It's Getting Serious In California...

[Grumpy]

Sunday, June 6, 2010
Shasta County Close to Vote of No Confidence in Forest Service
On June 4, 2010 the Shasta County Board of Supervisors and about 85 members of the public were snubbed by the Shasta Trinity National Forest when the agency failed to show up to hearing on the county’s appeal of the Forest’s TMR Record of Decision.

The day before the meeting, the local paper ran a story about how the Forest had decided NOT to attend the meeting. However, the story did not highlight the fact that the date of June 4 for a public meeting had been previously agreed to by the Forest.

Record Searchlight June 3 Article
http://www.redding.com/news/2010/jun/02 ... -to-talks/



The General, on behalf of BRC, attended that meeting and testified that - at the end-of-the-day – the county government is the public’s last recourse (outside of lawsuits) to challenge arbitrary federal land closures.

I think the Record Searchlight’s June 6, 2010 Editorial captured the extreme frustration unanimously articulated by the Board of Supervisors and the public while challenging all parties to find some common ground. As some of you know, BRC and BRC Legal also filed appeals and during our recent informal disposition meeting, The General also expressed his deep frustration with the Forest's abysmal history of ad hoc non-management of OHV recreation.

June 6 Record Searchlight Editorial on Forest Fight
http://m.redding.com/news/2010/jun/06/s ... reach-out/


As the editorial correctly notes, the BOS is dangerously close to taking the rather precedence setting step of casting a formal vote of no confidence in Forest leadership and request that leadership be replaced. The Recreation HQ believes the only way for the Forest to salvage any remnants of credibility is for the agency to meet with the public and agree to phase in the Record of Decision as new trail projects are completed or better yet, have the Appeal Reviewing Officer recommend the ROD be withdrawn and the Forest restart a legitimate TMR planning process that is not frontloaded to enact a landscape level closure.

Sylvia Milligan, chief honcho of the Recreation Outdoor Coalition, stated in her testimony that the Forest Supervisor said in a public forum that she wanted HER Forest to be a Quiet Forest. If that is in fact the current operational paradigm then Houston (or in this case the Forest Service) we have a problem. Groups like BRC, RDR, ROC, and the BOS have proven willing to work in partnership with land management agencies, but that is hard to do if all you get when you extend that hand of fellowship is a poke in the eye.

The ball is in the agency’s court. Does the Forest Service really desire to pick a fight and enter into an OHV version of the Cold War with people it is supposed to serve? Or, will it push the reset button? Having this battle of wills continue is not healthy for the community or the agency. *
Posted by The General at 6:39 AM 0 comments

[Grumpy]

Thursday, June 10, 2010
BBQ Diplomacy Needed in County v. Forest Service Fight
A lot of riders, OHV media, federal agents, and others are watching the ongoing struggle or battle of wills between the Shasta County Board of Supervisors and the Shasta Trinity National Forest.

As you know, the BOS held a hearing on June 4 regarding the County’s appeal of the ROD and to have the informal disposition in a public forum as required by law.

June 6 Blog with info, archived news articles, etc.
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspo ... of-no.html


Based on direction by the BOS, the county counsel prepared and sent a letter on June 8 about the Forest‘s failure to appear. This letter was sent to Region 5, the Department of Agriculture, and Congress. The letter asked for a response by the Forest before the close of business on June 9. No response as of today.

June 8 BOS/Counsel Letter to Congress and USDA
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/HeywoodMtgLtr2.pdf


The letter while respectful does rightfully convey the board’s frustration with the Forest’s lack of communication and cooperation. The General does not believe the Forest has any excuse for not showing up. Some of you remember the OHV Commission meetings (circa 2000-2007) where the environmentalists who were running the commission often excoriated and made every effort to humiliate FS and BLM representatives in public. I think a lot of credit should go to those federal representatives who showed up and took the verbal abuse. I don’t know why the Shasta T decided to basically ignore the county’s request for a public forum. I don’t think it would have been near as hostile as the old OHV commission meetings.

Federal line officers should be able to take the heat. Their job today is really more political than resource oriented. Historically, District Rangers and Forest Supervisors integrated themselves into the community. They attended BBQs, fishing derbies, and turkey shoots. It seems that sort of camaraderie is sadly missing on the Shasta T.

Is there a growing rural county movement to challenge arbitrary land closures? We have seen the San Bento County BOS reopen county roads at Clear Creek. Del Norte County has joined recreation groups to challenge illegal road ripping. Shasta County seems to have joined in.

See WND Article on Counties Fighting Back
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=137737


In the absence of the Forest Service using “BBQ diplomacyâ€

[Grumpy]

Friday, June 11, 2010
Congress Weighs into Shasta County v. FS Fight
The bizarre “no-show sagaâ€

[Grumpy]

The Forest Stoopidvisor involved needs bounced, with no notice..."Clean out your desk, lady, yer outa here!" Trouble is, the damn R5 Forester is likely in on it...This woman actually stated she wanted "her" forest to be a "quiet forest".

[Dromero]

It will be interesting to see how the Forest Service handles this or if they will try to ignore/sweep it under the rug.