Comments come in droves to OHV plan.
In September, Sierra National Forest officials said they wanted public input after unveiling a controversial proposal that would limit off-highway vehicles to a designated system of roads and trails.
Well, they got it.
Nearly 10,000 public comments, in the form of e-mails, letters, maps and phone calls, flooded the forest's Clovis headquarters before the Dec. 3 deadline, spokeswoman Sue Exline said.
Now officials must categorize each of those comments to determine those that require further study. Since many of these roads and trails are inaccessible during the winter, the analysis could stretch for months.
"Each comment that comes in gets a tracking number so people can see what happens to theirs," Exline said. "It's an extremely intensive process, but it's one we have to go through."
Following a national mandate, Sierra National Forest officials published their OHV route designation plan, called a Notice of Intent, in the Federal Registry on Sept. 14.
Since then, officials hosted four well-attended -- and sometimes confrontational -- public forums to address the issue as well as several workshops where input was encouraged. In addition, the deadline for public comments was extended twice.
Unmanaged OHV use in the 1.3-million acre Sierra National Forest, which includes parts of Fresno, Madera and Mariposa counties, has resulted in unplanned roads and trails, as well as watershed and habitat degradation, officials said.
The forest contains about 70 miles of designated OHV routes, including popular trails such as Dusy-Ershim and Shuteye Peak. Over the decades, users created another 520 miles of trails that didn't exist in any official capacity until they were inventoried and mapped by outside contractors in 2005.
Under terms of the initial proposal, 54 miles of these user-created trails would be added to the designated system. The rest would be permanently closed.
In addition, the proposal would prohibit cross-country travel, close 200 miles of maintenance roads to public use and subject 970 miles of existing roads to seasonal restrictions.
Responses to the proposal are as varied as the users themselves.
Mike Wubbels, executive director of Stewards of the Sierra National Forest, a pro-access group that includes many OHV enthusiasts, said the Notice of Intent contains numerous errors and omissions. His group alone submitted nearly 300 comments, including a lengthy response that implored officials to scrap the proposal and start over.
"No trails or roads should be closed until someone goes out there and checks if it should be closed," Wubbels said. "But the Forest Service hasn't done that. It's a lot easier to close the trails than do the work."
Hunters and equestrians object strongly to the "one-car length" provision that would prohibit OHV users from driving off a designated route to reach a dispersed campsite.
Toby Horst, president of the San Joaquin Sierra Unit of the Backcountry Horsemen of California, said the provision all but eliminates dispersed camping in the national forest.
"We've always been able to go out and camp alongside the roads at literally hundreds and hundreds of spots," Horst said. "We've had no luck getting them to change that provision."
The "one-car length" provision was established at a regional level throughout California, Exline said.
Noting the Notice of Intent includes no designated areas for equestrians, Horst said his comments include suggestions for "40 to 50 spots in the High Sierra Ranger District that should be left open for camping and parking."
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What a spectacular postseason for Fresno State baseball. Though a total team effort, which Bulldog would get your vote for CWS MVP?
The MVP goes to the whole darn team. They wouldn't have won if they all didn't work together.
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