed above to the extent necessary to gain access to their land.
• Residents in the Closure Area are exempt from the prohibitions to the extent necessary to gain access to their residences.

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTIONS

These actions are needed to correct and/or repair ongoing impacts to the aquatic resource caused by sediment entering area waters from the Tellico trail system.

Action # 1, prohibitions on Lower Trail # 2, Trail # 7, and Trail #9, is needed to provide immediate short-term resource protection measures. The greatest impact to area waters is coming from the movement of sediment off these three trails, as indicated by observation and on-site measurements of turbidity and suspended sediment concentrations.

Action # 2, winter-time closure of the OHV Area, is needed to provide resource protection. Forest Service personnel have observed that most of the damage to the trail tread occurs during the winter freeze/thaw period from January to late March, at which time soils are subject to increased rutting and displacement.

These actions would implement direction in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan to emphasize protection of perennial and intermittent streams in compliance with North Carolina Forest Practice Guidelines Related to Water Quality.

The actions would be implemented pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50 (b) which states, “The Chief, each Regional Forester, each Experiment Station Director, the Administrator of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and each Forest Supervisor may issue orders which close or restrict the use of any National Forest System road or trail within the area over which he has jurisdiction.”

Before a final decision is made I welcome your comments. Please make your comments as specific as possible along with supporting reasons why you believe your comments should be considered. Please include your name and address in any correspondence.

Your comments may be sent to Tusquitee District Ranger, 123 Woodland Drive, Murphy, NC 28906. Comments may also be sent via email to comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahala-tusquitee@fs.fed.us.
We would appreciate receiving your comments by October 17, 2007.

Thank you for your time and interest in our management activities on the Tusquitee Ranger District.

Sincerely,



/s/ Tina R. Tilley, Acting District Ranger
TINA R. TILLEY, Acting District Ranger
 
Please cross post all over the place.

OK folks, the Forest Service is on the move and has taken the first step to close three trails: Lower 2, 7 and 9. They have also taken the first step to closing all of Tellico over the winter months. Now is when we are going to need your help.

Roger posted the letter above.

So there it is. Now, let me explain the process they are following and what may or may not happen.

A "Notice of Supervisor's Order" is the first step in their process to enact new “Supervisor’s Orders” for an this action. The Letter is used to notify potentially interested parties of a proposed action and to solicit comments on the proposed action and its Purpose and Need. The action here is defined by them as:

“A Forest Supervisor’s Order prohibiting motorized vehicles on Lower Trail # 2, Trail # 7, and Trail # 9, duration of order not to exceed one year or until a reasonable plan is in place to prevent adverse impacts to the aquatic resource.

A Forest Supervisor’s Order prohibiting winter-time motorized vehicle use on the Upper Tellico OHV Trail System from January 1 to March 31 each year. This would include all trails in the system except Trail # 1 and the upper section of Trail # 2 which would remain open as system roads used by vehicle types normally found on public roads.”​

A proposed action is worthless if its purpose and need is not good. In this case, they are saying that these "closures" are "needed to correct and/or repair ongoing impacts to the aquatic resource caused by sediment entering area waters from the Tellico trail system." They go on to say:

“Action # 1, prohibitions on Lower Trail # 2, Trail # 7, and Trail #9, is needed to provide immediate short-term resource protection measures. The greatest impact to area waters is coming from the movement of sediment off these three trails, as indicated by observation and on-site measurements of turbidity and suspended sediment concentrations.

Action # 2, winter-time closure of the OHV Area, is needed to provide resource protection. Forest Service personnel have observed that most of the damage to the trail tread occurs during the winter freeze/thaw period from January to late March, at which time soils are subject to increased rutting and displacement."​

They can basically just say “close it” or “don’t close it.”

OK, so they have proposed their action and purpose and need and are asking for comments. We need to provide those comments to them. This is where you come in.

