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BRC: Colville National Forest Travel Plan Meetings

Ed A. Stevens

NAXJA Member
NAXJA Member
BLUERIBBON COALITION PACIFIC NW REGIONAL ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

Attention Washington/Oregon/Idaho Recreationists!

As you know, the FS published a new rule requiring the agency to formally designate a system of roads, trails and areas where motorized vehicle use would be allowed. Forest Service regulations and other laws require the agency to conduct a planning process in collaboration with the public to help design the designated system.

The Colville National Forest will host a series of public meetings to solicit recommendations for changes to the current Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) route system. These upcoming meetings will continue the route designation process that has been underway since early 2005. Please see list of meeting dates and locations below.

This round of meetings may be extremely important meetings because the agency wants to investigate any opportunity to employ a type of formal "collaborative planning process."

OHV enthusiasts need to attend in order to ensure the anti-access groups do not dominate this process as it moves forward. Important "Working Group" meetings are planned for late February and March. During this round of meetings participants will develop specific recommendations for changes to the OHV route system.

ACCESS ADVISORY:
The FS says in addition to OHV routes, the second round of meetings will also discuss the dispersed camping and changes to the non-motorized trail system. BRC supports active management of all trail-based recreation, and we support comprehensive recreation management. However, we have seen instances where the agency attempts to use the existing inventory of motorized routes to develop a non-motorized system. This is why it is critically important for the OHV community to become involved in the first round of meetings.

For more information contact Donna Nemeth, Public Affairs Office, at (509) 684-7177 or Craig Newman, RELM Staff Officer, at (509) 684-7104 or cell at (509)675-0895. Information on OHV planning is also available at the FS website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/forest/recreation/ohv/index.html

As always, if you have any questions please give us a call.

Thanks in advance for your support!
Brian Hawthorne
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102


Colville National Forest Travel Management Orientation Meeting Schedule
- all meetings are from 6:00-7:30 pm

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 Newport Middle School, Room 14
331 South Calispel Ave
Newport, WA

Thursday, January 25, 2007 Argonne Library
4322 North Argonne Road
Spokane, WA

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 Community College of Spokane, Colville Branch,
985 South Elm Street
Colville, WA

Thursday, February 1, 2007 Republic Ranger Station
650 East Delaware Ave
Republic, WA

PLEASE IF YOU RECREATE IN THE COLVILLE NATIONAL FOREST GET INVOLVED NOW!
 
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