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| JCTRA Club Meeting |
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Wednesday, 26th November 2008. @ 7:00 PM Pied Piper Pizza 12300 NE Fourth Plain Rd Orchards, WA |
| Our Next Work Party |
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Next Monthly Work Party
Sunday November 30th 0900 hours. Meet at the JC staging area.
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DNR Recreation Work Shops |
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Posted by: mikeames on Tuesday, September 02, 2008 - 01:09 AM |
NEWS RELEASE
No. 08-156
August 27, 2008
Contact: Patty Henson, 360-902-1023; cell, 360-870-3853
Washington DNR to Launch Statewide Recreation Workshop Series in Issaquah
Public input will help create new vision for recreation
OLYMPIA – The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host the first of a series of public meetings about recreation from 6 to 9 p.m. on September 9 at the Library Service Center in Issaquah. Throughout the month of September, DNR is holding nine workshops across the state to gather input from individuals and user groups to help create a new vision for recreation on DNR-managed forestlands, aquatic lands and natural areas.
“We’d like to hear about where people in this state like to recreate and what kinds of recreation activities they enjoy,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland. “We also want to know how easily they can access recreation on state-managed lands. The information people provide will help us continue improving opportunities for outdoor recreation.”
The informal workshops will include discussion topic areas where the public can converse with DNR staff, view maps of DNR-managed lands, and offer their vision for recreation in the state.
DNR staff will compile the information gathered at these meetings and present them to the newly formed Sustainable Recreation Work Group. This group was established by the 2008 Legislature to assist DNR in developing a long-term vision that ensures safe, sustainable and enjoyable outdoor recreation on DNR-managed land.
Meeting dates and locations (All meetings are from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.):
September 9 – King County Library Service Center, Issaquah (kick-off meeting)
September 10 – Omak Community Library, Omak
September 10 – Longhouse Educational and Cultural Center, The Evergreen State College, Olympia
September 11 – Deer Park Library, Deer Park
September 15 – Hoquiam Library, Hoquiam
September 15 – Vancouver Water Resources Education Center, Vancouver
September 16 – Port Angeles Library, Port Angeles
September 16 – Burlington Library, Burlington
September 17 – Grupe Conference Center, Central Washington University, Ellensburg
The Sustainable Recreation Work Group
The 2008 legislature unanimously adopted a DNR proposal to create the Sustainable Recreation Work Group. In the next 16 months, the Work Group will work collaboratively, with citizen input, to develop recommendations to present to the legislature by December 2009. Compatibility with DNR’s trust management responsibilities will be a major consideration in developing this vision.
The Sustainable Recreation Work Group includes members from a variety of areas including:
Recreation user groups
State land leaseholders and contractors
Environmental organizations
Corporate and community leaders
Major landowners
Local, state, federal, and Tribal governments
Representative of the Governor
Members of the legislature
For more information about the Sustainable Recreation Work Group, contact Jana Greer at 360-902-1730 or jana.greer@dnr.wa.gov.
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News: News on Mt Hood travel plan... |
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Posted by: mikeames on Tuesday, September 02, 2008 - 12:56 AM |
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Jennie O'Connor Card, OHV Interdisciplinary Team Leader
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Dear Interested Citizen,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the valuable
comments that each of you provided during our public scoping period, and
to update you on our progress with the Off-highway Vehicle (OHV) Travel
Management Plan. As you know, the Mt. Hood National Forest is preparing
an environmental impact statement (EIS) to establish and designate a
system of roads and trails for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, not
including over-snow vehicles. The EIS will be formulated in accordance
with the USDA Forest Service’s new travel management policy: Travel
Management; Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use; Final
Rule, announced November 2, 2005. The decision resulting from this EIS
will be used to prepare a motor vehicle use map for the Forest, which is
expected to be published in late 2009.
Results of Scoping
Based on the scoping comments received, the scope of this project has
been revised. The revised scope includes two changes.
First, this planning process will not be determining where licensed
motor vehicles are allowed to drive off roads to access dispersed
(undeveloped) camping. The initial scoping for this proposal
demonstrated that combining the designation of OHV routes and the
designation of motorized access to dispersed camping corridors was
confusing to the public and complicated the planning process. The
existing condition for access to dispersed camping will remain in
place. Motorized access to dispersed camping may be analyzed more in
the future.
Second, the designation of OHV routes will no longer be constrained
to the six locations identified in the scoping process. The six
identified locations are: McCubbins Gulch (Barlow Ranger District),
Rock Creek (Barlow Ranger District), Gibson Prairie (Hood River
Ranger District), Bear Creek (Hood River Ranger District), Peavine
(Clackamas Ranger District) and LaDee Flats (Clackamas Ranger
District). The proposed action presented during the scoping process
will remain unchanged. Based on specific scoping comments received,
OHV routes are being considered in other locations in the development
of alternatives.
In order to reflect the changes in the scope of the proposal, the
underlying purpose and need for action is being revised as follows.
