Co's Last Remaining High Mountain Trails at risk..

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

SOME OF COLORADO'S LAST REMAINING HIGH MOUNTAIN TRAILS AT RISK
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED.

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

The comment deadline is approaching on a draft Travel Plan for a very popular OHV area in Colorado. The Taylor Park / Gunnison Basin Travel Plan is out for public review and comment, and the deadline is next week, JUNE 3, 2009.

We are sending this Colorado-based action alert to our national alert list because the area involved, commonly known as Taylor Park, is popular with BRC members from California to Florida.

This is some of Colorado's last remaining high-mountain OHV trail opportunity left. The area contains miles of some of the best world-class single-track motorcycle, ATV and 4x4 trails in the nation.

Each mile is precious and several popular trails are proposed for closure. Will you help keep the trails open by sending a quick comment letter via email?

In order to save you time away from work and family, we've included one of BRC's INSANELY easy 3-Step Action Items to help you send your email.

Remember, the deadline is next week (June 3), so please do it today!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact BRC.
Thanks in advance for your support,

Brian Hawthorne                                Ric Foster
Public Lands Policy Director              Public Lands Department Manager
208-237-1008 ext 102                        208-237-1008 ext 107

PS: State, local and national OHV and mountain bike groups are really working hard to keep these world-class trails open. But resources are always meager in comparison to the Wilderness lobby, and unlike what you are about to read in the Denver Post, we are not funded by the OHV manufacturers. Groups like BRC and COHVCO depend on memberships and donations from individual OHV enthusiasts to fund the work we do. To us, membership is our lifeblood. THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP!

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!
LAST CHANCE FOR COMMENTS ON THE TAYLOR PARK / GUNNISON BASIN TRAVEL PLAN

SITUATION:
For over 30 years now, Taylor Park, and trails across Colorado's upper Gunnison Basin and North Fork Valley region, has been a world-class recreation destination for OHV users. In relatively recent years, ever since the modern mountain bike was developed, the area has been a treasured destination by mountain bike enthusiasts.

This plan will decide which roads and trails will be open for use by motorized vehicles and mountain bikes, which uses will be allowed on each route and whether there are any restrictions on the seasons of use for each route.

To the Forest Service's credit, the draft travel plan proposes leaving many of the epic mountain bike and motorized trails open. However, they are missing a few of the more special routes.

Several OHV groups in Colorado have dug into the details in this plan, and we are all working hard to defend our trails. Among the groups BRC is working with are the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) www.cohvco.org, Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) www.coloradotpa.org, Thunder Mountain Wheelers www.tmwatv.org and Western Slope 4-Wheelers www.ws4w.com.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
We are asking our members to send an emails to the Forest Service. Simple instructions are below. We've tried to make it as easy as possible.

IMPORTANT: If you have had the pleasure to visit this spectacular area, and have the time to write a bit about how valuable these trails are, please do so!

Comments must be in writing (paper or electronic) and must be received by June 3, 2009. Mail written comments to: Gunnison Basin Travel Management DEIS, 2250 Hwy 50, Delta, Co 81416. E-mail Comments To: r2_gmug_gunnison_travel@fs.fed.us.

MORE INFO ON THE WEB:
BRC encourages OHV and mountain bike enthusiasts to carefully view the maps on the web and check to see if the trails you use and enjoy are on any of the Alternatives. http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/gmug/policy/travel_mgmt/gun/deis.shtml#dm

The Forest Service (FS) has formulated a "Proposed Action" Alternative (Alternative 2). Simply stated, this Alternative is what the agency wants to do. If your favorite roads and trails are not on this map, then it is extremely important that they hear from you!!

Contact and other info, including copies of the DEIS and associated maps, are posted on the web at www.fs.fed.us/r2/gmug/policy/travel_mgmt. They has also posted a helpful "how to comment" link on their website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/gmug/policy/travel_mgmt/gun/deis/How_to_comment.pdf

For more information, please contact: Anne Janik at (970) 874-6637 or email to ajanik@fs.fed.us  or Gary Shellhorn at (970) 874-6666 or email to gshellhorn@fs.fed.us

BRC'S THREE-STEP ACTION ITEM
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS:

NOTE: Please be polite and, if possible, make your comment letter as personal as you can.

STEP 1:  Open your email program and start a draft email. Address the email to
                r2_gmug_gunnison_travel@fs.fed.us. Put "Comments on Gunnison Travel Plan"
                in the Subject Line.

STEP 2:  Use the comments below as a guideline for comments in your email.
                Cut and paste is okay, but try to make your comment letter as personal as possible.

STEP 3: Take just a minute to add a bit about where you live, where you like to ride
               and how much trail-based recreation means to you. Be certain to include your
               name and address. A return email address is NOT sufficient! ("anonymous" emails
               are often discarded).

EXTRA CREDIT: If you can add any trail-specific information or personal testimony about your experiences enjoying this spectacular area, please take a minute to add that to your email (see links above for maps and other info).

Then click "send" and you're done!

Sample comment letter:

Gunnison Basin Travel Management DEIS
2250 Hwy 50
Delta, Co 81416

The Gunnison Basin has had a motorized and mountain bike recreational niche for many decades.  Because of the growth in popularity of OHV and mountain bike use, and because of closures in other areas of Colorado, there is a need to enhance motorized and mountain bike trail based recreation on the Gunnison NF. Therefore, it incumbent on the decision maker to choose a travel plan that enhances the motorized and mountain bike trail experience.

I would like emphasize this comment with a rhetorical question. Given the fact that other national forests in Colorado have designated vast areas for the exclusive use of non-motorized recreation, and subsequently closed many thousands of miles of motorized routes, does the Gunnison NF have a motorized niche because of the opportunities existing on the forest, or has the U.S. Forest Service created the motorized niche because the agency has displaced so much OHV use from other Forests?

