Washington SAWS News: Washington State Forest Plan Revisions – Where are we at?

Refer to these previous SAWS alerts for additional information

Washington State SAWS News: Motorized Recreation is in serious trouble in the Colville, Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests (6/06)

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/uploads/Washington_State_SAWS_News_-_Motorized_Rec_in_serious_trouble.htm

Washington & Oregon Forest Plan Revisions and Recommended Wilderness Areas - Last chance to make a difference! (3/06)

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/uploads/SAWS_Action_Alert_-_WA_and_OR_FPRs_and_RWAs.htm

Washington State Forest Plan Revisions Information (10/04)

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/uploads/SAWS_Action_Alert_-_Washington_State_Forest_Plan_Revisions_Fall_2004A.htm

Forest Plan Revisions - Is the Goal to Convert Roadless to Wilderness? (6/04)

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/uploads/Forest_Plan_Revisions_-_Is_the_Goal_to_Convert_Roadless_to_Wilderness.mht

Colville, Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests

The collaboration meetings (Colville NF) and the Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings (Okanogan and Wenatchee NFs) are going to continue through January and/or February of 07’. And although I was previously informed by Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Supervisor, Jim Boynton, that the PAC would NOT approach the subject of determining which so-called roadless areas would be considered for wilderness, that is exactly what is occurring in both the PAC and collaboration meetings. These meetings are now at that critical point of determining which so-called roadless areas should be recommended for wilderness. These team recommendations will then be sent to the Forest Service planning teams to make the final decision, and the Forest Service will then decide whether the Recommended Wilderness Areas (RWA) will be closed to snowmobile use. Most of you know from our previous SAWS alerts on this subject, that there is no law or policy that requires ANY RWA to be closed to motorized use. SAWS strongly opposes new wilderness areas where motorized use currently exists, and we also strongly oppose any Forest Service action to close any RWA to snowmobile use. The new forest plans should be released in March 07’ for a 90 day public comment period.

Is there any good news related to these forest plans? Well sort of. Rick Acosta, Public Affairs Specialist on this planning team, has been transferred from this forest planning team to the Mount Hood National Forest. In my opinion, he was rather difficult to work with, and I also got a strong feeling through numerous conversations with him, that he was very anti-motorized. He also supported closing RWAs to snowmobile use – in fact he thought the Forest Service was required to do so - and he also supported creating other exclusive use non-motorized areas outside of current wilderness and new RWAs. Rick’s temporary replacement is Deb Kelly. She can be reach at 509-826-3396 or by email at dlkelly@fs.fed.us . I have not yet had the opportunity to meet her.

To be added to the Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision mailing list, signup at the following link:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/cow/form/update-contact.htm

To be added to the Colville National Forest mailing list, contact:

Debbie Wilkins

Recreation, Engineering, Lands, and Minerals Staff

Colville National Forest

Telephone: 509-447-7322

dwilkins@fs.fed.us

For more information on these forest plans, refer to the COW Forest Plan Revision website at:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/cow/

Blue Mountains (Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests)

Although most of these forests are actually in Oregon, a good portion of the Umatilla National Forest is in southeastern Washington, and also many snowmobilers from Washington recreate in these forests, so that is why I am including this information in this Washington State SAWS email.

The newest issue of the Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revision newsletter has been posted on the Blue Mountain website. Click on the link below to read it:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/blue_mtn_planrevision/documents/2006_10_12_revision_news_issue6.pdf

Important information from this newsletter: The proposed revised plans will be ready for review this summer. We will notify everyone on our mailing list when they are available and this information will be sent to the media and will be posted on the Plan Revision website. We will be asking you to review the plans and send us your thoughts during a 90-day comment period. During this time, we will be glad to visit with you to explain the plans and talk about your suggested changes and how we can make the plans better.

To be added to this mailing list, signup at the link below:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/blue_mtn_planrevision/comments.shtml

For additional information refer to the Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revision website at:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/blue_mtn_planrevision/

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Nothing happening related to a Forest Plan Revision in this forest at this time. I have included a link below to the current Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA) for this forest:

http://www.fs.fed.us/sopa/components/reports/sopa-110605-2006-10.pdf

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Nothing happening related to a Forest Plan Revision in this forest at this time. I have included a link below to the current Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA) for this forest:

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/04projects/documents/01_autumn.pdf

Dave Hurwitz

Snowmobile Alliance of Western States

Protecting the right to ride for the owners of 303,604 registered snowmobiles (2005) in the western United States.

Copyright © 2006 Snowmobile Alliance of Western States. All Rights Reserved.

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