Pacific Northwest Backroad Adventures

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, located in northeastern Oregon, has released their Travel Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public review and comment.

The Forest Service (FS) is asking for your input during a 60-day comment period, which will end on August 18, 2009.The public is invited to suggest changes, provide new information, and offer other alternatives. Your comments will assist in completing the analysis for travel management, and following the FS review of the comments received, a final EIS will be issued with a Record of Decision detailing the decision points.

(more…)

The Forest Service (FS) has announced the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Motorized Vehicle Use on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, located in southwestern Oregon.

During a 45-day public comment period, the agency will conduct a series of open houses to review the environmental document, including maps and alternatives, to discuss the motorized route designation process and to seek public comments (see schedule below). This comment period ends May 11, 2009.

(more…)

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (OWNF) is proposing changes to motor vehicle use on specific roads, trails and areas within the non-wilderness portion of the Forest.

Details of the proposed action, maps as well as a calendar of public meeting dates are available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/okawen/travel-management/

Comments will be acceptrd until May 7, 2009. See the above site for details.

Colville National Forest
Public Affairs Office
765 South Main Street
Colville, WA 99114

Contact:
Franklin Pemberton (509) 684-7177
Elsha Kirby (509) 684-7174

For Immediate Release: March 11, 2009

The Forest Service will be holding the first in a series of public meetings to develop a motorized recreation management plan for the “South End” portion of the Colville National Forest. The “South End” area includes the Chewelah, Calispell, and Tacoma Creek drainages, roughly between Chewelah and Cusick, Washington. The first brief meeting will be setting the stage for continued collaboration. Forest Service staff will provide information about the project and how the rest of the meetings will be conducted, and will be held at the Chewelah Peak Learning Center, located at 3215 Flowery Trail Road, near the 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort ski area. The meeting will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2009.

(more…)

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Medford District Office, has released their Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for managing Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use in the Timber Mountain Recreation Management Area, also commonly referred to as John’s Peak. The 15,114-acre Timber Mountain Recreation Management Area is located on BLM-administered lands intermingled with privately owned lands, in Jackson County, southwestern Oregon.

(more…)

For Release: February 27, 2009
Contact: Diane Priebe (509) 665-2100 Release No: OR130-FY2009-011
BLM Yakima Canyon Recreation Sites Re-opened

Yakima, WA – Effective immediately, BLM has re-opened four developed recreation sites it manages in the Yakima River Canyon. BLM?s Umtanum, Lmuma Creek, Big Pines and Roza recreation sites had all been temporarily closed, due to damage from the January, 2009 Yakima River flooding.

Although the recreation sites are currently open to the public, minor flood cleanup and repairs will continue. BLM cautions visitors that portions of the Roza boat launch were damaged and may remain closed until more extensive repairs can be made.

(more…)

For Immediate Release: February 25, 2009 Contact: Scott Pavey
Release No: OR130-FY2009-010 (509) 536-1200

BLM Issues Seasonal Road Closure in Juniper Dunes

SPOKANE, WA — Effective at 12:01 a.m. on March 1, 2009, public lands in the northwestern portion of the Juniper Dunes area located in Franklin County, Washington will be temporarily closed to motorized vehicles. These lands are administered by the Spokane District Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The closure order prohibits the operation of any type of motorized vehicle within the closed area during the period from March 1 to August 15, 2009. The temporary closure is necessary for the protection of wildlife and botanical resources.

(more…)

February 25, 2009 – The Deschutes National Forest in Oregon has published a notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Three Trails OHV Project located on the Crescent Ranger District as part of the Travel Management Plan for the Forest.

Read more at the ARRA web site at Deschutes National Forest Proposes Three Trails OHV Project

BlueRibbon Coalition Alert

The looming deadline for comments on the Salmon-Challis National Forest Travel Plan gives us a chance to blast a quick update on some important Idaho land use issues.

Comment Deadline November 25, 2008

A really important action alert on the Salmon-Challis NF Travel Plan is at the bottom of this email. Above that, we have a section giving a quick update on some of the land use issues BRC is tracking in Idaho. In each update, we’ve included a suggestion on what you can do to help.

Please take a minute to review this alert before the holiday. Also, everyone at BRC would be very grateful if you would forward this alert to family and riding pals. If you are already a BRC member, please ask them to join BRC and help us protect Idaho’s trails.
(more…)

No. 08-190
October 21, 2008
Contact: Princess Jackson-Smith, 360-902-1066

UPDATED LANGUAGE OF RECREATION RULES IS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT
Public Hearing Will Be Held November 5 In Issaquah

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has completed the process of revising Chapter 332-52 of the Washington Administrative Code, pertaining to recreation on DNR-managed lands, and the final language is available for review. The rules provide basic standards for public safety and natural resource protection when accessing and recreating on these lands.
The department invites the public to participate by reviewing the final draft, attending the public hearing, or submitting written testimony. The hearing and comment period provides one last review of the proposed revisions, before they are adopted.
(more…)