My input to the LTBMU

Posted: January 8, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Leave a comment

So, I sent in my comments about what I think the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) needs to do regarding OHV management. It was ten pages long!

It covered a gamut of topics and suggestions from specific on the ground projects to how to better mange the operation including better (two way) communications.

We as users and volunteers need to speak up. If we fail to give input on how we want OHV managed, the Forest Service (FS) will do what they think is best.

Below is a list of bullet points based on the comments I submitted. There are 100’s of other points of view and suggestions that can be made. I’d love to overwhelm the FS with comments. Please send to the FS what YOU believe is important regarding OHV.

Feel free to use any part of the bullet points below in order to send comments to:

comments-pacificsouthwest-ltbmu@fs.fed.us

Use the subject “LTBMU OHV Input”.

Remember, the LTBMU would like your comments by Jan 15th. Comments received after that will be considered but maybe for next year’s OHV season.

 

Bullet points for LTBMU OHV input, 2016

  • Appoint a year round, pro-OHV employee for ALL things OHV related
  • Create a contact list for OHV clubs, groups and organizations
  • Engage users, especially the volunteers, while drafting grant requests
  • Streamline the obtaining and delivery of supplies for maintain efforts
  • Reinstate all Adopt-A-Trail agreements
  • Reach out to the OHV community to encourage more clubs to partake
  • Place signage at every trailhead and intersection
  • Address the design and management of the Rubicon Trail Staging Area
    • Harden the borders
    • Re-grade and compact the parking area
    • Designate a true staging area, 20 minute parking, for vehicle preparation
    • Pour a concrete pad for assisting with vehicle preparation and repairs, 15’x20’
    • Post no-parking signs along the border and in front of the kiosk(s)
    • Protect trees w/i staging area – rocks and posts with 2×8’s
  •  Harden edges along the paved section of the Rubicon Trail
  • Designate the overflow and oversized rigs and trailers parking area
  •  Middle Fork Trail work
    • Signage
    • Fix split rail fence at the top
    • Fix down tree bypass
  •  Twin peaks
    • Sign at the entrance
    • Rock of all sizes
    • Replace for the railroad ties
  •  Single email address for all things OHV within the LTBMU
  •  Create Recreational Opportunity Guide (ROG) for the greater Rubicon area (work with TNF and ENF to develop one ROG for all three forests)
  •  Improve the website
  •  Training
    • Paperwork
    • Tools
    • Organization
    • Trail maintenance

 

LTBMU asks for OHV input

Posted: December 28, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Leave a comment

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has a few things going on right now. They recently released a letter/report seeking input for a more general scoping process involving roads, trails and facilities. I posted about that on Dec 7th. Comments should be made on that issue as well as this latest release.

This latest release/request (scheduled for today), is OHV specific. The letter was a collaboration between the forest service, Cal4, Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) and CORVA. The LTBMU wants to hear from the users what they want done within the LTBMU regarding OHV. This could be very specific maintenance projects on the trail (the 14Nxx trail needs a rolling dip constructed at this point..) or more general comments about how to improve the overall management of OHV process and system (there should be a monthly open house/meet and greet/coffee talk for users to meet with Forest Service employees).

Here is the letter that was written as a collaboration with those listed:

Last LTBMU users input request letter

 

 

This is a huge opportunity for us, the users, to tell the LTBMU exactly what we want done. Okay, they’re not going to do everything we want but we need to at least tell them. It’s like, “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain”. If you don’t voice what you’d like to see done with OHV, don’t complain.

Possible topics: Signage: simple trail markers, club adopt-a-trail signs; Maintenance projects: water bars, rolling dips, hardening water crossings; more Adopt-a-trails available and supported; a single email address for ALL things OHV within the basin; dedicated OHV employee for consistent communications; etc.

Please email: comments-pacificsouthwest-ltbmu@fs.fed.us with the title “LTBMU OHV Input”

I’m keeping a positive and open mind on this effort. The LTBMU is acting like they want to make it happen. We need to show support and give them a list of things to do. Again, little specific things or huge sweeping general ideas, stuff for this summer or long term projects that could take years to complete.

