Wilderness Aeas in California   Posted May 27, 2016

The following Information is provided by CORVA - Read the full newsletter at the bottom of this page.......

The Final Environmental Impact Statement/Resource Management Plan is due to be released, possibly as early as April. CORVA met with Jim Kenna and other BLM staff at the BLM State Office in Sacramento to talk about Clear Creek, and the lack of OHV opportunities in both the Hollister Field Office and Mother Lode Field Office districts. Not only is there no way to mitigate the loss of opportunities due to the closure at Clear Creek, but all other OHV opportunities in the Central and Sacramento Valleys have been closed during the last 5 years. The BLM has a mandate given by Congress for multiple use, and we have to demand off-road access. Desert Advisory Council (DAC)

Meeting are open to the public, if you love the desert, get involved! : Congratulations Kim Campbell Erb, rockhound activist, for her appointment to the Desert Advisory Council. There are 4 subgroups in the DAC, Dumont Dunes, Imperial Sand Dunes, Special Recreation Permit and West Mojave Route Network Project subgroups. CORVA’s own Ed Waldheim has recently been appointed to the West Mojave subgroups, and Wayne Nosala and Clayton Miller continue admirably on the Special Recreation Permit subgroups. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who serves on the DAC and subcommittees, thanks for giving your time to make sure the California desert stays open to off-road recreation.

The Marines have announced that the Final Environmental Impact Statement will be released on April 27th. This will begin an ‘objection’ period, for all those that wrote comments on the DEIS, this is your time to take read the FEIS and see how the Marines responded to all your comments. By law, the Marines have to respond to all the comments submitted, but it is up to us to do the research, and object if your comments haven’t been responded to appropriately. This may be the basis for future legal action, I can’t underestimate the importance of following through with your comments.

Forest Plan Revisions & Sierra Cascades Dialog Sessions:

The Forest Service has identified three forests for the first new planning efforts in California – The Inyo, Sequoia and Sierra. *This planning effort is said to include Subpart A analysis, the part of Travel Management intended to 'minimize the road system'. I am on the Steering Community representing motorized recreation, and the push from the extreme community to close more roads and trails is considerable. It will be up to activists on the ground, in their local areas, to defend their roads and trails. The Sierra Cascades Dialog Sessions are held roughly once every two months, and are intended to prepare the forests for the planning process, and define the important characteristics to retain in our forests.

Motor Vehicle Use Maps:

Seasonal Closures: The Forest Service has announced that they are reanalyzing the necessity for seasonal closures. We have seen just how ill-advised fixed seasonal closures are for our forests this winter. With changeable weather patterns in play, we are seeing forests closed to recreation just as we are experiencing the best weather for riding and driving. It is has been a dry winter, which provides more proof that closures should be predicated on moisture levels in the soil, rather than dates that have been arbitrarily chosen.

Trail Closures: Recently it has come to light that there are restoration projects masquerading as collaborative actions in a few forests. These collaborative projects are not including motorized recreation advocates in their ranks because the Forest Service believes we are not interested in environmental issues. I beg to differ, if we are not involved, we run the risk of actions being taken that threaten our access. Go to your local Ranger District or Forest Supervisors office talk with them.

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