HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Earl W Ford - US Forest ServiceUnited States Forest i'lumas 159 Lawrence Street
u~~~ Department of Service National P. 0. Box 1150(1
~~:~.--;-;; ~ Agriculture l+orest t?uincy, CA 959'!1-6625
"~ ' ~ ~ ....... (53fl} 283»2450 Voice
(53t1} 534-79A4 Text (TDD}
]File Code: 1900/7700
Date: May 20, 2013
Bill Cornlelly
Chair
Butte County Board of Supervisors
2S County Center Drive
Oroville, CA 9S96S-3380
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Dear B ill.:
Thank you far your letter of .Ianuary 11, 2013. As I noted in our telephone call last week, I
apologize for the delay in our response; your letter was misplaced. Please know T have upgraded
our ti-aeking system to ensure this does not happen again.
Iii addition to the. issues you rr~entioned in your letter, I have included a discussion about mixed
use on national forest system raads. Much of the information below was also captured in our
.Ianuary 9, 20131etter to you.
Matprized Mixer! Ilse an FS Roads
As you know, late Iast year we responded to your list of maintenance level 3 roads requested for
motorized mixed use designation ar a downgrade to maintenance level 2. We idezztified roads on
which we are willing to analyze mixed use and the steps in the process. 1~or roads where mixed
use would not be approp~°iate, we provided reasons. Reasons include safety -and liability; logging
traffic conflicts, roasts crossing private lands, availability of alternate access and other natural
resource issues. An additional reason for concern iscost-share roads where another entity such as
a private timber coanpany has a partial interest in the road. You may recall at the beginning of
the motorized travel management process close ~o ten years ago, we reviewed our txtarnten.ance
level 3 roads and changed over 200 tcital miles to level. 2.
VJe, including t"~ forest ~gi,.ceria g organ:zatiar, are experiencing a steeply declining budget
and are reducing our work farce commensurately. We currently do not have a lead forest
engineer od staff qualified to conduct mixed use studies. Our,number one priority now is to hire
a lead engineer. Following that, we will be reviewing our road and trail construction,
reconstruction a~~d maintenance priorities included mixed use studies.
I want to reemphasize our willingness to discuss transferring managementlownership of the
.roads you and-Plumas County have indicated an interest in far OHV purposes, toyouu.
Dispersed Camping. Ares & F~rlcing
As you know, we agreed to develop a brochure to illustrate where vehicles may park for
dispersed camping or other purposes. After consulting with Forest Service Law Enforcement, we
prepared a draft pamphlet illustrating permissible parking Locations, and provided this to Butte
and Plumas Counties late last year. This pamphlet is intended. to supplement and accompany an
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Caring for the I..and and Serving I?ectpie Printed on Aeryaed Paper
existing pamphlet, "Driving Your Motorized Vehicles on the P1umas National Forest." While
we have not received any feedback to date, our intent was, and continues to be, to receive
comments from Butte and Plumes Counties, revise and finalize the brochure accordingly.
The brochure shows three examples of turnouts and parking spurs that are adjacent to roads, have
a compacted surface, and where vehicle Gravel is not causing resource damage. It also shows a
site illustrating the seasonal variability of soil conditions, where parking would be appropriate
under dry conditions but not under wet conditions.
On marking dispersed carr~psites, we have applied far state OHV funding to conduct NEPA
analysis and then designate spur routes to dispersed campsites. We will know the outcome of
this request in early Tune. We are also willing to work with the counties to identify and mark
parking spurs and dispersed campsites that zxray not be clearly illustrated by the bxochure, and
that do not require additional NEPA analysis.
Personal Use Woodcutting Permits
The Flumes National Forest (NF) has a longstanding policy of allowing personal and commercial
use firewood cutting and gathering from national forest lands. We periodically review this policy
to balance changes in natural resource conditions while serving community needs.
As you recall, we started a review Last year with a target of Fa112013 to complete the review. I
am pleased to note, effective June 3, 2013, we are modifying our firewood cutting policy to
include:
• Allowing permittees actively engaged in loading cut firewood to drive 100 feet off a NF
system road or trail designated for wheeled motor vehicle use as long as natural resource
damage does not occur
• Increasing the maximum length restriction far cut firewood from 6 ft. to 9.9 ft.
• Increasing the maximum number of cords sold under a personal use firewood permit
from 10 to 12 cords per year
Jack's Creek Critical Aquatic Refuge (GAR Boundary}
There has been ~no Final de:cisior! by t_he. Plumes National Forest to revise the Jack's Cree>£
Critical Aquatic Refuge (CAR) boundary. As you know, the boundary needs to be revised to
include the entirety of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's newly modified California red-legged
frog Critical Habitat. This assessment is underway in accordance with management direction in
the 2004 Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment, Supplemental FEIS, Record of Decision (page
43).
While the Plumes is required to informally consult with USFWS about the CAR boundary, it is
also required to consult regarding existing trails within California red-legged frog critical habitat
to comply with the Endangered Species Act. We must obtain USFWS concurrence regarding
new trails within subwatersheds adjacent to Critical Habitat that have the potential to affect Che
frogs or Cheir habitat.
Most i.mpo..rtantly, 1' watat to_emphasize that revision of the CAR boundary does trot preclude
addition of new designated trails within the CAR. My desire is to work with the County to
develop a trails system consistent with CAR objective`s to protect and enhance habitat far
California red-legged frogs and other sensitive species.
During the Forest-wide Matari~ed Travel Management planning process, the Plumas was
operating under aregion-wide Memorandum of Understanding with USFWS regarding OHV
trails and aquatic resources (e.g., OHV trails in CARs). Our current assessment of expanding
OHV opportunities in the Freneh Creek watershed is independent of modifications to tho CAR
boundary and the Travel Management MOU. However, given the necessity of consulting with
USF~S on bath activities, the Plumas is preparing a single consultation package.
Mgr position is that development of awell-defined and managed trail system. in this area is in the
best interest of both user groups and the federally Threatened California red-legged frog. X am
committed to working closely with Butte County and the matori~ed recreation community
throughout this process.
1 look forward to meeting with the Butte County Coordinating Committee on dune 18, 2013 to
continue discussion on these and other issues.
S i~7cerely,
~.'
EARL W. FORD
Forest Supervisor
cc: Lori Simpson, Chair -Plumas County Boas°d of Supervisors, Randy Moare