Forest Plan = Revisions - Is the Goal to Convert Roadless to Wilderness

Forest Plan Revisions - Is = the Goal to=20 Convert Roadless to = Wilderness?

The article below, "Join the = Effort to=20 Revise the Forest Plan" was recently printed in the 2004 = issue of the=20 Cascade Lookout, which is a publication of the = Okanogan=20 and Wenatchee = National=20 Forests here in=20 Washington=20 State. Notice the portion of = the=20 article that states that one of the decisions that will be made during = the=20 Forest Plan Revisions (FPR) is to "Evaluate=20 and determine whether roadless areas should = be=20 recommended as part of the National Wilderness Preservation=20 system=85" I=20 made reference to my concern with the forest service direction during = these plan=20 revisions in my article titled "The Common Thread - = Forest Plan Revisions and so-called Wilderness=20 Areas" that I wrote in December of 2003. Here is a link in = case you=20 did not see my article. http://home.comcast.net/wsb-cgi-bin/ssi.= cgi?PWPTool=3DHTMLView&State=3DFalse&wsbID=3D129330&GroupID=3D= 114857&Owner=3Dsledhead%2Edave&SiteID=3D1255600

During the FPR public meetings in late 2003, the forest service = stated that=20 they were required to look for additional areas to add to the National=20 Wilderness Preservation System as is required by the Washington State = Wilderness=20 Act of 1984. This act states in section 5.(b) (2) "...and the Department of Agriculture shall = not be=20 required to review the wilderness option prior to the revisions of the = plans,=20 but shall review the wilderness option when the plans are revised, which = revisions will ordinarily occur on a ten-year cycle....". I = have=20 included a link to this act in case you are interested in reading more = of the=20 details. h= ttp://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/documents/publiclaws/98-339.pdf

So what do Washington=20 State snowmobilers, and other OHV recreationists have the possibility of losing? = Well, the=20 Colville, Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests combined contain = approximately=20 5 million acres, and approximately 1.17 million (23%) of these acres are = classified as roadless. Of course not all of = these=20 roadless acres are truly lacking roads, and = most of=20 these roadless areas are currently open for=20 snowmobiling. These three forests also have a combined total of 1.66 = million=20 acres (33%) that are currently designated as wilderness. How much of the = 1.17=20 million acres will be recommended for wilderness during these FPR? I say = it=20 should be none, but we won't be that lucky. I think 33% wilderness is = plenty.=20 The forest where the majority of snowmobilers recreate=20 in Washington,=20 Wenatchee = National=20 Forest, is already 45% wilderness. You can = refer to=20 the three links below to see what areas in each forest are currently = designated=20 as roadless and wilderness.

http://roadless.fs.= fed.us/states/wa/wena.pdf

http://roadless.fs.= fed.us/states/wa/okan.pdf

http://roadless.fs.= fed.us/states/wa/colv.pdf

Once again, I am asking each and every one of you to submit a comment = letter/email to the FPR team at the address listed at the bottom of this = email.=20 It is very important to let the forest service know early in their = revisions,=20 that you are opposed to any new wilderness areas being added to these = forests.=20 If you need help with your comment letters, I can forward you a copy of = the=20 comment letter that I submitted, just reply to this email and let me = know that=20 you would like a copy. Also, if you are not from=20 Washington=20 State, don=92t think you are = out of the=20 woods. You should check the schedule for the FPR in the forests in your = state.=20 Every state will have their FPR done sometime in the not to distant = future.

For you folks in southern=20 California, you have some = major=20 issues with your FPR too. I was reading some of the information = contained in the=20 southern California FPR documents the other night, and the forest = service=20 Alternative 6, if approved, would add an additional 581,848 acres as = recommended=20 wilderness. This would close an additional 17% of the 3.5 million acres = in these=20 forests to OHV use. The four forests that are affected by that FPR are = Angeles,=20 Cleveland, Los Padres and=20 San Bernardino = National=20 Forests. I didn't read enough of the plans = to see if=20 snowmobiles areas are involved here, but I would assume so, along with = other OHV=20 uses.http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/news/2004/n= ews-2004-05-06-draft-management-plans-issued.shtml

I hope I didn=92t bore you with too much information here, but I = wanted to=20 ensure that I got the point across. The results of these FPR changes = could be=20 very negative to our sport.

Take care,

Dave Hurwitz

Snowmobile=20 Alliance of = Western=20 States

Disclaimer: This email is being sent by = a=20 concerned Washington State snowmobiler and should = not be=20 construed to represent the concerns, opinions, or position of the=20 Washington State Snowmobile Association.

______________________________________________________________________= __

Join the = Effort to=20 Revise the Forest = Plan!

Many people care deeply about how national forests are managed. = Whether you=20 visit them regularly and have intimate knowledge of them, or simply = dream about=20 visiting them, you can make a difference in how your national forest is = managed=20 for the future.

You are invited to join us as we change the "blue print" that directs = management of your National Forests. Currently, a team of Forest Service = employees is revising the plans for the Colville, = Okanogan and=20 Wenatchee = National=20 Forests. Your ideas and opinions will be = important=20 to updating the plans, which were last completed in 1988, 1989, and 1990 = respectively. By law this blueprint, officially known as the Land and = Resource=20 Management Plan, is revised every ten to fifteen years.

Plans define how the Forest Service manages the National Forests. = Each=20 national forest and grassland in the = United=20 States has its own plan which = establishes the=20 desired future condition for the land and resources, and sets broad, general direction.

Forest operations must be consistent with Forest = Plan=20 standards and guidelines, as well as its goals, objectives, and = management=20 requirements, and all relevant overarching laws and regulations. = Although=20 management plans identify where and under what conditions an = activity or=20 project can proceed, they do not normally make site-specific decisions = to=20 undertake particular projects.

Forest Plans make these 6 decisions:

o Establish=20 forest-wide multiple-use goals and objectives.

o Establish = the=20 forest-wide management requirements for implementing projects under the = plan.=20

o Determine = the=20 boundaries of management areas and prescribe the activities that may be = applied=20 in them.

o Identify = land=20 suitable for producing timber and establishes how much timber the Forest = Service=20 is allowed to sell from lands suited for timber production.

o Establish = what the=20 Forest Service must do to monitor and evaluate management activities and = effectiveness.

o Evaluate and determine whether roadless areas should be recommended as part of = the National=20 Wilderness Preservation system, and address which rivers and streams be=20 recommended for inclusion in the Wild and=20 Scenic=20 Rivers system.

Much has changed in our world and in the management of the national = forests=20 since the late 1980s and early =9190s. Ecological conditions have = changed, public=20 expectations are different, and new laws and regulations have been = implemented=20 since the plans were originally created. These changes need to be = reflected in=20 the new forest plans.

Rather than making sweeping change, Forest Service planners expect to = build=20 on the existing forest plans and make changes only as necessary.

The Forest Plan Revision effort is expected to be completed by March, = 2006 so=20 there=92s plenty of time for you to join us and not get left behind! = Some public=20 meetings have already been held, and more will be planned as new = information is=20 available. Besides public meetings, you can also participate anytime by = writing=20 us via U.S. Mail, e-mailing us your comments, or by giving us a call on = the=20 phone. For more information on Forest Plan Revision, you may also access = our web=20 site.

E-mail: r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us=

Web site: www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/c= ow

Mailing Address: Forest Plan Revision Team

Colville, Okanogan, and = Wenatchee = National=20 Forests,

Okanogan=20 Valley Office

1240 Second = Avenue=20 South

Okanogan, WA=20 98840