Tellico closed - we lost for now

[icemanii]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT HEATHER ROYSTON - (678) 463-7376

The Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA), the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) and United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) expressed disappointment today in the Forest Service decision to implement the emergency closure of the Upper Tellico OHV trails on April 1, pending review of the many substantive comments made by OHV enthusiasts.

Gary Parsons, President of SFWDA, said, "We are very disappointed in the Forest Service decision to close the Upper Tellico OHV trails. In formal comments made to the Forest Service, the OHV community and other interested parties clearly demonstrated that such a closure has no scientific basis. Substantive comments provided to the Forest Service included findings of an independent study completed by Caliber Engineering and the recommendations from a report completed by the Forest Service's own Trails Unlimited Team. This is a bad decision and we are left with no other alternative but to pursue legal options."

Carla Boucher, legal counsel for the United Four Wheel Drive Associations, stated, "The Forest Service has failed to make the case with regard to adverse effects and resource damage. There is no immediate threat to public health, safety, or other requisite finding required by such an order. Water quality standards cited by the Forest Supervisor as the basis for such an order are not being exceeded." Boucher added, "In making this decision, the Forest Service must be prepared to explain why similar findings have not been made in the decades of greater environmental impact and they simply have not done that."

Greg Mumm, BRC's Executive Director, stated, "Implementing this closure order threatens the integrity of the ongoing planning process in which the interested public and our federal government have collectively invested significant time and resources."

Mumm concluded, "The economic impact of this closure will be devastating to the area and comes at a time when the current administration is calling for more jobs, economic development, and healthy outdoor recreation. It makes no sense."

# # #

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. www.sharetrails.org

United Four Wheel Drive Associations is an international organization comprised of four wheel drive enthusiasts, clubs, associations, and businesses dedicated to providing community services around the world, education in responsible land use and safe vehicle operation, and protection of our natural resources through conservation practices. 1-800-448-3932. www.ufwda.org
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=775371
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nepa/tusquitee/tellico.htm

Closed until 2011!!

Senator Richard Burr's (R-NC) office is aware of this. They actually called me this afternoon in response to one of my emails. The time is NOW to ramp up our contacts with elected officials. Pick an office and call Senator Burr...today.

Asheville
Federal Building
151 Patton Avenue, Suite 204
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 350-2437
Fax: (828) 350-2439


Rocky Mount
100 Coast Line Street, Room 210
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Phone: (252) 977-9522
Fax: (252) 977-7902


Washington, DC
217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3154
Fax: (202) 228-2981


Winston-Salem
2000 West First Street
Suite 508
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
Phone: (800) 685-8916
Phone: (336) 631-5125
Fax: (336) 725-4493


Gastonia
City Hall
181 South Street, Room 222
Gastonia, NC 28052
Phone: (704) 833-0854
Fax: (704) 833-1467


Wilmington
201 North Front Street
Suite 809
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: (888) 848-1833
Phone: (910) 251-1058
Fax: (910) 251-7975

[Trucks are for girls!]

that sucks!!!

[drummond]

wow. this sucks

[Beefy]

:pissed:

[her rubi]

that sucks big donkey balls it is AWESOME out there

[kickstand]

thank all your liberal tree huggin foreign car driving hippie friends.

You all can kiss your american way of life good bye until you stand up and do something about it. These liberal hippie lesbian gay no child left behind greenie foreign car driving prius owning birkenstock wearing vegan eating non gun owning socialist barack obama voting mother ****ers will ruin everything you enjoy if you aren't careful.....

[Ridin Dirty]

I think you need to try and let it all out .......

[icemanii]

So besides whining on line, what are people doing about this? Are you writing letters? They received around 2,500 letters in regard to the Tellico closure. Most people who took the time to write, wrote multiple letters. So that means this.

LESS THAN 1,500 PEOPLE TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE ABOUT THE PROPOSED CLOSURE!!



That's right, with all the people on the various 4X4 websites, between 1,000 and 1,500 actually took a few minutes to write a letter about the closure.

The thread about the closure had very little activity and this thread is the same.

[Ridin Dirty]

Hmmm.... I wrote, and called, and will do so again.

[kickstand]

So besides whining on line, what are people doing about this? Are you writing letters? They received around 2,500 letters in regard to the Tellico closure. Most people who took the time to write, wrote multiple letters. So that means this.

