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Winter 2008 President's Report
Tahoe National Forest Travel Management Plan
The Forest Service has a responsibility to
provide a wide range of recreation opportunities. The
current situation of unmanaged off-road vehicle recreation
has been identified as one of the major threats
to our national forests. Forest Chief Dale Bosworth
on Earth Day 2003 said “(E)ach year we get hundreds
of miles of what we euphemistically refer to as
‘unplanned roads and trails.’ We’re seeing more and
more erosion, water degradation and habitat destruction.
We’re seeing more and more conflicts between
users. We’re seeing more damage to cultural sites
and more violations of sites sacred to American Indians.
And those are just some of the impacts. We’re
going to have to manage that by restricting OHV use
to designated roads, trails, and areas.”
The Tahoe National Forest (TNF) released
its Travel Management Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) in September. Public comments
are due by December 26. For more information contact
Ann Westling at TNF, 530-478-6205.The DEIS
is also available online at www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/
projects_plans/ohv_inv/DEIS_overview.shtml .
The DEIS addresses the following:
• Cross Country Travel: Cross country travel
is currently allowed on 700,000+ acres in TNF. The
DEIS looks at prohibiting cross country travel throughout
the forest. This prohibition is a component in all
of the alternatives analyzed, except for the No-action
alternative.
• Addition of Trails: There are approximately
2800 miles of roads and motorized trails in TNF
Transportation System. There are an additional 1400
miles of unauthorized routes in the Forest. The DEIS
looks at adding some of these unauthorized routes to
the system. In the DIES alternatives, additions range
from 31 miles (Alternative 4) to238 miles (Alternative
5). The Preferred Alternative (6) would add 70 miles.
• Season of Use: Due to wet weather erosion,
water quality concerns and the needs of winter
deer range, the DEIS examines a variety of seasonal
restrictions on system roads and trails.
• Class of Vehicles: Certain System roads will
be re-classified from “open to highway legal vehicles
only” to “open to all vehicles”. In the Preferred Alternative,
276 miles of smoother surfaced roads would
be changed to “open to all vehicles”; Alternative 5
changes 481 miles to “open to all vehicles”.
NFARA strongly supports the prohibition of cross
country travel and the seasonal closure of certain
routes. However, we have major concerns about the
adequacy of the DEIS. The entire process seems
biased in favor of off-highway vehicle (OHV) interests.
The Forest Service’s effort to accommodate motorized
recreationists’ demands comes at the expense
of other users looking for more natural and less noisy
recreation opportunities.
The DEIS did not analyze a Minimum Transportation
System as required under Sub-part A. No
current system routes, even those with safety or user
conflict issues, were analyzed.
There is too little analysis of the impacts of
road re-classification. Re-classification may lower
maintenance costs by lowering maintenance standards
but this could limit opportunities for passenger
vehicles. Reclassification will also mix highway legal
vehicles with unlicensed and uninsured quads and
trail bikes, not to mention operators under the legal
driving age.
The Forest Service does not have the funds
to adequately maintain and patrol their existing system
of roads, much less additional routes. Some of
the proposed additions are not too problematic but
they should be accompanied with the closure of some
current system routes. For example, motorized travel
should be prohibited on the Western States Trail.
In addition to safety issues and user conflicts, this
historic trail passes through two Forest Service-designated
“Roadless” areas.
NFARA hopes TNF will address the deficiencies
of the DEIS. TNF should expand the analysis to
include existing system routes and create a comprehensive
travel management plan that recognizes the
needs of all users of the Forest.
Lost Camp Road
Readers may remember from previous issues
that NFARA has taken legal action against Fred
Zillmer, the property owner blocking Lost Camp Road.
NFARA hired John Bilheimer from the Nevada City
law office of Haley and Bilheimer. A Complaint to
Quiet Title and for Injunctive Relief was filed in May.
In June, after negotiations to create a written easement
failed, Mr. Zillmer was served the Complaint. Mr.
Zilmer has hired an attorney.
Declarations of Use, statements describing
their use of the trail, from dozens of people as well
as historic maps and survey reports were assembled
into an evidence packet and turned over to Zilmer and
his attorney. The evidence of historic and continuous
public use of the road is overwhelming and Mr. Zillmer
appears reluctant to take the case to trial. Currently,
NFARA and Mr. Zillmer are working out some type
of a stipulated judgment that will be submitted to the
courts. The wheels of the legal system turn slowly but
we are hopeful the issue will be resolved by year’s
end.
Russell Towle Tribute
A tribute celebration of Russell Towle’s life
was held over the weekend of October 11 and 12. The
Golden Drift Museum was opened to highlight Russell’s
contributions to our local history. People hiked in
the North Fork. They also had the opportunity to visit
Russell’s hand-built cabin and tour the trails he built
on his property over the last 33 years. Most events,
including several meals, were held at the Dutch Flat
Community Center. There, people could see the wide
variety of Russell’s interests including his music, his
geometric mathematics, and his advocacy for the
North Fork American River Canyon.
NFARA participated in this event solely as a
tribute to Russell. There was no intention of using the
event as a membership drive or fundraiser. However,
Russell’s wife, Gay Wiseman, donated 20 loppers she
had received from Fiskars Company to NFARA. As a
tribute to Russell, NFARA decided to have the loppers
engraved with “Veni, vidi, recidi. Russell Towle,
2008” (“I came, I saw, I lopped”) and give them to the
first 20 people joining NFARA at the $100 level. All of
the loppers went, and we thank Gay for her generosity.
The money we raised will help us continue Russell’s
work protecting the wild and scenic character of
the North Fork.
Septic Rules, Continued from Page 1
Mariposa on December 8, 2008.
The schedule and location of workshops can
be seen online at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_
issues/programs/septic_tanks/docs/ab885/deir_
interested_parties_inclosures.pdf
The regulations are intended to prevent the
discharge of hazardous waste into state lakes and
streams. They would require inspection of all septic
systems every five years for a fee of approximately
$325. Homeowners with septic systems within 600
feet of bodies of water already designated as “impaired”
will be subject to more comprehensive regulation.
You will also be required to have your well tested
every 5 years.
These regulations will affect the daily lives of many
who live in the First Senate District. The Water Board
will consider comments made during this rulemaking
process. If people who are affected make their voices
heard, I would hope that Board members would take
those comments into consideration.
For specific information on the proposed septic
tank regulations you can go to:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/
septic_tanks/
Editor’s note: As the paper is going to press,
The State Water Resources Control Board Septic
Tank Rules workshop will be held in Nevada City,
December 10, 2008; 7 p.m. Please check upcoming
issues for more details on this important issue.
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