The answer is obvious: Both. The Gunnison has a motorized niche both because of the decades of use, but also because closures in other areas of Colorado are displacing more OHV people. Therefore, your preferred alternative, "Alternative 2 - The Proposed Action", which proposes yet more closures, is simply not logical. It also runs the risk of creating an unmanageable situation on the ground.

It is essential that all efforts to "mitigate first - close last" be made in formulating your Final Plan. I strongly support the specific trail recommendations made by the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO), the Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA), the Thunder Mountain Wheelers and the Western Slope 4-Wheelers.

The Thunder Mountain Wheelers make some excellent recommendations, especially regarding FS Road # 701 (Stevens Gulch) and FS Road # 265 (Buzzard Divide Road) on the Paonia Ranger District.

I support the Thunder Mountain Wheeler's suggestions on the Oil Well Mt. Trail, Buck Mesa / Thousand Acre Flats Trail, FS Road # 783 (Coal Gulch), trail # 804 (Buck  Mesa), FS Road # 704.4D (Spring House Park) FS Road # 704.4D1 (Spring House Park) and trail # 806 (Thousand Acre Flats). I also support their recommendations regarding the Overland Park Loop, Raggeds Trail, Minnesota Creek, Deer Creek and the proposed Sheep Mountain and Dyer Creek loops.

I strongly support the Trail Preservation Alliance's recommendations regarding the Crest Trail, Agate Creek, North Bank (lower Dr Park area), Roaring Judy, and Eyre Basin. Also, please adopt their recommendations for the Teocalli Ridge, Ferris Creek and Double Top Trail Systems.

Sincerely.

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS

 BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Colorado, Arizona and Utah Subscribers,

We decided to send this Colorado Alert to Arizona and Utah because of its connection to the popular Rico Trail System and the Imogene - Black Bear and Ophir Pass area.

Tom Thomas, one of the Directors of the Public Access Preservation Association (PAPA www.papatelluride.org), sent us PAPA's Action Alert on a very sweet trail system nestled in the Southwest corner of Colorado near the town of Rico.

BRC members will remember that the Glen Pauls family, all PAPA members, donated some sought after property near Telluride to the Forest Service in order to preserve public access. (See Pauls Family Insures Public Access in the Ophir Mining District www.sharetrails.org/magazine/article.php?id=1619 )

PAPA and the Pauls family is a key player in the ongoing struggle to improve management in the Imogene - Black Bear and Ophir Pass area.

Tom and the folks at PAPA have been dogging the details in the Rico-West Dolores Travel Management Plan (RWDTMP). Together with the Taylor Park area, the Rico trail system makes up some of the last remaining high altitude motorcycle and ATV trails in the Columbine state.

PAPA asked us if we would forward their Action Alert on the Rico trails. Given this group's strong support for the entire OHV family -- on some of the best OHV routes in Colorado -- I hope BRC members would respond with GUSTO!

Instructions below. Deadline is June 22, 2009, so please do it today.

Thanks!
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

PS: You can support PAPA's efforts by joining online at www.papatelluride.org/Membership/Page1.htm.

__________________________________________________________________

PAPA Action Alert for Rico-West Dolores Travel Management Plan (RWDTMP)

Dear PAPA Participants,

We finished our review of the Rico-West Dolores Travel Management Plan (RWDTMP). While we are generally in agreement with the EA Alternative E, we believe there are some short comings that must be addressed.

For example, Alternative E designates the lower part of West Fall as non-motorized and closes the upper part of Burnett to motorized while leaving the lower part open.  We don't believe that there is any justification for either action.  In addition there are three other trails; Loading Pen, Section House and School House, that we believe should be designated as motorized

I've taken the time to create a trail-specific list of the changes the Forest Service needs to make. If you only have a few minutes, simply use this list for an email comment.

PAPA is lucky to have the help of BRC, COHVCO and TPA, on reviewing the details of the EA's analysis and conclusions. Now it's time to do our part.

If you ride there:
A good way to see what the FS is proposing is to use the USFS website to compare individual maps of Alternatives C, D, and E (by laying them side-by-side) while reviewing alternative-specific narrative in the text of the EA. This will provide a visual comparison of the alternatives. See: 
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/sanjuan/projects/projects.shtml.

The email address is:  comments-rocky-mountain-san-juan-mancos-dolores@fs.fed.us

Address your comment email to:
     Steven K. Beverlin
     Dolores Public Lands Office
     29211 Hwy. 184
     Dolores, CO 81323

Put "Rico-West Dolores TMP EA" in the subject line.

Of the alternatives presented in the EA, Alternative E best meets the need to provide trail-based recreation, and matches the recreational niche of this area while protecting forest resources.

However, Alternative E has some major shortcomings that must be addressed in the Final Plan.

I support the recommendations submitted by the Public Access Preservation Association, including, but not limited to, the following:

1) Lower section of West Fall is an important link trail with a very short section that can be rerouted near the concerned private land owner.

2) Keeping Burnett partially motorized defies logic and common sense. If it is designated as motorized part of the way and closed on the upper section, which ties into motorized trails, this will result in an up and back route that will double the motorized traffic. Logically, it should be either closed all of the way or opened all of the way to tie into the upper trails. Keeping it open for the hikers to drive up part way and then closing the rest of it to motorized doesn't make sense.

3) We would like to see Loading Pen Trail designated as a motorized trail because it is an important trail that links HWY 145 with the roads and trails on both Taylor Mesa and Stoner Mesa.

4) Section House and School House are important motorized trails that allow bailout points on Calico Trail and, in the previously-held public meetings, the designation of these trails as motorized has not been contested.

Thank you for considering my comments. Please keep me on the contact list for this project.

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS