another interesting BRC posting...

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   Dear current "beta" subscribers to BRC's Recreation News,
Its time to make our Recreation News public. But before we blast the big announcement I'd like to take a minute and thank all who chimed in with comments and suggestions. 

Several of you made excellent suggestions, two of which we are going to implement immediately. One is the "weekly summary" option which will combine a weeks worth of emails into one. The other idea is to post archives of the Recreation News emails on BRC's website.

Another idea we're going to implement is to post some FAQs on the website. Several of you "beta testers" emailed some of the same questions, including "what is the criteria you use to select news articles" and "do you want BRC members to send articles and newsclips from our local paper?" It may take some time to put that together but we figure if we got the same questions from more than one person its worth the time to get it done. 

One final note. The Recreation news is a team effort and everyone involved wanted me to say THANK YOU!! to all of you who emailed complementary comments on this project. Its very nice to know our work is appreciated. 

The public lands guys are in the middle of responding to a couple of new greenie lawsuits so the official announcement may not be out till tomorrow or Thursday. Or Friday.... In the meantime, please feel free to email additional comments and suggestions to Greg or myself: brgreg@sharetrails.org  brbrian@sharetrails.org .  Also, feel free to forward our Recreation News emails to friends, family and riding buddies you think might be interested. Anyone can subscribe here.  

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

NEW MEXICO
Rock Crawlers Start Your Engines!!!!
BRC is reviewing the BLM's info and legislation regarding the new plan for the Paleozoic Trackways National Monument. Recreation News readers will remember this is the home of the world famous Chili Challenge rock crawling trails. We'll have a big action alert this coming Monday, so watch your inbox!
BLM seeks input on its plan for the Paleozoic Trackways National Monument
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14261480
BLM to prepare management plan for Prehistoric Trackways National Monument
http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-communitynews/ci_14235571

Impact review may hurt Chile Challenge
http://www.lcsun-news.com/dona_ana_news/ci_14220212?source=rss

MONTANA:
There was quite a lot of news over the last few days regarding Senator Jon Tester's oddly named Forest Jobs and Recreation Act. Its obvious that Congressman Denny Rehberg's public meetings have shed some light on the flaws in Tester's approach.

One of the stories below contains some video on Rehberg's meeting in Libby, Montana. Its not the best video, but in it Rehberg makes a comment about the local communities feel about the manner in which these so-called "collaborative partnerships" were formed. BRC made the point in a letter to key legislators that of all the flaws in Tester's bill, perhaps the fatal flaw to give his official imprimatur to these partnership agreements. I think Montanans owe their Congressman a great debt for holding these public meetings. Whether one sees merit or flaw in the legislation itself, few believe Tester's rhetoric about how great the bill is anymore.

By nature I'm pretty darned optimistic and I think if Tester went back to the drawing board and engaged all of the stakeholders (instead of a select few) he could create legislation that actually did what his rhetoric says it does.

One final comment...
This is in the "picture says a thousand words department." 
BRC members know that from time to time I'll incorporate a comment about how these radical environmental groups put small rural communities in a truly awful plight. In this case, the thousand words come a few frames into the video of Rehberg's meeting in Libby. Rehberg is speaking in the high school gymnasium --- and the high school mascot is a logger. 

See, in a town like Libby, a logger is something to be proud of. Loggers keep the forests healthy and wildlife abundant. Loggers provide wood and other wood products that we use in our homes and our workplace. Mismanagement by the USFS and greenie lawsuits has devastated the logging industry --- in the United States. The USFS and the greenies have done quite a nice job exporting those jobs to Canada. Meanwhile, America's forests burn and her small  towns stay poor. 
Rehberg listens to variety of viewpoints on Tester bill 
http://www.thewesternnews.com/articles/2010/01/19/news/doc4b55f27e5b69e970724944.txt

U.S. Forest Service to spend $20M on battling pine beetles in Montana this year
http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_02e6fa7e-07ce-11df-b5ec-001cc4c03286.html 

BRC LAND USE UNIVERSITY:
Useful Website Department
With the USFS revising their planning regulations, we will be posting some useful websites that you land-use oriented types might want to bookmark.

Our first useful website comes with a cautionary note. While this website is useful, we do not recommend viewing while eating. Please remove all food and drink from your workspace when viewing as you may cause damage to your keyboard and monitor as you react to the millions of dollars the USFS spends on all manner of programs and initiatives and... well.... I'll let you see it for yourself. 
USFS What's Happening Webpage
http://www.fs.fed.us/fstoday/100115/WHAT%27S_HAPPENING.html

The second website is the very interesting and informative Western Institute for Study of the Environment (WISE) website. 
Bookmark this website now!
Western Institute for Study of the Environment (WISE)
http://westinstenv.org/

I was reminded to include a link to this excellent resource the other day when WISE posted a fascinating compilation of statistical data from all Region 5 National Forests. The data comes via WISE from California's Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and Environment (TuCARE). The data below was posted on the TuCARE website on Jan. 19: 

    Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and Environment, Inc., (TuCARE) was established to enlighten and advise the public on conservation and the wise use of natural resources.

    TuCARE believes in the multiple-use of the many natural resources on our public lands. … TuCARE is committed to ensuring the long-term viability of all of our natural resources through an ecosystem management approach toward the stewardship of our public lands. Man must play an active role to ensure our forests are not destroyed by wildfires and that our resources are available for all to use and enjoy. …

    TuCARE advocates an increased awareness in schools and communities, believing a more informed public will make better decisions regarding how natural resources are respected, utilized, and for the care they receive. …

    TuCARE also publishes a quarterly newsletter updating the membership on issues of concern as well as TuCARE activities. Visit the news page on the web for excerpts from the newsletter and be sure to visit the membership page and become a TuCARE member to become active in the conservation and wise use of our natural resources.

Statistical Data on Region 5 Forests

Percent of target log-volume goal sold by USDA Forest Service, Stanislaus National Forest, 2008… 32 %
Percent of target log-volume goal sold by USDA Forest Service, Eldorado National Forest, 2008… 74 %
Percent of target log-volume goal achieved by USDA Forest Service, statewide 2008… 54 %
Average annual log-volume delivered from Stanislaus National Forest, 1980-1990… 132 mmbf
Average annual log-volume delivered from Stanislaus National Forest, 1998 – 2008… 17 mmbf
Log-volume delivered from Stanislaus National Forest, 2008… 12 mmbf
Average annual log-volume delivered from Eldorado National Forest, 1980-1990… 147 mmbf
Average annual log-volume delivered from Eldorado National Forest, 1998 – 2008… 45 mmbf
Log-volume delivered from Eldorado National Forest, 2008… 24 mmbf
Percent of planned forest thinning blocked due to litigation, Stanislaus National Forest, 2008… 41%
Percent of annual Forest Service wood volume blocked by litigation, statewide… 33 %
Approximate percent of forest thinning in the Sierra Nevada that would be blocked by the most recent lawsuit against the USDA Forest Service… 95 %
Estimated percent of USDA Forest Service resources spent on planning, administrative appeals or litigation… 40 %
Volume of wood on California’s national forestlands currently blocked by litigation… 400 mmbf
Number of average-size sawmills that could operate for a year on 400 mmbf… 5 sawmills
Percentage of wood used in California that is imported… 75 %
Percent decrease in timber harvest on federal lands since 1990… 90 %
Percent of California sawmills closed since 1990… 70 %
Potential direct jobs created by returning harvest to half of 1990 levels… 3,000 jobs
Tree mortality, Stanislaus National Forest, 2008…  38 %
Increase in acres burned by severe wildfire in California in 2007 and 2008 respectively, over previous five-year average… 300 % and 315 %
Cost per acre to taxpayers to reduce fuel loads in the Sierra Nevada, with local sawmills… $500-$2,500
Cost per acre to taxpayers to reduce fuel loads in the Sierra Nevada, without local sawmills… $1,000-$5,000
Potential cost per acre to reduce fuel loads through public-private partnerships… $0
Acres of productive national forestland at serious risk of catastrophic wildfire… 7,000,000 acres
Percent reduction possible, in severe wildfire through increased forest management… 50-60 %
Taxpayer costs to fight wildfire, 2008… $1.4 billion

