USFS Bias Showing?

[Grumpy]

Answers Sought Related To Inflammatory Motorized Trail Guidebook
March 13, 2012 3:00 PM
Press Release by American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)
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PICKERINGTON, OH (March 13) -- A new U.S. Forest Service (USFS) guide to help land managers maintain off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails contains derogatory anti-OHV language, and OHV groups want to know why, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

In a letter, dated March 9, seven organizations are demanding answers from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, whose department oversees the USFS. The groups are AMA, the All-Terrain Vehicle Association, the BlueRibbon Coalition, the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, the Colorado Snowmobile Association, Trails Preservation Alliance, and the Utah Shared Access Alliance.

"The intent of the guidebook is laudable: to help OHV trail managers develop sustainable trails and protect the environment surrounding the trails," said Wayne Allard, a former U.S. senator and U.S. representative from Colorado who is now the AMA's vice president for government relations.

"But the document includes a variety of statements and innuendo that reflect an anti-OHV bias, and cites as a source for information an anti-OHV group," Allard said. "This type of government guide should be fact-based and neutral. It shouldn't include inflammatory, biased language and the recommendations of a group known to oppose OHVs."

The 318-page guide, "A Comprehensive Framework for Off-Highway Vehicle Trail Maintenance," was released in January in book form and was posted on the USFS website. But the document was quickly pulled off the website, apparently following protests from the OHV community about offensive language.

Among other things, the document states: "This framework was developed to help trail managers corral the OHV management dragon. The author hopes it has provided some insight into the nature of OHV trails, and some tools to help keep the beast at bay. Happy herding and happy trails!"

The guide also claims that OHV use causes an "increase in frequency and intensity of weather events," and acknowledges gathering information from the Wildlands CPR, which is an anti-OHV group.

On its website, Wildlands CPR claims that "off-road vehicles can go nearly anywhere, killing and harassing wildlife and destroying vegetation," and that "as a result of our on-going efforts, so far (with 47 decisions still to come), the Forest Service has removed 7,890 miles of roads and motorized trails from the designated travel system, and refused to designate 28,679 miles of user-created routes."

In addition, the government document admits to citing a Wildlands CPR proposal that no routes or trails should be allowed in "citizen or agency proposed wilderness... and other lands with wilderness character.."

"This management practice usurps congressional authority in the process to designate Wilderness," Allard said. "Only Congress can designate Wilderness."

A Wilderness designation is one of the strictest forms of public land management. Once Congress designates an area as Wilderness, nearly all forms of non-pedestrian recreation are prohibited, including OHV use.

In the letter to Vilsack, the seven organizations representing OHV interests ask questions concerning the planning and review process of the guide, the content of the initial guide, and whether there are plans to reissue the guide without the offending language.

To read the letter, go to http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Lib ... nload=true.

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[Grumpy]

WildlandsCPR? Really? Where have we seen them mentioned lately? Start paying attention, kids. They may turn out to be our worst nightmare...

[Grumpy]

Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Enviros Write New FS OHV Guidebook?

CPR/FS OHV Mang.Tool - Closure


Sometimes in the land of OHV recreation, you will find an issue that makes you scratch your head and ask – what were those guys thinking?



The most recent example of that comes to us in the form of a 318-page guide apparently published by the Forest Service called "A Comprehensive Framework for Off-Highway Vehicle Trail Maintenance."


It appears that “Guideâ€

[Grumpy]

Wednesday, March 14, 2012
HQ Review of New FS 318-Page OHV GuideBook

Thanks to the AMA and BRC for making available the full 318-page guide published by the Forest Service called "A Comprehensive Framework for Off-Highway Vehicle Trail Maintenance."


Link to Full Report including Appendixes (16.7MB File)
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/A_Co ... 012-LR.pdf

After a quick review of the full report, HQ believes there were a number of system errors and/or breakdowns in communication between the author, Kevin Meyer, the FS’ Missoula TDC, and the Washington Office of the FS.