The purpose of this project is to designate routes for off-highway
vehicle (OHV) use by class of vehicle (excluding over-snow vehicles)
and time of year. By meeting this purpose, the Mt. Hood National
Forest will comply with 36 CFR Parts 212, 251, 261, and 295 – Travel
Management; Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use; Final
Rule [Federal Register Vol. 70, No. 216 (2005)] for OHV use. The
Final Rule states that we “must strike an appropriate balance in
managing all types of recreational activities. To this end, a
designated system of roads, trails, and areas for motor vehicle use
established with public involvement will enhance public enjoyment of
National Forests while maintaining other important values and uses of
NFS [National Forest Systems] lands” (page 68265). This National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process will only address OHV use;
subsequent NEPA processes may address broader access and travel
management issues.
In order to comply with the OHV portions of the Final Travel
Management Rule, there is the underlying need for:
Designating and/or constructing OHV routes (as appropriate) on
Mt. Hood National Forest to provide recreation opportunities;
Changing the current management direction in the Mt. Hood Land
and Resource Management Plan to comply with the Final Travel
Management Rule; and
Balancing recreation opportunities for OHV use with other
recreational uses of the National Forest and resource
sustainability.
Project Timeline
As the interdisciplinary team conducted the preliminary analysis and
developed alternatives for analysis in the EIS, the need to conduct
additional field work and surveys was identified. In order to conduct a
thorough analysis for each alternative, I have extended the project
timeline to allow for additional field work to be conducted this summer.
I feel this is important to ensure the EIS contains a complete
comparison of alternatives. Based on this extension, the draft EIS will
not be available for a public comment period until March 2009. Comments
on the draft EIS will be analyzed, considered, and responded to by the
Forest Service in preparing the final EIS. The final EIS is scheduled to
be completed in June 2009.
If you have any questions concerning this project, please contact Jennie
O’Connor, OHV Interdisciplinary Team Leader, at (541) 352-6002 x634 or j
ennieoconnorcard@fs.fed.us. Again, thank you for your interest in the
project and I look forward to reviewing your comments during the public
comment period for the draft EIS
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News: Motorcycle soccer: Have fun, don't crash |
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Posted by: JoeMcLaughlin on Friday, August 22, 2008 - 09:06 AM |
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One day about 13 years ago, Jerry James and a friend were playing soccer when the ball rolled into the woods.
Jerry, then 30, decided that he could retrieve the ball faster by going after it on a motorcycle and kicking it back.
Phil James, Jerry's dad, had been an athlete and a vintage motorcycle enthusiast.
A perfect marriage presented itself right before his eyes.
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Read full article: 'Motorcycle soccer: Have fun, don't crash' (7100 bytes more) |
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Anti ATV Smokey the Bear ad pulled!! |
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Posted by: mikeames on Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 05:27 PM |
OHV ACTIVISTS JOIN FORCES TO REMOVE MISLEADING SMOKEY BEAR ATV PSA
Ad pulled after many ATV and motorized access stakeholders alerted the agencies that the ad was inaccurate and was sending the wrong message to recreational trail users
The Ad Council, Forest Service, and National Association of State Foresters announced they are pulling the Smokey Bear "ATV" Public Service Announcement (PSA). In a July 28 updated email to the ATV community, the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service stated they have asked all media outlets to discontinue the airing of the ad.
The PSA was pulled after many ATV and motorized access stakeholders alerted the agencies that the ad was offensive and was sending the wrong message to the recreating public. This action was prompted by requests from many responsible motorized recreation interests to pull or modify the ad to make the message more relevant and accurate.
"Apparently what happened was the Ad Council and the Forest Service did not consult the right people before making this ad," said Russ Ehnes, the Executive Director of the National OHV Conservation Council (NOHVCC). "We never perceived the PSA as an intentional potshot at motorized trail users, but rather the result of a misunderstanding during its production process."
The ad shows Smokey (who magically transforms into a girl) on a mountain bike approaching a couple of ATV riders unloading their vehicles, suggesting they pack up and go home to eliminate the chance that their machines may start a forest fire.
"The PSA erroneously makes it appear that all OHVs should just forget about riding on any trails in the summer months, when in fact it is perfectly legal, and safe from a fire safety standpoint, for OHV riders to continue their recreational activities during dry periods as long as they follow the laws requiring spark arrestors on all machines and staying on the trail," said Ehnes. "We feel that those are the messages that should have been conveyed in the PSA in the first place."
Don Amador from the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) "thanks the agencies for listening to our collective concerns about this ad and for taking the responsible course of action by canceling the campaign. It is our hope the Ad Council and Forest Service consult with their trail recreation experts and the OHV community before launching another motorized recreation ad."
__________________________________________
The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, as a national body of OHV recreation enthusiasts, develops and provides a wide spectrum of programs, materials and information, or "tools", to individuals, clubs, associations and agencies in order to further a positive future for responsible OHV recreation.
High-resolution photos for publication are available on request.
For more information on this press release, contact;
NOHVCC Communications Director
Steve Casper
608-527-4152
stevecasper@msn.com
The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council
427 Central Ave. West
Great Falls, MT 59404
Ph: 800.348.6487
Fax: 406.454.9142
www.nohvcc.org
trailhead@nohvcc.org
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