Data sources: U.S. Forest Service, Calif. Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Board of Equalization or analysis of Forest Service data by California Forestry Association 
-- 
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Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
alabamatoy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group I dont work here anymore... Joined: 16 February 2004 Location: Signal Mountain Status: Offline Points: 9442	Post Options Post Reply Quote alabamatoy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: another interesting BRC posting... Posted: 26 January 2010 at 6:19am
	Dear current "beta" subscribers to BRC's Recreation News, Its time to make our Recreation News public. But before we blast the big announcement I'd like to take a minute and thank all who chimed in with comments and suggestions. Several of you made excellent suggestions, two of which we are going to implement immediately. One is the "weekly summary" option which will combine a weeks worth of emails into one. The other idea is to post archives of the Recreation News emails on BRC's website. Another idea we're going to implement is to post some FAQs on the website. Several of you "beta testers" emailed some of the same questions, including "what is the criteria you use to select news articles" and "do you want BRC members to send articles and newsclips from our local paper?" It may take some time to put that together but we figure if we got the same questions from more than one person its worth the time to get it done. One final note. The Recreation news is a team effort and everyone involved wanted me to say THANK YOU!! to all of you who emailed complementary comments on this project. Its very nice to know our work is appreciated. The public lands guys are in the middle of responding to a couple of new greenie lawsuits so the official announcement may not be out till tomorrow or Thursday. Or Friday.... In the meantime, please feel free to email additional comments and suggestions to Greg or myself: brgreg@sharetrails.org brbrian@sharetrails.org . Also, feel free to forward our Recreation News emails to friends, family and riding buddies you think might be interested. Anyone can subscribe here. Brian Hawthorne Public Lands Policy Director BlueRibbon Coalition 208-237-1008 ext 102 NEW MEXICO Rock Crawlers Start Your Engines!!!! BRC is reviewing the BLM's info and legislation regarding the new plan for the Paleozoic Trackways National Monument. Recreation News readers will remember this is the home of the world famous Chili Challenge rock crawling trails. We'll have a big action alert this coming Monday, so watch your inbox! BLM seeks input on its plan for the Paleozoic Trackways National Monument http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14261480 BLM to prepare management plan for Prehistoric Trackways National Monument http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-communitynews/ci_14235571 Impact review may hurt Chile Challenge http://www.lcsun-news.com/dona_ana_news/ci_14220212?source=rss MONTANA: There was quite a lot of news over the last few days regarding Senator Jon Tester's oddly named Forest Jobs and Recreation Act. Its obvious that Congressman Denny Rehberg's public meetings have shed some light on the flaws in Tester's approach. One of the stories below contains some video on Rehberg's meeting in Libby, Montana. Its not the best video, but in it Rehberg makes a comment about the local communities feel about the manner in which these so-called "collaborative partnerships" were formed. BRC made the point in a letter to key legislators that of all the flaws in Tester's bill, perhaps the fatal flaw to give his official imprimatur to these partnership agreements. I think Montanans owe their Congressman a great debt for holding these public meetings. Whether one sees merit or flaw in the legislation itself, few believe Tester's rhetoric about how great the bill is anymore. By nature I'm pretty darned optimistic and I think if Tester went back to the drawing board and engaged all of the stakeholders (instead of a select few) he could create legislation that actually did what his rhetoric says it does. One final comment... This is in the "picture says a thousand words department." BRC members know that from time to time I'll incorporate a comment about how these radical environmental groups put small rural communities in a truly awful plight. In this case, the thousand words come a few frames into the video of Rehberg's meeting in Libby. Rehberg is speaking in the high school gymnasium --- and the high school mascot is a logger. See, in a town like Libby, a logger is something to be proud of. Loggers keep the forests healthy and wildlife abundant. Loggers provide wood and other wood products that we use in our homes and our workplace. Mismanagement by the USFS and greenie lawsuits has devastated the logging industry --- in the United States. The USFS and the greenies have done quite a nice job exporting those jobs to Canada. Meanwhile, America's forests burn and her small towns stay poor. Rehberg listens to variety of viewpoints on Tester bill http://www.thewesternnews.com/articles/2010/01/19/news/doc4b55f27e5b69e970724944.txt U.S. Forest Service to spend $20M on battling pine beetles in Montana this year http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_02e6fa7e-07ce-11df-b5ec-001cc4c03286.html BRC LAND USE UNIVERSITY: Useful Website Department With the USFS revising their planning regulations, we will be posting some useful websites that you land-use oriented types might want to bookmark. Our first useful website comes with a cautionary note. While this website is useful, we do not recommend viewing while eating. Please remove all food and drink from your workspace when viewing as you may cause damage to your keyboard and monitor as you react to the millions of dollars the USFS spends on all manner of programs and initiatives and... well.... I'll let you see it for yourself. USFS What's Happening Webpage http://www.fs.fed.us/fstoday/100115/WHAT%27S_HAPPENING.html The second website is the very interesting and informative Western Institute for Study of the Environment (WISE) website. Bookmark this website now! Western Institute for Study of the Environment (WISE) http://westinstenv.org/ I was reminded to include a link to this excellent resource the other day when WISE posted a fascinating compilation of statistical data from all Region 5 National Forests. The data comes via WISE from California's Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and Environment (TuCARE). The data below was posted on the TuCARE website on Jan. 19: Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and Environment, Inc., (TuCARE) was established to enlighten and advise the public on conservation and the wise use of natural resources. TuCARE believes in the multiple-use of the many natural resources on our public lands. … TuCARE is committed to ensuring the long-term viability of all of our natural resources through an ecosystem management approach toward the stewardship of our public lands. Man must play an active role to ensure our forests are not destroyed by wildfires and that our resources are available for all to use and enjoy. … TuCARE advocates an increased awareness in schools and communities, believing a more informed public will make better decisions regarding how natural resources are respected, utilized, and for the care they receive. … TuCARE also publishes a quarterly newsletter updating the membership on issues of concern as well as TuCARE activities. Visit the news page on the web for excerpts from the newsletter and be sure to visit the membership page and become a TuCARE member to become active in the conservation and wise use of our natural resources. Statistical Data on Region 5 Forests Percent of target log-volume goal sold by USDA Forest Service, Stanislaus National Forest, 2008… 32 % Percent of target log-volume goal sold by USDA Forest Service, Eldorado National Forest, 2008… 74 % Percent of target log-volume goal achieved by USDA Forest Service, statewide 2008… 54 % Average annual log-volume delivered from Stanislaus National Forest, 1980-1990… 132 mmbf Average annual log-volume delivered from Stanislaus National Forest, 1998 – 2008… 17 mmbf Log-volume delivered from Stanislaus National Forest, 2008… 12 mmbf Average annual log-volume delivered from Eldorado National Forest, 1980-1990… 147 mmbf Average annual log-volume delivered from Eldorado National Forest, 1998 – 2008… 45 mmbf Log-volume delivered from Eldorado National Forest, 2008… 24 mmbf Percent of planned forest thinning blocked due to litigation, Stanislaus National Forest, 2008… 41% Percent of annual Forest Service wood volume blocked by litigation, statewide… 33 % Approximate percent of forest thinning in the Sierra Nevada that would be blocked by the most recent lawsuit against the USDA Forest Service… 95 % Estimated percent of USDA Forest Service resources spent on planning, administrative appeals or litigation… 40 % Volume of wood on California’s national forestlands currently blocked by litigation… 400 mmbf Number of average-size sawmills that could operate for a year on 400 mmbf… 5 sawmills Percentage of wood used in California that is imported… 75 % Percent decrease in timber harvest on federal lands since 1990… 90 % Percent of California sawmills closed since 1990… 70 % Potential direct jobs created by returning harvest to half of 1990 levels… 3,000 jobs Tree mortality, Stanislaus National Forest, 2008… 38 % Increase in acres burned by severe wildfire in California in 2007 and 2008 respectively, over previous five-year average… 300 % and 315 % Cost per acre to taxpayers to reduce fuel loads in the Sierra Nevada, with local sawmills… $500-$2,500 Cost per acre to taxpayers to reduce fuel loads in the Sierra Nevada, without local sawmills… $1,000-$5,000 Potential cost per acre to reduce fuel loads through public-private partnerships… $0 Acres of productive national forestland at serious risk of catastrophic wildfire… 7,000,000 acres Percent reduction possible, in severe wildfire through increased forest management… 50-60 % Taxpayer costs to fight wildfire, 2008… $1.4 billion Data sources: U.S. Forest Service, Calif. Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Board of Equalization or analysis of Forest Service data by California Forestry Association -- Stay current with BRC via Facebook \| MySpace \| Twitter \| RSS
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