1. The author failed to be humorous when he equated the management of OHV recreation to “herding dragonsâ€

[Grumpy]

My comments to WildlandsCPR. Bet it gets deleted


USFS use on your "BMP"s is tantamount to you having written the book on OHV. No OHV groups were asked to participate directly, yet your one sided "opinion" was used to formulate how to "guide" my hobby. The USFS guide, or any government "rule", should be put together by unbiased outside parties, based on logic, not an ingrained hatred for the subject matter. Vilsack is, as far as I am concerned, obligated to dump the "guide" and turn the whole process over to a nuetral party for further work. Yes, stakeholders, including you, should be involved, and opinions taken for what they may be worth, but none of us should be allowed the influence you were given here. Our Forests require multiple use for the most good for the most people. Period!

[Grumpy]

ORV BMPs cause quite a stir
Created by Bethanie Walder on March 15, 2012

Late last week we found out that the Forest Service document entitled: “A Comprehensive Framework for Off-Highway Vehicle Trail Managementâ€

[Wrench]

So, basically, this article is giving us the finger and saying there was nothing wrong with the Forest Service Guide?

[OldGreen]

It was written by the executive director of Wildlands CPR. So, of course it was. She also claims not to have read it . . .

[Grumpy]

Monday, March 19, 2012
FS/Wildlands CPR Trail Controversy Grows




The Forest Service/Wildlands CPR new trail guide saga gets even stranger when you readCPR’s recent blog on the subject. The blog also contains an overview regarding questions from a recent senate hearing where Chief Tidwell was asked about the project.



Wildlands CPR Blog (hey we did not do anything wrong)http://www.wildlandscpr.org/blog/orv-bmps-cause-quite-stir


You will also enjoy the March 13 Wildlands letter to the FS where they defend the tone, direction, and content of their contribution to the “Comprehensive Framework for OHV Trail Managementâ€

[Grumpy]

March 13, 2012 SENT BY FAX and/or EMAIL
The Honorable Tom Vilsack Secretary U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Re: Removal of “A Comprehensive Framework for Off-Highway Vehicle Trail Managementâ€

[Grumpy]

Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wash. Examiner Publishes Article on FS Trail Guide Scandal




It looks like the new FS Trail Guide scandal has hit the big time with posting of an article today by the Washington Examiner.

Washington Examiner Article on FS Trail Guide Scandalhttp://washingtonexaminer.com/op ... s/396491As I said in the article, I believe this project is a prime example of gross incompetence by the federal government on any number of levels. The first question that should be asked is, “Why was this project needed when the FS already has a number of highly skilled OHV trail master-performers and proven OHV BMPs?â€

[Grumpy]

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/c ... ans/396491

[Grumpy]

Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Fed Court Dismantles Green Legal House of Cards




HQ believes that U.S. District of Montana Judge Molloy in his April 2 Decision issued more than a slight rebuke to the current TMR- related closure-oriented legal paradigm that OHV users are facing in Western courts. Molloy’s order appears far from the wrench that anti-access advocates hoped to toss in the works:

Link to April 2 Molloy Orderhttp://www.sharetrails.org/uploads ... -02-12.pdf


Judge Molloy’s latest decision is serendipitously timed as lead plaintiff Wildlands CPR defends itself against concerns from those who wonder whether a frequent litigatory combatant should be writing a key FS trail guide.

HQ Blog on FS/Wildlands Trail Guide Scandalhttp://thegeneralsrecreationden. ... e-ohv.html


Stalwart road/trail warrior Paul Turcke lined up again in this one against Goliath on behalf of intervenors Montana and Idaho State Snowmobile Associations.

For students of the judicial process there is some very solid language coming from Judge Molloy regarding the nature of review, jurisdictional principles, deference to the agency, and lessening the need for the agency to perform “exhaustiveâ€