Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Here's some more wording you can copy

Please do not adopt this aggressive plan. My family loves Oregon and the public lands available to us. Riding the dunes is a family activity that we all enjoy and we are responsible riders that respect the laws and land. We also bring our money into the areas we ride in, from camping fees, fuel, groceries, restaurants and other services and goods. If we are unable to fully utilize the dunes, we may be forced to seek dunes in other states, even though we would much rather our money stay within Oregon.

Here's another one that you can add to, edit and add your own touch

OHV's provide huge revenue for states through licensing, events and fuel taxes ect, Revenue for highways, local economies and other programs that are vital to our state's budgets. It is time that the people in the OHV community also benefit from these funds in the form of Land and Trail Management, not closure. To me, Management means working for the betterment and enjoyment of the people who use and largely pay for these lands, not legal fees to stop frivilous law suits generated by groups that don't have any interest in usng the land. In economic times lke this, I think that tax payer monies could be more effective by expanding responsible land use programs and Land Management technics.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Here's another one that you can add to, edit and add your own touch

The closure is a crime, in a time of need and economic crisis camping and riding are a couple of the cheapest ways to go on vacation. With the closure of the trails those members of our family who cannot ride well enough to go out in bigger dunes are robbed of the experience in the dunes that they most enjoy and in the end we will stop going if not everyone can have fun.The money that is brought in to surrounding businesses is irreplaceable and the dunes should be exploited in a way to help the community instead of being closed. There are so many more options

another letter to copy, edit and add your own touches

RE: 10C Designated Routes Project #34220




Dear Siuslaw National Forest District Planners,



I am writing you today to voice my concern and strong opposition to closures and reductions in OHV recreational opportunities the Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor’s Office has proposed for many areas under their jurisdiction. Specifically, we strenuously object to further restrictions being placed upon OHV recreational access and activities at the ODNRA.



Although my family resides in California we have many relatives in the Coos Bay and Florence areas who have informed us of the recent proposals made by the NFS, which have the potential of closing over 100 miles of trail, basically the entire trail system. Closing existing trails is not a solution!



Our family and relatives are avid OHV enthusiast so during the riding season we spend several weeks visiting them and most of our time in the vicinity of Florence. Our relatives there have a modest home so we usually stay in local motels and dine frequently at the nearby restaurants so as not to inconvenience them. We often all gather and camp in the much improved facilities at both the North and South locations of the ODNRA, spending our time away from camp with our ATVs and Side-by-Side UTVs enjoying the opportunities and beauty that the dunes there provide.



While camping we frequent many of the nearby local business for various supplies and dining needs. We are concerned that local businesses are not being adequately represented or considered in the decision process, many local Legislators aren’t even aware of the planning process you have undertaken. It is important that the entire community be represented and have their voices heard in all aspects of this proposal. We fear that given the current economic climate our Nation faces your decisions may negatively impact the very sector that is capable of helping to turn around this financial crisis. It is the wrong place and time to reduce the tourism and local visitation attributable to the Dunes by further restricting the areas available for OHV use.



Lost in your current proposal is the issue of those whose mobility is impaired, including Veterans like myself who incurred disabilities while serving our country and the elderly who cannot walk into or nearby most of the Dune areas.



We in the OHV Community generally support the idea of travel being limited to designated roads, trails and areas. We are also in support of a thorough environmental review and analysis during the route designation process, as well as ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the OHV infrastructure. In many cases we have voluntarily taxed ourselves in order to provide funds to agencies so they can actively and effectively accomplish these tasks. What our family and the OHV community in general cannot support is being presented with Alternatives that fail to adequately address the need to provide for motorized recreation. Our methods of travel are a legitimate use of National Forest lands.



There are many local groups willing to step up and volunteer their time to assist the NFS in performing trail maintenance and cleanup. They are willing to be self enforcing in issues such as OHV noise reduction, remaining within allowed OHV boundaries, safety compliance, education of bad actors and a host of other matters which are currently a cause of concern.



The OHV Community would in turn like to point out that these Dunes are not National Parks or Wilderness Study Areas, they are lands administered by the Siuslaw National Forest Service as a National Recreation Area and should be managed as such.



Regarding management of this National Recreation Area and the possible missed opportunities for OHV access, we would like to suggest that your agency address any legitimate maintenance, resource and environmental concerns by incorporating a training protocol into your travel plan that would train agency staff on how to effectively manage volunteer programs, apply for grants, use the challenge cost share program and learn about and apply for other funding sources.



The Siuslaw National Forest needs to provide information and educational opportunities for users so that their expectations and understanding of the area’s uses are clear. If there is an obvious opportunity to re-direct a hiking or equestrian trail where it may coincide with an established motorized route then we believe there could be an opportunity to enhance the experience for all parties concerned.



OHV use continues to increase in popularity with the American public and National Forest visitors. There is a need to provide for this legal and popular activity. Motorized use is a legitimate use of public lands yet the agency is proposing significant closures.



The agency has responded to the increase in motorized uses by proposing drastic reductions in that use, this is totally unacceptable.



Thank you for your time and consideration.







FYI . . . sent it here too!



Comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-ce...oast@fs.fed.us



Mr. Jerry Ingersoll



Forest Supervisor

Monday, June 27, 2011

Letter to Jerry Ingersoll

Send comments to email below




Comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-centralcoast@fs.fed.us

Mr. Jerry Ingersoll

Forest Supervisor



Project 34220

Designating motorized vehicle routes in the 10C Management Area of the Oregon Dunes NRA





The Forest Service has been working on this plan since 1990 and then updated it with the new 1994 Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Plan and again doing a update for 2012. Since that time the ODNRA has more than twice as many users and you are shrinking the area in which we have available to ride.

Take a look at the 1960 photo that was shown at these 10c meetings and the photos that the Forest Service is showing now and you can see for yourself how much open sand has been smoothed out by noxious weeds ie. scotch broom & beach grass. Every time you close an area the more dunes we lose, eventually there will be no more Sand Dunes within the ODNRA. Each year following the winter rains and the water recedes in the deflation plain we also lose more open riding area.

The Forest Service has plans to take away 103 miles of trails that they say are user created, at least half were created well before the 1990 or 1994 plan, all of those trails should be allowed to stay as user created trails.

The motto of the Forest Service is “Caring for the Land and serving the people”

The people you are serving are NOT the OHV user.







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You may copy my letter or use part of it and add your own ideas and thoughts and what closing the trails & the dunes means to your family

Barbara