BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Don Amador
Phone: 925.625.6287
Email: brdon|removethispart|@sharetrails.org
Date: January 14, 2008
Recreation Group Wins Forest Service Appeal to Protect Access to Motorized
Trails In Roadless Areas
EUREKA, CA - On January 10th, an Appeal Deciding Officer for the USDA Forest
Service reversed a decision that would have closed over 14 miles of historic
off-highway vehicle (OHV) motorized trails in a Northern California Forest. This
decision was in response to appeals filed by the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) and
Del Norte County to the Smith River National Recreation Area (NRA) Road
Management and Route Designation Project on the Six Rivers National Forest.
In early November, the County and BRC filed appeals based on concerns that the
Six Rivers National Forest's Decision Notice and FONSI approving Alternative 2,
as modified, would close many important motorized trails to local users. BRC
believed the Ranger District had misinterpreted the 2001 Clinton Roadless Rule
as prohibiting the designation of motorized trails in roadless areas.
Currently, the 19 National Forests in California are in various stages of route
designation as required by the nationwide Forest Service Travel Management
Rule. The NRA's process was one of the first projects completed where a final
decision notice had been issued.
Don Amador, Western Representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, states, "I
think our main goal in filing this appeal was to champion the concept that
important OHV travelways in roadless areas should not be arbitrarily and
summarily excluded from the route designation process. Some of the most highly
valued and scenic motorized trails in our National Forests exist in roadless areas."
"This decision clearly supports BRC's continuing legal viewpoint that the 2001
Clinton Roadless Rule allows for motorized trails to be designated in roadless
areas. As the route designation process continues on other Forests it will be
important for local user groups to highlight important OHV routes that already
exist in roadless areas so they may be included as meaningful options in the
travel management plan," Amador concludes.
The appeal decision is available at:
www.sharetrails.org/files/SmithRiverNraBrcAppealDecisionJan14.pdf The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions
responsible use of public and private lands, and encourages individual
environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and
1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000
recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742.
www.sharetrails.org