The Forest Service held a public meeting Saturday at the Veterans Hall in Lake Isabella concerning the Sequoia National Forest Route Designation Process for motorized vehicles, which is currently at Step 3 (out of five).
Åbout 100 people filled the Veterans Hall to discuss the Forest Service's policy on OHVs (off-highway vehicles) - and for many, to protest it.
 Forest Service botanist Fletcher Linton, right, discusses trails with concerned Route Designation meeting attendees Saturday at the Veterans Hall. |
Presenting portions of the program were Brenda Ehmann, Deputy District Ranger for the Kern River Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest; Cheryl Bauer, District Recreation Manager; Steve Anderson, District Resource Officer; and Fletcher Linton, botanist.
The process currently underway is Sequoia National Forest's effort to comply with the U.S. Forest Service's National Travel Management Rule, which affects all 155 national forests and 20 grasslands in the U.S. The National Travel Management Rule requires designation of trails and prohibits motor vehicle use off of the system of designated trails in national forests. It was issued in November.
Sequoia National Forest was one of the first to try to comply with the national rule, according to officials at the meeting. Nancy C. Ruthenbeck, acting supervisor for Sequoia National Forest, issued Forest Order 06-09 in late July (Sun, Aug. 2), which will become effective this Sunday, Sept. 17. It will prohibit possessing or using a motorized wheeled vehicle off of national forest system roads (except for the trails, routes and open areas shown on the maps that go along with the forest order) and will be effective in portions of the Sequoia National Forest for one year. Ruthenbeck said that violations are punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for an organization, or up to 6 months in prison, or both.
Many in the audience had concerns about this temporary order. Several said that they have been using trails in the forest for years that do not appear on the Forest Order 06-09 maps, and wondered if they would be arrested or jailed if they continued.
The Forest Service representatives maintained that the purpose of the new rules is to prohibit the creation of new trails by driving or riding motorized wheeled vehicles cross-country in the national forests. They said that time restrictions limited the number of trails that appear on the forest order maps, and asked for public input as to which trails should be added for the final route designation in Sequoia National Forest (or “on” the forest, as Forest Service personnel say).
Forest officials hope to have a final proposed order by the end of this month, which will be released in October.
“Then we'll want input back from you,” said Ehmann.
Some in the audience took issue with the fact that some currently-used trails in the forest that do not appear on the Forest Order 06-09 maps will apparently be off-limits for a year while the order is in effect. The forest officials seemed apologetic that certain missing trails will be affected, but Ehmann said the forest order is a legal document and they must adhere to it.
Bauer said copies of the maps will be available in the district offices in Kernville and Lake Isabella and are also available online at www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia (click on Route Designation Strategy) with topographical features.
Some audience members said they've noticed trails are already being closed, but Anderson said that may be for reasons other than the Route Designation Process or the Forest Order 06-09 for Sequoia.
Others in the audience felt the Forest Service's real purpose behind route designation is closing trails to save money.
Bauer said, “There are no closed trails. The Forest Order map is not about closing routes.”
A few were upset that any of the Forest Service's limited budget was going to designated trails at all.
Audience member Glen Maki said, “A lot of this is going to come down to money as to which trails are going to stay open.” He said the Forest Service is cutting down on toilets and trash bins in camping areas and along the river. He said, “Money should be better spent on this and let us ride on our trails.”
Maki also brought up Auxiliary Dam Campground, and asked if designated trails would be used there or if people could drive wherever they want. Anderson said, “That may have to be a Designated Area.”
Anderson was asked if an inventory was being made so the Forest Service could figure out which trails would be closed for budgetary reasons. He replied that this was not the case, but he said that the Forest Service was looking for public input as to which of several adjacent trails were the most popular in order to possibly eliminate duplicate routes.
As far as budgetary concerns, he said that other options could be looked at to fund trail maintenance, such as “Adopt-A-Trail” drives and other alternate funding.
At the end of the meeting, detailed topographical maps were made available and attendees were asked to go over them with forest officials. Comment sheets were also provided.
The Sequoia National Forest Route Designation Process is expected to take another two years, with an Environmental Impact Statement being prepared, and then a final designated route system is scheduled to be completed by September 2008.
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