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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSierra Pacific Industries - 1 Aft M " ` c Industries tsierra Paic 19794 Riverside Ave. ;Andersen, CA 96097 (530) 378-8000 • FAX (630)378-8109 February 22, 2016. Mr.Doug Teeter FEB 7 9, 9016 Chairman Butte County Board of Supervisors E 25 County Center Drive Droville, CA 95965 Dear Supervisor Teeter: We understand that you have expressed concerns regarding public recreational use on SPI property and our road management program. Others have expressed similar views, so we thought it would be appropriate to provide you with some background on our road.policies. Regarding public access and road closures,in general roads on SPI lands that are jointly managed with the U.S. Forest Service are open for public access,unless specifically prohibited by the agency. In some cases the Forest Service decided that the roads weren't needed by the public for recreational access and excluded those access rights in the joint easement. hi some areas, the respective Counties and the Regional Water Board have determined that a seasonal road closure was appropriate to minimize winter period road damage and we have cooperated with them to restrict access during those times. Most of SPI's lands are open for public access for such things as hunting, fishing,hiking, cross- country skiing and other uses. However, where roads are gated, we only allow non-motorized access. In all areas, in an effort to protect meadows, sensitive plants, and to reduce erosion, vehicular use (including mountain bikes) is limited to existing roads. We also restrict access near active logging operations(see our policy at 1i _11 .."Lwmp:m ind.�(Y2 ests recreat' u eat' In Butte County, there are sections of land that were formerly owned and controlled by the U.S. Forest Service which we acquired through land.exchanges. Those lands now fall under our company policy described above, and the Forest Service has relarrquished the access rights to those parcels. We have worked, extensively with the Central Valley Regional Water Control Board staff as well as the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to repair and maintain older forest roads to ensure sediment doesn't enter fish bearing streams.The primary reason we limit motorized. access in some areas is to avoid damage that could be caused to the environment by such use, particularly during the winter period. SPI spends several million dollars on road construction and maintenance each year for resource management and protection. In order to control costs associated with this work and to prevent resource damage from motorized public use, SPI uses gates to restrict the use of vehicular traffic on the roads and managed lands. If the public damages roads,riparian areas, wildlife habitat or other public trust resources, SPI will be held liable for that damage by the state or federal government. Any road used for forest management must be maintained by SPI during the life of the timber harvest permit and for a period of at least two years post-harvest. In addition, SPI is help responsible for cleanup of illegal dumping and Hazardous Material cleanup. The damage and pollution from illegal drug manufacture and cultivation are often our cleanup responsibility as well. Indeed, we have received notices from the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection requiring us to repair damage that was caused by persons trespassing on SPI property. In all cases, we have fixed that damage at our expense to remedy the problems caused by the public and to avoid financial penalties from the State. Further, to ensure that all natural resources on SPI properties are managed in a sustainable and responsible manner, we are required to follow the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and all rules and regulations contained in the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973. Recent litigation (under appeal) has determined. that a landowner like ourselves could be held liable for fire suppression costs and environmental damage to adjacent landowners even though a third party started the fire on our land. Authority for closing roads is found in Section 602 of the California Penal Code which specifically prohibits motorized-use in areas closed to public access unless authorized by the landowner. I hope this explains why we have a policy of limiting motorized access in some areas. Although some find it objectionable, gates are put in place to eliminate the potential for resource damage and cost that can occur from motorized use. And, as noted above,where restricted by a gate, the public can access our lands for recreational use by non-motorized means. We hope you understand our policy and agree that it protects SPI, the public, and natural resources while still allowing public access to our lands. Please let me know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Dan'Tomascheski VP Resources