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Good news!

kcjeep6

NAXJA Member
NAXJA Member
Location
Castro Valley,CA
At the Cal4Wheel convention this year there was a reunion of the 2015 class of the VLLS. At this meeting I brought up the U.S. Fish and Wildlife can now say yes or no to all Forest Service NEPA decisions, therefore we needed to learn how to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. I receive a response that we could not influence the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Well guess what, we have done it and this was done by Volunteers! NEVER BEGAIN A TASK BY SAYING IT CAN’T BE DONE!!!! Join CORVA now!!!

Good news!
After years of commenting and working with the Eldorado National Forest, CORVA's comments that opening/closing of the Deer Valley Trail, known location of endangered species, should be based on scientific criteria specific to the perpetuation of the species rather than a blanket closure, has been accepted by US Fish and Wildlife in their biological opinion. Environmental groups, including CBD, wanted a blanket closure of almost 10 months! The reopening of the trail was contingent on this biological opinion, and we've been waiting a long time for this to come from USFW.

Ken Clarke did the footwork to ascertain the scientific criteria, researching and finding peer-reviewed material that the Forest Service did not have. CORVA member Doug Barr was also very valuable throughout this process. CORVA presented the information in the form of substantive comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment. This is a big deal, because it means that OHV groups can influence trail management through the use of scientific evidence. We have to work hard to get the correct material and present it to the Forest Service with supporting material, but that should be our goal. It's also validation for what the Comments Project can accomplish.

This can definitely serve as a precedence for the management of numerous trails in the Forest Service - we should take this as a CORVA win!


Amy
 
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