SFWDA is working on a template letter that you can use to provide your comments. Of course, you don’t have to follow the template, but if you choose to provide your own comments, please do so with the following guidance in mind:

  • Be professional, courteous, and do not be angry or aggressive in your tone.
  • Please use the spell check feature on your computer. Misspellings make you look stupid.
  • Please address the action at hand. Do not go on a rant about the “greenies” who you think are forcing this action. Be succinct and to the point about how this action is going to effect you and why you think the Forest Service should not close the trails. Be persuasive and do not ramble.
  • Please provide them with alternatives to trail closure. The Forest Service did not propose any alternatives other than closure. What about temporarily rerouting trails? What about installing more erosion controls?
  • Please question their science and observations. The Forest Service did not provide any scientific data in their letter to prove that their “observations and measurements” are true. They also did not provide the analysis that they used to determine that there even is any “impact” to the area. They are assuming there is an impact.
  • Please be sure to be clear that you do not support this action and wish to be added to the list of interested parties to receive updated information regarding any action at the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle (ORV) Area.

Comments should be either emailed or mailed to:

Tusquitee District Ranger
23 Woodland Drive
Murphy, NC 28906
comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahala-tusquitee@fs.fed.us.

Drop me an email if you have any questions and I will try to help. If you don’t get a response from me, please don’t be offended. There are only so many hours in a day. I’ll do my best to help as much as I can. My email is Heather.Spivey at sfwda dot org

Let’s get it going folks. Don’t let them take our Tellico away from us!
 
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Just my opinion...count on me for support regardless of the strategy!

WE CANNOT AND MUST NOT FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE!

THE TELLICO ORV AREA IS ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS AND REVERED OFF-ROADING EXPERIENCES IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AND SHOULD BE PRESERVED EXACTLY AS IT WAS INTENDED.


We need to demand from the Forest Service and TU exact and precise information and guidelines which will insure the maintenance and usage of ALL TRAILS currently designated for ORV use.

We must then evaluate their information and formulate it into a pro-active coalition of dedicated enthusiasts who shall organize parties to oversee and implement means of execution of their directives in a timely fashion.

We must maintain their initiative and manage through routine maintenance and repair their recommendations.

We must OFFER EXPERTISE BEYOND THE EXPECTATIONS of the Forest Service and TU and manage the execution of those expert remedies.

We must extend our welcome to their involvement and participation in the maintenance and repair of the trail system and insist they review our efforts and offer constructive criticism, time tables of completion and reviews of our accomplishment.

WE NEED TO BE THE EXCEPTION NOT THE “RULE” or ruled upon!

Here in lies an opportunity for us to illustrate to the off road enthusiasts of the World how a positive, cooperative, enthusiastic effort turns a negative into a positive; ensuring future generations the same experience.

If we really want to save our beloved Tellico we must pool every imaginable resource and pro-actively insure its’ longevity buy spending our time and money getting things done collectively instead of paying ATTORNEYS WHO WIN (monetarily) REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME!

Let us demand of our adversaries the course of resolve then move forward to accomplish what will be a win-win for all…MOST OF ALL TELLICO ORV!
 
TRchieD - It sounds like you are running for office - or writing a speech for a socialist nation. Nice idea but 'Damnit Bobby' it just won't work that way. If you fight fire with fire you might get burnt but if you don't fight fire with fire you will get burnt.

TU and the other orgs who are threatening to sue already have lawyers - lets see what happens if we show up in court and start singing 'Kumbaya.' I guarantee you trails will get closed. And where do you think all the money will come from to conduct extra maintenance, rehab, planning and monitoring?

STLCA is already putting tons of effort into trail maintenance along with support from numerous other organizations as well as regular old off road enthusiasts.

I'm not attacking you - but trying to get a big "hug session" going between all parties will not work. I've been through numerous of these types of situations in my profession and when one side comes out swinging you had better keep your hands up and swing back...or go for a take down...(now there is a bad sense of humor). Its great to discuss things and come to a mutually agreed upon middle ground but read into this case a bit first. :cheers:
 
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