BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

Attention California Recreationists!

Chris Horgan over at Stewards of the Sequoia (http://www.stewardsofthesequoia.org/) sent us an important "CALL TO ACTION" over a serious threat to the motorized trail system on the Sequoia National Forest. Please do what ever you can to help them out and pass this along to everyone you know.

I have pasted a copy of his email below; please take a couple of minutes to read over the information.

Thanks in advance for your involvement,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107
_________________________________________________________________________

Subject:  STEWARDS-Time is running out
From:  Chris Horgan <chrishorgan|removethispart|@hughes.net>
Date:  Sat, 07 Jul 2007 10:57:31 -0700

Hi All

This alert just went out to our members & I hope each of your organizations can also submit a letter of comment in favor of keeping all existing trails open to motorized use because they are part of a unique motorized trail system unequaled in Southern California. Sorry for the late notice the comment deadline is 7/16.
Please keep in mind that closure of these trails will most likely also close them to all other uses, including mountain bike, hiking & horse. Besides the more trails that are left open, the more dispersed the use & the lower the impacts on the trails.

Please email Stewards a copy of your letter.  If you know the trail system, please make comments on specific trails. Please be sure to also include in your letter to Forest Service that you support the Alternative proposed by Stewards to keep trails open to multiple use. Ask the Forest Service to preserve this unique motorized single track & 4x4 road system.
Thanks for your support.
See the links below for email & mailing addresses & additional information.


Time is Running Out
As you all know 279 roads & trails are proposed for closure by the Sequoia Forest. This is a death sentence to our trail system Stewards of the Sequoia continue efforts to educate Forest Staff on the need to keep our few remaining trails open to motorized use. Yesterday Stewards of the Sequoia Trail Preservation Committee took our new Forest Supervisor, Tina Terrell, out for a tour of the trails. During our planned six hour tour we took advantage of many opportunities to discuss how we can help keep our few remaining trails open to motorized use. Both Supervisor Terrell & her staff repeated the need for Stewards to submit written substantive comments in order for them to justify the need to keep our trails open. They are willing to look at every possible way to keep more trails open, but only if they see solid public support to do so.

However only 2 written comments listing specific trails & why they should kept open have been received by Forest Service & the 7/16 deadline for comments is rapidly approaching . I know a few other members are working on their substantive comments as I write this, but quite honestly we need comment letters from each of you reading this. I know it is hard to write a substantive comment letters, but isn't keeping your trails open worth it. We have made it as easy as possible using the information in the below link. Stewards Trail Preservation Committee volunteers have spent hundreds of hours compiling extensive substantive documentation, but  in order for that to have the most effect we need each of you to write a letter now detailing why each trail proposed for closure is important to you.

Supervisor Terrell & her staff commented that never before in a planning process have they received 150 individual personal letters, as they did when many of you responded to our letter writing campaign last month, asking that trails be kept open. Thanks very much to each of you who wrote. Now a substantive letter is needed from each of you & others who have not yet written. Please be sure to mention you support the alternative as proposed by Stewards of the Sequoia to keep as many trails as possible open to motorized use.

Stewards have made it as easy as possible to put together your substantive comment letter using the link below.
http://stewardsofthesequoia.org/ALERT_Meeting_Notice.html
Don't know what to write about your trails? This link will help
http://stewardsofthesequoia.org/ALERT-Items_Trail_Comment.html

Last week the Forest received over 2000 form letters from the Wilderness Society filled with mis information. All these form letters asking for trail closure count for nothing if we can get hundreds of personal letters with substantive comments written detailing specific reason to keep trails open. Your donations are what have allowed Stewards to continue full time lobbying & hold staff tours on behalf of keeping trails open.

Many of you who are reading this are not Stewards members. Please join so we can increase our membership numbers & clout. Please donate to help further our campaign. http://stewardsofthesequoia.org/membership.html
Thanks for your support.

Together we can keep our trails open.

--
Chris Horgan
Stewards of the Sequoia
Division of CTUC 501c3 Non Profit