Land use form

Hey all, with all the runs we do, does any one submit a land use form? These are used to track the active areas and divert funds, maintenance, and other materials where most usage is needed. A very simple form and a way to use our numbers. Follow the link to the form and if we could sticky it, that would be awesome.

Thoughts on the subject?

CAL4WHEEL Land use Form

I am taking it either everyone uses these or no one cares? What is up? Good program or not? Let's hear your experiences/opinions.

Hell yes it's a good program. It's one of the only ways that the Forest Service and BLM know how much use a trail is getting, and it shows that the state association is working to keep track of trail usage.

I know we usually don't remember to fill them out, but it's a very good idea to do them. One of the advantages to being in a club is that we pass the forms out in our monthly meeting so anyone who has been any where can fill one out.

We do the same with our club and it is in our bylaws that the trailboss submit them for their runs. There are a lot of people not in "clubs" that we hope to target. Good to hear from someone else that these are turned in, because it does not seem that most are aware of this program.

I looked at the form. Can anyone submit them? Does it have to part of an organized run or can it be a report of me just playin out in the desert? Do any of the chapters have membership in CA4WD?

I believe anyone can submit them, but I will ask tommorow at the club meeting.

The Land Use form can be a good trail inventory tool, but I have never heard from an Agency who has received an accounting of the trail inventory that these forms should represent. The forms provide information that can be useful if it is compiled into an inventory and made public, but at this time I have seen no effort to organize or publicize the gathered information.

This is important, and will become more important:

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USFS OHV Route Designation Strategy

Inventory Routes, GIS, INFRA & Public Input
(By December 2005 & March 2006)

Forest Orders – Existing Roads, Trails, Areas (By June 2006)

Proposed Designations & Public Input
(By September 2006 & February 2007)

Designated Routes
(By December 2007)

Forest Orders
Signs User Maps
(Sept ‘08)

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OHV UPDATE
“NEWS IN BRIEF”
Regional Leadership Forum
March 11, 2004

 OHV Route Inventory & Designation Project -- Public Collaboration

The RO OHV staff visited all Forests in the Region last year to discuss and start up the R5 OHV route inventory and designation strategy and project, which is documented in the FS-State MOI and is summarized on the attached pyramid. The first phase of the project is to inventory and map system and non-system OHV trails, unclassified roads, and off-route use areas. A spreadsheet showing the status and estimated completion dates by Forest is attached.

Communication and collaboration with the public is a key element of the inventory phase. This is vital for several reasons: 1) to explain what we’re doing and why, 2) to start building trust, and 3) to be sure that we have all the information we need to do the job right. In many places around the State, the public is wary of our actions. Some fear big government will take away access to their National Forests. For years people have used and created non-system roads and trails because of open designations and cross-country travel. It could take several years for people to understand and accept the need for route designation and that wheeled motor vehicles will be prohibited off roads, designated trails and limited areas.

The public needs to help us by providing maps of the location of non-system roads, trails, and off-route use areas so that field personnel can properly GPS and include them in our inventory prior to completing field work on a Forest. This is important because any routes and areas not shown on our maps will be closed in the second step of the pyramid: “Forest Orders – Existing Roads, Trails, Areas”. We do not want to surprise our users or have them surprise us with last minute additions.

The Plumas NF recently hosted 3 very well-received public workshops on OHV route inventory and designation. Jim Pena and staff deserve credit for taking the initiative to begin communication and collaboration with the public on this potentially contentious issue.

The last 2 pages of the attachment is a guide to “Public Involvement and Communications Opportunities” that has been distributed to Forest PAO’s by the RO Public Affairs & Communications staff.

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Many of California, Oregon and Washington's Forests have already "completed" the inventory process (as reported to the Pacific Region) without public input. The only way to assure favored trails are accounted for us to have the trail inventory information immediately on-hand during the future public input process. We need to be prepared to identify trails that are missing from the Agency maps.

The sticky point is the above schedule places the public input after the Forests issue "Forest Orders." Orders that are intended to limit travel to only routes on the Agency prepared maps. Maps prepared by Agency contract employees that are usually Botanists and other non-motorized enthusiasts. These maps will not include public input observations and trail inventory additions. At that time it will be illegal to travel on any trail not identified on the Agency maps, so if you do not already have the trail inventoried (GPS ID, with a photo summary and report) legally gathering trail information may be impossible.

This schedule sequence (maps first with closure orders, and public input later) serves interests other than motorized enthusiast recreation by making unauthorized (Agency ignored) trail identification difficult and illegal.

The best method to counter this effort to control the future of motorized access in National Forests is to be prepared with a motor friendly trail inventory in advance.

I hope this helps to understand what is at stake?