(Confirmed) Eldorado National Forest will be closed to 4x4's for 2012

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Permalink Reply by GHOST on April 5, 2012 at 6:56pm

Court Order Prohibits Motorized Vehicle Travel on 42 OHV Routes Background: On May 26, 2011, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton found that the Forest Service failed to comply with the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) when it designated 42 existing wheeled motorized vehicle routes that cross portions of meadows. Subsequently, the court directed the Forest Service to reconsider, in light of applicable law, the portion of the 2008 Eldorado National Forest travel management decision that designates 42 roads through meadows for motorized vehicle traffic. The court found that the routes failed to meet standards and guidelines for meadow management contained in both the Eldorado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) and the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment (SNFPA). The primary concern was segments of routes that may affect meadows. On February 14, 2012 the court directed the Forest Service to submit a proposed order that will set aside the decision that designates the 42 routes to the degree they go through meadows, and not affecting the sections of those same roads that do not go through meadows, unless they cannot otherwise be reached. The Forest Service submitted the proposed order on March 14. The court also directed that the current seasonal closure for those routes remain in effect until the court order is issued. Status: Judge Karlton is currently reviewing the Forest Service’s proposed order and the response by the plaintiffs. The routes are temporarily closed by court order until a final court order is issued. The final court order may prohibit travel through meadows until a new environmental decision is made allowing public wheeled motorized travel. The Eldorado National Forest will begin the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement after the Judge’s final ruling. A Forest Service team of specialists has been identified and a supplemental environmental impact statement is expected to begin in April or May 2012. Location: 42 motorized routes on the Pacific, Placerville, and Amador Ranger Districts Route List Route maps –Note: Once the judge has made his final decision this map will be replaced with a version showing which parts of the affected routes are open and which are closed. Placerville Ranger District Pacific Ranger District Amador Ranger District An updated free-of-charge motor vehicle use map that shows the routes that are open to wheeled motor vehicle use will be available at all Eldorado National Forest offices in June 2012.

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Permalink Reply by PBn'FJ on April 5, 2012 at 7:15pm

A district court judge is saying that the forest service needs to complete a new environmental impact survey to assess damage done by off highway vehicles. He ordered the trail closures until the report can be completed.

The link at the top of the page shows the information from the Forest Service website announcing the closures.

Supporting and getting involved with groups like Cal4Wheel and Blue Ribbon Coalition are important to help keep our public lands open.

Ghost is correct, no matter how much it sucks, none of us should ignore the trail closures and enter without permission as this provides ammunition to the groups that want all back country access closed to 4x4 and motorcycles. The Sierra Club and Center for Biological  Diversity are active and very well financed groups suing to close land to off highway vehicles.

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Permalink Reply by manoweb on April 5, 2012 at 7:25pm

I guess it comes down to something like: "Going in the national forest is a right, or a privilege given by the government that can be revoked at any time?". I wonder what Jackson would say...

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Permalink Reply by Ranger Jim on April 5, 2012 at 7:30pm

You can still go in, just by foot, horse, or probably bicycle, just not a motorized vehicle. Bright side, will be a good place to hunt for deer this season due to the lack of users. 

Permalink Reply by manoweb on April 5, 2012 at 7:37pm

:)

Permalink Reply by Boss73 on April 6, 2012 at 4:07pm

Yep this is very true and sucks very bad !

 

Here is an interesting link:

http://www.hcn.org/issues/188/10012/

 

Know the face of this "woman" as she is a BIG part of why all of this is happeneing....

 

Know your enemy and get involved !!

 

 

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Permalink Reply by manoweb on April 6, 2012 at 7:12pm

What could be done against her?

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Permalink Reply by Dave(man) on April 7, 2012 at 5:22am

"I guess I used to be one of those people who wish the sport would just disappear. Now, I see the sport just needs to be managed." - Karen Schambach

that's a lie...she (they) want it dead...

but while i'm on this subject...responsible wheeling is a MUST. Crazy-ass banshee stunts as mentioned before gets stuff closed down. I have seen where idiots have left trails and crossed meadows leaving lasting scars or ignored temporary closures. As stated before....it only takes one or two idiots to ruin it for everybody...but as far as this Karen person sounds like she didn't do her homework and bought land next to an OHV and now wants them gone so she can enjoy her quiet mountain spot and on the local level couldn't get it done so she when to the state level....i hate seeing my recreation activities in the hands of a judge

 

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Permalink Reply by Boss73 on April 7, 2012 at 7:02am

The story behind her is she a scorned woman. Her ex-Husband is an off roader who I guess like getting away from his now ex wife than being with her. Now divorced, she is waging an off road battle to close everything.  Its funny that in the article it states that she built her cabin in the woods, boy I wish I had enough money to buy land and build a house in the mtns. The article also states that OHV get 80 % of their funding from the gas Tax. Another lie,If this were true, then why has the state consistently taken money out of this fund to place in the general fund.... 

Alessio, Nothing can or should be done against this "woman".. This is a battle that has to happen in the courts. Because if anything funny starts to happen (to her or around her) then we (the OHV community) look like the bad guys.. We HAVE to walk the line as OHV Users and we really must concentrate on getting the facts and truth out there. this article is just full of BS and Lies.  We need people to write articles and get them published so that we can show our side, the positive side of OHVing. Point out that many of us have families that enjoy our public lands , also all the work that NOrcal has done on Lost Canyon for example...

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Permalink Reply by Dave(man) on April 7, 2012 at 7:44am

hell hath no fury like a woman scorned....

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Permalink Reply by Overlander36 on April 7, 2012 at 9:10am

BTW - this article is from July of 2000. She has been busy since then. Hundreds of similar articles and "reports".

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Permalink Reply by MoreFJland on April 7, 2012 at 7:49pm

How dare she build a home in the Sierra foothills permanently destroying the landscape by removing trees, leveling the land, digging trenches for sewage & water, power lines through the trees, and just the unsightly look of a structure in nature. She should be sued. Do we have any layers out there? We could start a collection for services.

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