Similar to my “Turn Around, Don’t Go Around”, for this post its: “Speak up or shut up”

 

Doug

 

OHV trail markers

Posted: December 21, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance, Travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

One of my goals for the 2015 summer OHV season was to start marking every side trail along the Rubicon Trail and Forest Road 03-04 within the Tahoe National Forest (TNF). The US Forest Service (USFS) uses carsonite markers for most of these types of markers. These are the brown, three four foot long and four inch wide, fiberglass stakes.

Below is the marker for the Long Lake Trail that I didn’t get around to installing:

16E12 marker

Having a USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) in hand while drive through our forests is great, it doesn’t help much if the intersections are not marked as to which trail is which. On the east end of the Rubicon Trail, you need three MVUMs to navigate the area: Tahoe National Forest (TNF), Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and the Eldorado National Forest (ENF).

My flier combines the essential trails near the Rubicon Trail.  See flier here

Working closely with Susanne Jensen of the TNF, we were able to put up thirteen markers along the Rubicon and Forest Road 03-04.

DSCN0256

DSCN0260

Next summer, we plan on completing the installation of trail markers on the TNF. I hope to work with the LTBMU and the ENF to ensure all trails in the area are properly marked.

 

 

Adopt-A-Campsite Update

Posted: December 15, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Adopt-A-Campsite Update

This past OHV season marked the beginning of a new Adopt-A-Campsite program on the Truckee District of the Tahoe National Forest.

For the first year of the program, it went well. We had six different campsites adopted by five individuals or groups.

Here is the list of current volunteers:

While working with the Forest Service (FS) to get the paperwork straight for each particular site, we discovered that the FS had miss marked the three ‘new’ sites near Miller Lake. So, one of the adopted sites is not yet an official site, as is another that has yet to be adopted.

Hopefully, the FS will get these sites added to the MVUM very soon. My understanding is that the FS is not asking for these sites to be blocked off to motor vehicle access at this time.

For those of you interested in adopting a site, click the link on the right side of my website and look around for a site you’d like to maintain. There is a well shaded site along Miller Lake available as is Observation Point itself. Please email me (TheOtherRubicon@charter.net) if you’d like to adopt on of these two or any of the sites listed.

Duties are much less than adopting a trail. You need to complete the appropriate paperwork to adopt the site and then ensure that paperwork is done for each individual helping you maintain your site. An email letting me know, and I will let the FS know, what you have planned in the way of maintenance and a report at the end of the year is the rest of the paperwork required.

Basic on the ground duties include visiting/maintaining the site at least twice a year to pick up trash, clean out the fire pit (if there is one) and ensure that the site is not growing using logs and boulders to define the borders.

 

 

LTBMU seeks input

Posted: December 7, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel | Leave a comment

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is asking for our input. Although this is a scoping process and involves facilities as well as roads and trails, we need to read through this and comment.

I’ve only read it briefly and my first thought is to separate the facilities from the roads/trails within the document.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD485271

 

LTBMU seeks input on proposal for roads, trails and facilities

Release Date: Dec 3, 2015

Contact(s): Public Affairs, Lisa Herron (530) 543-2815

[Image]: Forest Service Shield.SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California – The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking comments on a proposal for the management and uses of existing roads, trails and facilities located on National Forest System (NFS) lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The proposed action consists of four components:  maintenance and management of roads, trails and facilities; authorization of outfitter guide activities; authorization of events; and authorization of special use permits for recreational uses on NFS lands.  The proposed action complies with existing management direction found in the LTBMU Land and Resources Management Plan, existing rules, regulations, and administrative decisions regarding the use of NFS lands.

The proposed action identifies specific criteria and design features to establish thresholds on activities, which may proceed under the proposed analysis.  An Environmental Assessment will likely be prepared, which will analyze activities considered appropriate to proceed under this project, under what conditions those activities may proceed, and any relevant design features that will reduce the risk to environmental, historic, social and recreational resources.

Comments are most helpful if received by January 15, 2016.

The proposed action is available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/IntegratedMgmt.

For more information on the proposal and how to comment, contact Daniel Cressy at 530-543-2694 or email dcressy@fs.fed.us.

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