Bay Area guys, you can help.

[reggie 00]

place to meet up?

i will be heading out after work. Can i get some numbers so we can meet up. PM them.

[cougarfreak]

I'm meeting with several others at 5:30 at the 680/80 interchange near Fairfield at the Costco parking lot. We may meet some others from TTORA at the Chipotle in Walnut Creek at 6...

[Robinhood4x4]

Be sure to post a summary of the meeting, I'd like to know how it goes.

[cougarfreak]

u betcha!!!

[cougarfreak]

The meeting wasn't as bad as I figured it'd be, but it still wasn't Woo Hoo. I heard between 420-470 people in attendance, and a pair of Anti-Access-I-like-my-quiet types voiced their opinion. On the positive side there were many questions/comments mentioned that help our attempt to put routes on the map.

1 in particular dealt with writing in to the FS and tell them to strongly consider Alternate "A" instead of their proposed "D" then close on an as needed shown by scientific proof basis.

If it's resources they want/are lacking, offer assistance. Give the forest service your name and address and let them know you'll volunteer your time to help keep the trails open.

Tell them you want the proposed seasonal closures to be based on an "as needed" basis instead of a hard Nov-April

Their Stand (FS) is "It's a dynamic system and trails will be considered for adding or subtraction to or from the map on an annual basis". So, According to them, "Closed" isn't necessarily forever (remember, positive thinking).

Be specific about where your route is that you want added (FS site has route numbers for most of the trails. Those that don't have route numbers, use GPS coordinates and/or include a hilited spot on a map to indicate SPECIFICALLY which routes you want put back on the map). The better your "Why" is the more power it can punch, but a simple "favorite wheeling spot" is apparently an acceptable reason.

Send your comments before September 4th to:
A) Ramiro Villalvazo, Forest Supervisor
Attn: ENF Travel Management DEIS
Eldorado National Forest
100 Forni Road
Placerville, CA 95667

B) via e-mail in plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), or Word (.doc) To:
comments-pacificsouthwest-eldorado@fs.fed.us

In your mail subject line include:
ENF Travel Management DEIS

Eldorado Travel Management Hotline is 530-295-5666

[cougarfreak]

A motorcycle friend of mine says the program is flawed for us (4x4 folk) because the time to have spoke up for desired trails was last year when they were drafting up the maps, not now that the maps are already made. He (Motorcycle friend) says he and several from his trail riding group attended several meetings last year to help create the maps and talk about their favorite riding spots and are only loosing 1 trail on this new map "Alt. D . I'd like to think we're organized enough to make a big impact, but this is a big ball to have been dropped . The fire we went to last month's meetings with SHOULD HAVE BEEN harnessed last year when our requests would have counted and they were designing the maps. Am I missing something here? It seems to me that we (Cal 4Wheel members, Blue Ribbon Coalition members, at least) should have received a heads up to this trail planning a year ago when we could have made a difference (not that we didn't in last few weeks). I caught wind of these meetings from the Pirate4x4 board. Kudos to all who attended the meetings over the last few months, but I think we as wheelers need to be able to rely on those who have their fingers in the political arena to keep us apprised of the goings on in our backyards... and get more involved in the political arenas ourselves. I'll be the first to admit when I'm wrong, and I'd love to prove my motorcyclist friend wrong, but I get the feeling he's right. THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE SHOULD GIVE UP!!!!! Can somebody clarify for me, please?

[cougarfreak]

If you weren't already aware, the Eldorado National Forest is taking away hundreds of miles of YOUR trails. Come on out on Sunday August 26th and let them know that this is not acceptable. Details here:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...70#post7108570