February Land Use Report

Land issues, laws, restrictions, etc...

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Grumpy
Peak Putters' Land-Use Coordinator
Peak Putters' Land-Use Coordinator
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February Land Use Report

Postby Grumpy » Wed Feb 07, 2018 2:21 pm

Some activity around the world to mention. Been a bit remiss it looks like, partly to having been laid up with a roaring case of flumonia. Anyway, here's some of the highlights...

T.W.I.G. meeting 2/6/18 - This was my first one, and it was a good learning experience. Bill Zimmer had the RCO grants lined out, and those numbers are on Member Discussion. I asked how a couple of the new "edicts" from on high regarding streamlining the NEPA process, and making life easier for those of us "customers" who use the forest will affect travel and forest planning. General thoughts are positive, but a lot is still up in the air. He did say there's activity as far as travel planning. Also had a presentation on some fur bearing critters (foxes, wolverines) that are being tracked. Interesting, but I'll say the kid seemed a bit over his head.

Cle Elum RD - Mikki has put out her first comments for the year, and I have those on FB and the forum. Worth reading, and she's got some interesting things to say.

Colville NF info from Paul Yelk (WOHVA) - Colville National Forest (CNF):(a) Forest Plan Revision: Staff is currently reviewing comments submitted. Period-ically they are releasing newsletters dealing with topics of interest. Estimate Final EIS (FEIS) in Federal Register 10/2017 02/2018. Final Forest Plan (FFP) to be released same timeframe. When the FEIS and FFP are released, this will trigger a public comment period. Only those persons who responded during a previous public comment period will be able to respond to this latest series of documents. Decision expected 12/2017 07/2018. Expected implementation 01/2018 06/2018.

USFS customer survey - This is regarding interaction with the FS: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D= ... -0002-0001

Streamlining NEPA - Pretty much self explanatory, I guess. Public portal is in this link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documen ... compliance

NACHES COLLABORATIVE - (Ron Rutherford sits on the steering committee) Ron said meetings continue, a change we will possibly see this year will be some logging on the Little Naches called the Huckleberry on the 1921 Road towards Raven's Roost; maybe timber will come out of there in the next four to ten years. A forest monitoring committee was formed that will monitor everything you can imagine in the forest. Ron is the only non paid person on this committee. Meetings have taken place and we need to be at the table to ensure that our trails are still there when the logging goes through. January 18th is the target date for Mike Williams (Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Supervisor) to sign the Little Crow Restoration project, and if you were one who commented on it and you are not happy you can appeal that decision. We will really need to look this draft over carefully. Discussion followed on who might have done GPS work on the trails so we would have a record of them, apparently no one in the Forest Service office could answer that question. There are motorcycle trails involved also, so Ron will contact them and suggest that they attend meetings to protect their interest. (From Region 4 minutes)

And in national BLM news - The BLM is proposing to develop two landscape scale Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) to analyze potential effects of constructing fuel breaks, reducing fuel loading, and restoring rangeland productivity within the Great Basin Region (specifically Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, northern California, Utah, and eastern Washington) in order to protect and conserve the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem from loss as a result of wildfires. BLM is proposing to prepare these analyses concurrently to gain efficiencies in scoping and effects analyses. The goal of these Programmatic EISs is to significantly minimize the subsequent National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) work required to approve on-the-ground projects.

Public meetings will be held in 15 cities across the Great Basin Region.

https://www.federalregister.gov/…/notice-of-intent-to-prepa…

And local BLM news - The Eastern Washington Resource Advisory Committee will be having a field trip to Juniper on March 21, a Wednesday. They expect as many as 15 folks for this gathering, and have asked the local 4x4 community to participate. Mid week ain't good for most. I've talked to John Thompson, and we're going to look at a change to get more of us involved.

There you have some high points. I'll update things as I get more info.
Dave
Have Scout, will wheel...Someday...Maybe


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