Eldorado Hearing Postponed

[Plumas]

From the Redding newspaper this morning.


It won’t draw the national attention of this week’s scheduled House of Representatives vote to repeal the health care law.

On the upside, though, a bill introduced Friday by Rep. Wally Herger might not be doomed to failure in the politically divided Congress. And, if it passes, the bill could defuse an increasingly bitter feud between the U.S. Forest Service and Northern California off-road recreationists and county governments.

Over the past few years, in an effort to limit the damage to the landscape from unregulated off-roading on national forests, the Forest Service has been drafting maps under its Travel Management Rule to designate where motorized travel is allowed — and the rule forbids driving anywhere else. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest passed its rule this spring, drawing angry appeals from Shasta and Siskiyou counties.

Other forests have seen a similar local reaction, though environmental groups, for their part, are pushing the Forest Service to close roads and restrict motorized use.

Nobody, by this point, is arguing for lawless off-roading. At the same time, the Forest Service’s plans are unreasonably restrictive — barring the use of quads and dirt bikes on many remote backcountry roads on the argument that they are “highways.” And while it’s closed or broken up many popular recreational routes, users have been left with the vague but frankly unreliable promise that someday the agency will consider additions.

Herger’s bill would specify the commonsense point that, when it comes to off-roading, rough dirt roads through the backwoods (maintenance-level 3 roads, in Forest Service parlance) are not “highways.”

It would also require further review of the use of existing “unauthorized routes” — many of which are long-popular trails, though not officially part of the Forest Service road system, rendered illegal by the Travel Management Rule — before the travel maps would take effect.

This legislation would tweak, not scrap, the Travel Management Rule, and it would do so in a way that would heed the people who live nearest and use the forests. Not coincidentally, it would remove the largest beef that is driving many Northern California counties toward expensive litigation with the Forest Service.

It’s good to see Herger making it a priority, and we hope this sensible bill gets a fair and quick hearing in the 112th Congress.

Plumas

[russau]

I HOPE SO ALSO, BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHOS POCKET THEY HAVE THEIR HAND IN!

[CalGoldDredger]

Sounds good, Plumas. Will take the time today for some calls and e-mails to the reps.

[Plumas]

Russ

This has nothing to do with politicians having their hands in our pockets. Really, it has more to do with the Forest Service cutting holes in our pockets. Our Congressmen and County Supervisors are trying to prevent a devastating impact for those of us who use and live in the western forests.

My county alone has somewhere near 2,000 active mining claims and each claim owner pays annual property taxes, collectively several hundred thousand dollars yearly that are earmarked to help fund our local schools. The state is broke and reducing school funding so to lose these tax revenues due to people no longer having access to their claims hurts our children. Pre-existing access rights be dammed. Never mind that a lot of people around here make their living or, supplement their income on their mining claims.

Add to that the hoards of hunters, campers, snowmobile folks and OHV. users that come here every summer, fall and winter buying food, gas, renting rooms and so on helping to fuel our local economy. Most of the sawmills have been shut down, businesses closing, railroad's cut back - not much left. Turn off these spigots of money and we are talking a serious adverse impact to our county and this region during hard economic times.

Seems the Enviro-whackos in the forest service are doing everything they possible can to reduce our forest access. Supposedly it requires approval of Congress to create wilderness or roadless areas but the forest service is attempting to circumvent this process by regulation. Living in Missouri you likely have no idea how upset people out here are over this action by the USFS. And this is only the beginning. In time this will effect every National Forest in the country. They have forgotten... This is our public land!!

On a more positive note, I'm on Congressman Tom McClintock's mailing list and received this from him today. This is his letter:

Dear Friend:

I write with an update on the increasingly severe exclusionary policies practiced by the Forest Service on our public lands, specifically the recently promulgated Plumas Travel Management Plan.

This plan further blocks access to and restricts parking on existing roads and trails, making it much more difficult to camp, collect firewood and otherwise pursue sustainable use of the public land. A generation ago, we recognized that public lands should be managed for the benefit of the public and, as a result, our forests and economy prospered. However, in recent years, the Forest Service has assumed the radical role of keeping the public off federal land. I have met with the Chief of the Forest Service several times to discuss this issue and, despite assurances to the contrary, the new Plumas Travel Management Plan continues this trend.

You may find a copy of my most recent letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell regarding the Plumas Travel Management Plan here. (link) Also, I recently introduced legislation with Congressman Wally Herger to prohibit funding for the Forest Service to implement these new rules until they have been re-written from the standpoint of facilitating access to public lands.

Please don't hesitate to contact me in the future regarding this or any issue that concerns you or your family. I also invite you to visit my Web site, http://www.mcclintock.house.gov, where you can stay up-to-date on events in Washington, view my voting record, and sign up for my monthly newsletter.

Sincerely,

Tom

Plumas

[dickb]

I'd keep that letter in a nice safe place. Then make copies of it and pass it around to other prospectors in your area. Might come in handy if you ever find yourself needing to prove your argument against the FS or BLM to a Judge.

If we don't do something to stop this nonsense, we won't be able to go outside with permission!

dickb

[russau]

very good point to consider! im makeing a copy now!

[CalGoldDredger]

If we don't do something to stop this nonsense, we won't be able to go outside with permission! dickb

dickb, I don't know how it is in South Carolina but here in Cal it is already gotten this bad.

More calls to make and e-mails to send out today, as I don't have the millions to take them in court.
Doing all I can to bring upon some change and keep these sort of positive topics out in the front-center and rolling along.

[dickb]

Hi CGD:

For what it's worth, I live near the Mississippi in IA, but have family that live in SC. When we visit down there I try to find the yellar stuff. Most of the guys on SP's forum dredge and seem to do fairly well (as a Hobby). But you can do ok with a pan or sluice. I'm just retired and starting out so I'm learnin yet. The FS, etc, is trying the same things down there but there still are places that you can go.

We all need to try and stop this land grab by the Government, If we loose our rights under the 1872 mining law, all will be lost. I've see it start as losing out hunting rights and having places to go and it continues still today. I see it as the wealthy and powerfull wanting it ALL and the poor and middle class going back to days when they had no say at all and were told what then could do. So much for the American Dream and leaving a better place for our kids and grand kids.

I'm afraid that if we don't make our voice heard and start getting some respect from our politicians bad things will be in our future. It seems to me that they ask for out vote and then go and represent the Corporations and the Wealthy.

Sorry about the rant but I'm saddened by the current state of our economy.

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT YEAR IN 11!

dickb

[CalGoldDredger]

Sorry about the rant but I'm saddened by the current state of our economy.

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT YEAR IN 11!
dickb

Your alright, dickb

"saddened by the current state of our economy" as am I.

And turning completely hostile.

Let's hope we ALL can have a great year this 2011 and get all this crap figured out once and for all.

[Hoser John]

Just found out yesterday that the Shasta County Supervisors DID NOT file the lawsuit as promised in open meeting(d'oh) and is begging Herger to set up a meet with FS BUT legal appeal period over and the 4 x 4 and offroaders did NOT file predicated on the supers promise on the Shasta/Trinity insane plan--bureauratzed again---John