- Location
- Desert Beach So Cal
Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
Late last night BRC received an urgent action alert from our Colorado partners, the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO http://www.cohvco.org ). It seems the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest has published a new management plan for the popular Lefhand Canyon area with input due on August 31st, 2005.
For those of you that are, as I have been in recent days, "calendar-challenged"... that's TODAY!
It's unclear at this time, but the staff and volunteers at COHVCO believe the FS may have intentionally avoided sending copies to motorized users in a timely manner. Incredibly, COHVCO first received the draft plan on August 15th, and Dennis Larrat, President of COHVCO, received his copy of the Environmental Assessment on August 17th!
Dennis is fortunate, in our opinion. BRC is still waiting for our copy! This type of... "unprofessionalism"... by a federal land management agency should not be tolerated!
Dennis informs us that the Lefhand Canyon area is one of the very few areas open to motorcycles, 4WD and ATVs near Front Range metro areas, and the alternatives offered by the USFS are absolutely unacceptable. Even the most "liberal" alternative would cut the available mileage on opportunity by about 50%.
Importantly, the Lefthand Canyon area is home to some of the best rockcrawling in Colorado. Let me say this clearly: if you enjoy high difficulty full sized 4x4 trails, our Colorado partners need your help!
This calls for one of our quick-and-easy 3-step action plan we're so fond of.
Step 1: Use our comment suggestions to send a quick email to the FS. The email address is below, as well as a URL for more information.
Step 2: Immediately forward this alert to anyone you know who values high difficulty 4x4 trails. We need their help!
Step 3: Support our Colorado partners!
COHVCO: http://cohvco.org
Colorado Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs: http://www.hightrails.org/index.shtml
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Send an email to the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho NF today! Use our comment suggestions below to help. More information is available on the FS's website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/projects/ea-projects/brd/lefthand/index.shtml
Remember! Your comment will not count if you do not include your name and address. Your email return address will not suffice! Do not fail to include your name and address in your comments!
Send your email to:
Catherine Luna,
Recreation Planner, Boulder Ranger District - Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests,
[email protected]
Comment suggestions:
* IMPORTANT: Include a brief description of how much you and your family enjoy OHV recreation.
* IMPORTANT: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the short comment period.
Issue: The FS wants to impose a complicated two-tiered permit system.
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the part of the proposal that limits the area to day-use only "without a special permit". This sets up a two-tiered permit system, one for day use and one for overnight use. Complicated permit systems are difficult for the public to understand and comply with. Any permit system must be easy to implement and easy for the public to comply with.
Issue: The FS wants to implement a permanent closure of all the routes around Fairview Peak.
Comment Suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to a permanent closure of the area around Fairview Peak. Remind the FS that the 4WD road that goes around Fairview Peak and connects to Road 87J had been open for many decades!
Issue: The FS has identified many routes as "new user-created routes" when they are, in fact, very well established routes that have existed for a very long time.
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that their analysis is flawed! Tell the FS that many of the roads and trails in the area have existed for many years. Ask the FS to perform an extensive data search to identify the origin of every route before identifying it as "new user-created routes."
Issue: The FS wants to limit access to this area to a single access point
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the part of the proposal that would close all entry points except the main one. Tell the FS that the two entrances at Castle Gulch should be open to the public. This is a major safety issue.
Issue: There is a need for more parking areas.
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you support converting two shooting areas into parking areas.
Issue: The FS is proposing to make the Lefthand Canyon area a "fee area."
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS how you feel about fee areas. Tell the FS that if they insist on a fee area then the funds must go directly back into the area itself.
Issue: The FS is proposing to install toilets.
Comment suggestion: This is an identified need for this area. Tell the FS you support this part of the plan.
Remember:
YOUR COMMENT WILL NOT COUNT IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOUR EMAIL RETURN ADDRESS WILL NOT SUFFICE! DO NOT FAIL TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENTS!
Late last night BRC received an urgent action alert from our Colorado partners, the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO http://www.cohvco.org ). It seems the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest has published a new management plan for the popular Lefhand Canyon area with input due on August 31st, 2005.
For those of you that are, as I have been in recent days, "calendar-challenged"... that's TODAY!
It's unclear at this time, but the staff and volunteers at COHVCO believe the FS may have intentionally avoided sending copies to motorized users in a timely manner. Incredibly, COHVCO first received the draft plan on August 15th, and Dennis Larrat, President of COHVCO, received his copy of the Environmental Assessment on August 17th!
Dennis is fortunate, in our opinion. BRC is still waiting for our copy! This type of... "unprofessionalism"... by a federal land management agency should not be tolerated!
Dennis informs us that the Lefhand Canyon area is one of the very few areas open to motorcycles, 4WD and ATVs near Front Range metro areas, and the alternatives offered by the USFS are absolutely unacceptable. Even the most "liberal" alternative would cut the available mileage on opportunity by about 50%.
Importantly, the Lefthand Canyon area is home to some of the best rockcrawling in Colorado. Let me say this clearly: if you enjoy high difficulty full sized 4x4 trails, our Colorado partners need your help!
This calls for one of our quick-and-easy 3-step action plan we're so fond of.
Step 1: Use our comment suggestions to send a quick email to the FS. The email address is below, as well as a URL for more information.
Step 2: Immediately forward this alert to anyone you know who values high difficulty 4x4 trails. We need their help!
Step 3: Support our Colorado partners!
COHVCO: http://cohvco.org
Colorado Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs: http://www.hightrails.org/index.shtml
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Send an email to the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho NF today! Use our comment suggestions below to help. More information is available on the FS's website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/projects/ea-projects/brd/lefthand/index.shtml
Remember! Your comment will not count if you do not include your name and address. Your email return address will not suffice! Do not fail to include your name and address in your comments!
Send your email to:
Catherine Luna,
Recreation Planner, Boulder Ranger District - Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests,
[email protected]
Comment suggestions:
* IMPORTANT: Include a brief description of how much you and your family enjoy OHV recreation.
* IMPORTANT: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the short comment period.
Issue: The FS wants to impose a complicated two-tiered permit system.
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the part of the proposal that limits the area to day-use only "without a special permit". This sets up a two-tiered permit system, one for day use and one for overnight use. Complicated permit systems are difficult for the public to understand and comply with. Any permit system must be easy to implement and easy for the public to comply with.
Issue: The FS wants to implement a permanent closure of all the routes around Fairview Peak.
Comment Suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to a permanent closure of the area around Fairview Peak. Remind the FS that the 4WD road that goes around Fairview Peak and connects to Road 87J had been open for many decades!
Issue: The FS has identified many routes as "new user-created routes" when they are, in fact, very well established routes that have existed for a very long time.
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that their analysis is flawed! Tell the FS that many of the roads and trails in the area have existed for many years. Ask the FS to perform an extensive data search to identify the origin of every route before identifying it as "new user-created routes."
Issue: The FS wants to limit access to this area to a single access point
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the part of the proposal that would close all entry points except the main one. Tell the FS that the two entrances at Castle Gulch should be open to the public. This is a major safety issue.
Issue: There is a need for more parking areas.
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you support converting two shooting areas into parking areas.
Issue: The FS is proposing to make the Lefthand Canyon area a "fee area."
Comment suggestion: Tell the FS how you feel about fee areas. Tell the FS that if they insist on a fee area then the funds must go directly back into the area itself.
Issue: The FS is proposing to install toilets.
Comment suggestion: This is an identified need for this area. Tell the FS you support this part of the plan.
Remember:
YOUR COMMENT WILL NOT COUNT IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOUR EMAIL RETURN ADDRESS WILL NOT SUFFICE! DO NOT FAIL TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENTS!
