Lassen NF to Release Travel Management DEIS
Lassen National Forest to Release Travel Management Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Susanville CA … The Lassen National Forest is one step closer to having a system of designated travel routes for wheeled motorized vehicles. On June 5, the Forest will release a Travel Management Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a 45 day public review period which will end on July 20.
The Travel Management DEIS examines a no action alternative and four action alternatives that manage a designated system of existing routes running throughout the Lassen National Forest. The DEIS describes these alternatives, the public input used to develop them, the analysis of the alternatives, and the effects of implementing each one. The Lassen National Forest Supervisor's preferred alternative is also identified.
"This is an important step in our on-going public involvement process," said Kathleen Morse, Lassen National Forest Supervisor, who will make the final decision. "It's my desire to balance the need to provide a diversity of road and trail riding opportunities, with the need to protect other resources."
Following the analysis of public comments, the Forest Service will create a final environmental impact statement and make a final decision. The decision is schedule to be made before the end of this year. A public open house is scheduled for June 25 from 3-7 p.m. at Jensen Hall at the Lassen County Fairgrounds.
Morse says that the travel management project is part of a Forest Service initiative designed to address the impacts of unmanaged recreation on the health of national forests. The DEIS proposes to regulate and manage wheeled motor vehicle use in the Lassen National Forest and to identify roads and trails where this use will be allowed. It also addresses seasonal closures of wheeled motor vehicle routes. All California national forests are developing similar management direction based on the 2005 National Travel Management Rule www.fs.fed.us/recreation/program/ohv/final.pdf
Also on June 5, the DEIS, appendices, and maps will be available on the Lassen National Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen or a CD can be requested by email from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by contacting Christopher O'Brien, Project Team Leader at (530) 252-6698.
-LNF-
Motorcycle Smog Testing Bill Hearing Set
Senate Bill 435 (Motorcycle Smog Testing Bill) Scheduled for Hearing on May 28th in Appropriations Committee!!
This bill, which would require all model year 2000 and newer motorcycles over 280 cc's to be smog tested every 2 years, has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Finance committee on May 28th.
You can find the AMA's "click to send" message in opposition to this bill at http://capwiz.com/amacycle//issues/alert/?alertID=12937506. Even if you have previously sent a message please consider doing so again. A phone call, letter or fax to your Senator's office would also be very helpful. Go to http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/senators.htp to find your representatives contact information.
Go to http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/pagequery?type=sen_bilinfo&site=sen&title=Bill+Information for the latest bill information.
Meetings Set for Giant Sequoia Monument Plan
Two Meetings for the Giant Sequoia National Monument Plan – Alternative Development
Porterville, CA. The Sequoia National Forest is continuing the collaborative effort to establish the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan. The purpose of the Monument Plan is to provide a 10-15 year vision, with direction and overall guidance on the management of lands and uses within the Monument. The Monument was created on April 15, 2000, by Presidential Proclamation and is located in south-central California.
The U.S. Forest Service is amending the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and documenting this amendment in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) and separate Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan. The Draft EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and will include alternatives describing various proposed management direction.
On June 18, and 19, the Forest will host public meetings to present preliminary draft alternatives to provide management guidance for the Monument. The goal of these meetings is to present the draft alternatives, gain public feed back to, refine them, or create additional alternatives, if necessary.
Thursday, June 18, 6:30 p.m.– 8:30 p.m., at the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, CA.
This will be a condensed overview of the preliminary draft alternatives, followed by workshop discussions.
Friday, June 19, 10:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m., at the Supervisors Office in Porterville, CA.
This will be comprehensive workshop on the preliminary draft alternatives with indepth discussion regarding vegetation treatments.
In April 2009, the public participated in a series of workshops to discuss the Monument Plan and provide comments during the initial scoping period. The substantive comments received during this scoping process are being used to identify the key issues that are the basis for developing varied alternatives that will be addressed in the Draft EIS.
"The goal of the two upcoming meetings is to share information on where we are in the development of the Monument Plan", stated Tina Terrell, Forest Supervisor. "When fully developed, the Draft EIS will reflect what we have heard from the public throughout this collaborative process."
When the Draft EIS is published, a 90-day public comment period will begin. The public will be asked to provide comment on the Draft alternatives. The Draft EIS begins to unfold the vision, forest policies and direction, to develop the Final Environmental Impact Statemen (FEIS). The FEIS and Record of Decision are scheduled for release in March 2010.
For further information contact the Monument Team Leader: Anne Thomas, (559) 784-1500, extension 1164. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1- (800) 877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
For further information about this planning effort, or to obtain copies of the documents, please visit the Web site at: gsnm-consult.limehouse.com/portal, or call (559) 784-1500.
Public Workshops Set for Training on Geothermal Energy on Federal Land
Regional Sessions Will Address Benefits of Recently Completed Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to Western States
WASHINGTON, D.C.--The public and members of the geothermal industry are encouraged to join the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service at seven regional training sessions intended to encourage environmentally sound development of geothermal energy across the Western U.S. The seven sessions listed below begin in early April in Denver and end in Salt Lake City in June.
The training will provide an understanding of the process involved in leasing geothermal resources on Federal lands and will describe the benefits of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for geothermal energy (www.blm.gov/geothermal_eis) published in October 2008. Each training session will be three hours in length. The project management staff from the PEIS team will be present at all meetings. The sessions are free of charge and do not require registration.
Click here for meeting dates and locations....
Eldorado NF "Motorized Roads and Trails" Open Houses Set
Public Invited to Eldorado National Forest District Rangers' "Motorized Roads and Trails" Open Houses
Placerville, CA (Mar 27, 2009)….Its been almost a year since the Forest Service designated routes where people can drive motorized vehicles in the Eldorado National Forest. In April, the four Eldorado National Forest District Rangers will each host a day when people can drop-in at their offices to talk about the designated travel system.
The open houses will be hosted at the Georgetown and Amador Ranger Stations on April 18 and at the Placerville Ranger Station on April 25.
"We look forward to informally meeting with people who want to discuss specific travel routes or national forest locations for parking," said Duane Nelson, Placerville District Ranger. 'The more specific people can be during their discussions about which routes or trails need attention, the more helpful the information will be."
Nelson says the open houses are one way the Forest Service can get an idea of what's working for people and the land, and what's not.
Three open houses are scheduled. The Forest Service says each one will highlight routes and opportunities located within the hosting Ranger's area of the Forest. The Placerville and Pacific District Rangers will host a joint open house for the convenience of people who travel Highway 50. The Amador and Georgetown District Rangers will each host their own open house.
The following open houses will be held:
Georgetown Ranger District
Georgetown Ranger Station
7600 Wentworth Springs Road
Georgetown CA 95634
Amador Ranger District
Amador Ranger Station
(Includes areas north and south of Highway 8
26820 Silver Drive
Pioneer, CA 95666
Placerville and Pacific Ranger Districts
(Includes areas from Loon Lake south to the Consumes River)
Placerville Ranger Station
4260 Eight Mile Road
Site specific information people want to share about Eldorado National Forest motorized roads and trails can also be e-mailed to; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. General public information about the Eldorado National Forest designated motorized route system can be found on the Internet at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado
National Campaign Encourages Boat Safety
Hunting and Fishing Expenditure Report Finalized
OHV Economic Impact Studies Available
BLM seeks public input for the Sand Mountain Recreation Area EA