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SIERRA ACCESS COALITION
SAC spokesman Mike Lazzarino was on the Quincy radio station FM 95.9 discussing the
USFS Route Designation Process.
 Click here to read a summary of the radio show.
1/7/08

Time has ended for the 30-day public comment period on the Lassen NF Route Designation
Notice of Intent for the Environmental Impact Statement.   SAC feels that there are not
enough routes being designated on the Lassen NF.  SAC and 4 other user groups are working
on an alternative to submit to the Lassen NF.  The public may submit routes to SAC for this
proposal.

Click here for more information
    Campers and Hunters......

    The USFS has released their "Dispersed Camping & Game Retrieval Guidance"  (click here
    for a link to the document).  The Regional guidance in this document says that the public can
    travel no more than 50' off a designated route to a dispersed camping site (a campsite that
    isn't in a developed campground).  This 50' restriction also applies to hunters for game
    retrieval.  However, the Plumas NF has decided to be even more restrictive than the Regional
    guidance and they are reducing that distance down to one vehicle length off a designated
    route.  SAC and it's members believe that this is unacceptable.  SAC doesn't advocate cross-
    country motorized vehicle use for hunting, but use of an OHV to retrieve a legally taken
    animal (one trip in and one trip out) should be allowed.  Also, the public should have vehicle
    access to their favorite campsites that are further than one vehicle length from a
    designated route.

    In their latest proposal, the USFS has taken away routes submitted by the public that are
    less than 0.5 mile long, which eliminates access to many camping and hunting areas.  If this
    guidance is followed on the Plumas, it will have a major impact on forest use.  Note on page
    4 that the Regional Office developed the game retrieval plan through just "informal
    discussions" with CDF&G.  SAC doesn't believe that informal discussions are the appropriate
    way to set policy.   SAC will be meeting with the USFS to discuss how the issue of dispersed
    camping and game retrieval will be handled on the Plumas NF.  

    Members are invited to send their comments to SAC at (sierraaccess@yahoo.com) You are
    also strongly encouraged to voice your opinion directly to:
    Fred Krueger, Plumas NF (530) 283-7840 (fjkrueger@fs.fed.us)
    or Pete Hochrein, Plumas NF (530) 283-7718 (phochrein@fs.fed.us)
    or Kathy Mick at the USFS Regional Office (707) 562-5589 (kmick@fs.fed.us).

    Lassen NF Public Meeting 7/14/07

    Three Sierra Access Coalition Steering Committee members (Chadd Burroughs, Sylvia
    Milligan and Mike Lazzarino) attended this meeting.  The purpose of the meeting was to
    distribute maps of the Temporary Forest Order prohibiting cross country motorized wheeled
    vehicle travel.  This meeting in Chester was similar to the Plumas workshops.  Maps were
    shown and informal feedback was taken.

    The biggest concern was the “High Lakes” area.  There are several routes that the forest
    has closed under the temporary order.  Of particular concern are the Lott Lake route, the
    Reese Flat Loop, the Jamb Pipe and the Mud Lake Roads. The Reese Flat Loop is closed due
    to "resource damage", but when the USFS was questioned further about this their reply was
    that they couldn't find the route on the ground.  Several people at the meeting said they
    drove that route just a few weeks ago.   When asked what that damage was the response
    was there was a report but the USFS representatives at the meeting didn’t know what the
    damage consisted of.  Several other issues were discussed.  Generally, people at the
    meeting were very dissatisfied with the proposed restrictions in the High Lakes area.  The
    USFS is separating this area out and developing a special management plan for the High
    Lakes.    

        The public is strongly encouraged to give the Lassen NF feedback on the routes and
        campsites that you want to use.  






    Plumas NF Public Meetings April/May 2007

    On the Plumas, public workshops were held at each Ranger District in April and May.  The
    purpose of these meetings were for the public to bring maps of their routes to the USFS and
    discuss which routes they wanted to keep open.  Representatives from SAC were present at
    each of the meetings.  There were many good discussions at these workshops.  Hot issues
    included:

  • Mixed use (licensed and unlicensed vehicles) on Level 3 roads and County roads;
  • Allowable distance off roads for game retrieval;
  • Allowable distance off roads for dispersed camping;
  • Access to and from private land;
  • Adding spur roads for woodcutting;
  • Many Lassen NF routes don’t connect to Plumas NF routes;
  • Access for disabled persons;
  • Retaining spurs and skid trails for future commercial use, fire suppression, and general
    land management;
  • Public frustration that we have to submit and justify our routes again;
  • Inconsistency in USFS planning processes (Current project planning is in conflict with OHV
    planning process).

    Sierra Access Coalition is meeting with the USFS on a regular basis to discuss these issues,
    as well as other issues that are brought forward by members.  
8/10/07

SAC Spokesman Mike Lazzarino met with Congressman Doolittle and his District Director
David Plag in Truckee for a round table discussion on the current route designation
process.  Seven other user groups were represented, including AMA District 36 and
California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA).  
        6/23/07 Clean-up Day in the Woods:  SAC Volunteers Help USFS

        Sierra Access Coalition members had a clean-up day at Newton Pond on Blackhawk Cr         
        Road.   The event was organized by Duff duPont, Rex Fisher, and Mike Lazzarino of SAC
        working in a partnership with Cynthia Lusk of the US Forest Service.  
        Thank you to our SAC Volunteers Loren Kingdon, Richard McCutcheon, Ed Brownlee, Linda   
        Brownlee, Charles Brownlee, Justin Pierson, Ray Evans, Jim Grier, Danielle Banchio, Jake
        Sandlin, Rex Fisher, Mike Lazzarino and Corky Lazzarino.  
        We loaded up 5 heaping truckloads of trash including appliances, an engine block, bed         
        springs, mattresses, scrap iron, and other debris.  This clean-up event demonstrated the
        group's commitment to good stewardship of the forest for the benefit of the public
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11/19/07 - SAC on the local radio