LESS THAN 1,500 PEOPLE TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE ABOUT THE PROPOSED CLOSURE!!



That's right, with all the people on the various 4X4 websites, between 1,000 and 1,500 actually took a few minutes to write a letter about the closure.

The thread about the closure had very little activity and this thread is the same.


I have no intention of ever going to tellico. I hand wrote a letter and mailed it. I signed it with one of these :flip: I'm wondering if that was a bad idea?

I've been writing letters for the last 5 years fighting speed limits on lakes in other states, I don't own a gun, but I write letters on situations I am made aware of that would threaten my right to own a gun. I didn't vote for the socialists or communists in office, including our governer, our presidant, and many others. I tossed a kid off a cliff because his grades were poor, I dont even know who's kid it was. I rear ended a prius the other day because it had an obama sticker on it and I was in front of the GM tech center. I kicked an illegal alien in the nuts, I went on a date with a second generation LEGAL alien who serves in our military, I'm sure I left some very important details out, and I am hoping that some of you can find the humor in some of the sarcasm while also being able to filter the actual truth that I stand for my rights, and even if I don't excersize those rights I voice my opinion (shocker) to be able to keep those rights. As a country we'll continue to lose these battles and lose our freedoms until people actually make a stand. Where is the million man march on washington to show our disgust for losing our freedoms? Where is the boston tea party when you need it? Where is the american pride?

icemanii I lean towards agreeing with you that there is a lot of talk, but often not a lot of action. There's reasons and factors for this, and its only the man keeping us down. it's been since michiganjeepers....but up_roktoy again wants to remind you all to join the cause and "viva la resistance"

I might have to lead a revolution since no one else seems to be stepping up....all in favor of taking this bitch over and getting back to the old school say I...then donate $1 to me and the next thing you know I'll be on TV like Joe the plumber and Al sharpton arguing my cause and lobbying in DC for my fellow country men, its my civic duty, and I'm willing to make the sacrifice and do it....

hahaha, I know this is a serious issue, and its the beginning of a very slippery slope coupled with socialism, communism and our non-american not eligible for office president that not enough smart americans voted against.

Are we going to let the uneducated lower class suck what freedoms and wealths we have left? or are we going to stand up and tell them if they want to enjoy the same freedoms and wealths that they should work for it and get a job?

I think I am done for now.

[Trail_Fanatic]

:tim:

[timbercruiser]

I recieved a reply from them today about the trail closure. They are still advocating the idea of closing the hard stuff and paving the rest idea. I replied that they should follow the SFWDA report's ideas.
Keep fighting!!!!

[icemanii]

I recieved a reply from them today about the trail closure. They are still advocating the idea of closing the hard stuff and paving the rest idea. I replied that they should follow the SFWDA report's ideas.
Keep fighting!!!!

I think if you look, that is an email from last year, just resent. Not 100% sure, but many people have reported getting an email with info from the end of '08.

[timbercruiser]

It was a reply to the e-mail I sent during the letter writing campaign. If it is from last year, that shows how they regard our input.

[icemanii]

It was a reply to the e-mail I sent during the letter writing campaign. If it is from last year, that shows how they regard our input.

It looks like someone is perhaps mass emailing replies to people trying to get answers sent out. That way,they can say the replied to emails sent to them.

Not sure. Did they address your email directly or was it generic answers?

[timbercruiser]

It was definitly generic. It was from the Forest Supervisor saying pushing their option to close the hard stuff and pave the rest.

[icemanii]

Little clarification

In regards to the current closure (words from John Stewart from California 4WD)

This is an "emergency closure".

For clarity: This DOES NOT stop the current EA process and can not be used as a "predetermined" outcome of a public process.

As such, the agency can issue an emergency closure at any point they believe they have reason.

The closure does not stop the EA process. They still have to read the comments and respond as appropriate.

This does allow them to extend the time to read and respond.

Basically, the area is "on hold" until they go thru the Enviromental Assessment and the NEPA process.

And since it seems NOBODY understands the NEPA process, here is a great link about what it is on Del's website. PLEASE take the time to read it:

http://www.delalbright.com/access/nepa_intro.htm

[timbercruiser]

Thanks iceman for keeping this going.
Del's writeup is pretty good reading.

[timbercruiser]

I just sent e-mails to our senators and my rep (Stupak).
Didn't take much time.