PROPOSED ACTION
The public scoping period is now open for the Piute Mountains Travel Management Project. Please read and comment on the Proposed Action described in the NOI and Scoping Letter:
Proposed Action Map (11.3mb jpg)
PUBLIC WORKSHOPS
HOW TO COMMENT
The scoping period runs from February 18 to March 21, 2011. E-mail your comments to:
comments-pacificsouthwest-sequoia@fs.fed.us
(or) Mail them to: Warren Niemi, Piute Mountains Travel Management Project, 1839 South Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA 93257
COLLABORATION
Collaboration Opportunity Letter (262kb pdf)
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
These are definitions from the National Travel Management Rule
and are published in the Federal Register.
Glossary of Terms (8kb pdf)
LINKS
- National Travel Management Rule (pdf 220k)
- Memorandum of Intent with the State of California
- USDA Forest Service Travel Management and Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program Page
- Region 5 (California forests) Route Designation/Travel Management home page
- Region 5 Off Highway Vehicle Programmatic Agreement
PIUTE MOUNTAINS TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PROJECT
WANTED — VOLUNTEER SUCCESS
STORIES
Please get involved in the travel management planning process for the Piute Mountains area of the Sequoia National Forest. The scoping period for this project will run from February 18 to March 21, 2011. Please read the Proposed Action described in the scoping letter and the Notice Of Intent, and send us your comments no later than March 21, 2011. See the links to the right for how to comment.
The travel management planning process for the Piute Mountains area of the Sequoia National Forest was put on hold after the Piute Fire burned through the area in July 2008, in order to evaluate site conditons and allow this area to recover. The Forest Supervisor decided in August 2010 that sufficient reforestation and road reconstruction had occurred to initiate the Piute Mountains Travel Management Project.
The Forest Service held initial discussions with partners and volunteers about re-initiating the planning process, and then began a collaborative process to reach out to stakeholders reflecting the full array of interests in the Piute Mountains. Public meetings were held in Kernville in October and November of 2010, and in January 2010, to evaluate the existing routes for motorized use in the Piute Mountains area. Citizen groups formed during these meetings developed their desired road and trail systems for the Piute Mountains area, and then helped combine their different versions into a single map to serve as the Proposed Action.
For more information on these meetings and copies of the maps and documents presented, please use the link here or in the right-hand menu for the Stakeholder Working Group.
Link to the National Travel Management website
- Area of focus: Piute Mountains area of the Sequoia National Forest.
- Collaborative process through public meetings with stakeholders from October 2010 to January 2011.
- Interdisciplinary team (IDT) formed in December 2010.
- The Proposed Action issued in a Scoping Letter and a Notice of Intent (published in the Federal Register) in February 2011.
- Alternatives to the Proposed Action will be developed in April 2011.
- Environmental analysis of the alternatives will be conducted from May to July 2011.
- A Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be available for comment and public workshops will be held from October to December 2011.
- The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision will be released in March 2012.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published in the Federal Register on February 18, 2011. A scoping letter was mailed to interested publics, describing the Proposed Action.
Link to the Proposed Action Map (11.3mb jpg)
FOREST ORDER, JULY 2006
The purpose of this order is to prevent resource damage to soils, plants, water, and other resources caused by unregulated cross-country travel by off-highway vehicles (OHVs). In recent years, the popularity of OHVs has surged, leading to the proliferation of unplanned OHV trails and associated resource damage. This order is intended to stop the creation of new routes and trails until a safe and manageable system of OHV roads, trails, and open areas can be designated.
Many of you are aware of the route designation process on which we are currently working. The following forest order does not designate roads, trails, or open areas for OHV use, and it does not close existing trails, roads, or open areas. It merely prohibits cross-country travel. As we continue through the route designation process, you will be given many opportunities to participate in the designation of the routes.
Forest Order Maps for the Route Designation Strategy
(All inventoried routes are shown on the Forest Order maps.)
Sequoia Friends,
If you frequently visit the Sequoia National Forest and volunteer
your time working on our trails, your stories and photos are
wanted.
Our goal is to create a success stories page to highlight the
great volunteer work you do.
Please mail your stories to
sequoia.route.designation@fs.fed.us.
