Local Sheriffs oppose restrictive FS/Government policies

[hikerduane]

Nice little write up in the local rag about a Tea Party meeting. People getting fed up with Government putting more restrictions on public lands and local Sheriffs supporting the citizens.

http://plumasnews.com/home/7904-sheriff ... -laws.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Strider]

Bring your guns, Bibles and chain-saws.

[dave54]

Rumblings of a 'critical mass' type of civil disobedience event are forming.

Plumas was heavy handed in handling this. But then again they always had a 'in your face' attitude towards locals.

Unlike adjacent Lassen NF which tried to accomodate local wishes and worked out a reasonable compromise, the plumas regulation could ban landowners access to their own land, and close private and local county unsurfaced roads to vehicles.

Note that in 2000 candidate Al Gore adopted a campaign position statement calling for local governments to have greater voice in government land policies. In 2004 John Kerry had a similar statement on his campaign web site. Bush did not, and neither did McCain (nor Obama).

[Bad Man From Bodie]

Good for that guy! About time a real agency stood up for the rights of the public.

[oldranger]

the plumas regulation could ban landowners access to their own land

From the decision announcement:

Access to private land: This decision does not designate motorized trails to or though private land where the Forest Service does not have right of way nor does the decision change existing right of way access for adjacent private landowners.

Not sure where the idea that the decision would close access to private land came from but I can guess. I suspect that private inholders created unauthorized access routes to their land. From my point of view when that happens it affects my ability to use public lands the way I want to without due process. The FS in this decision may have closed some unauthorized user created routes. If the FS followed NEPA process these closures were identified in the Draft EIS. Typically the people who go ballistic about closures never participate in the process until the Decision is announced despite the agency providing multiple opportunities to participate. Then the Agency by law is not required to consider these late protests by people who never participated in the process. If they were required to do so they would never be able to make a decision.

Mike

[Bad Man From Bodie]

I have several examples where roads were addressed durring public comment period of an EIS. They were designated to remain open, then for some reason a year later the USFS closed them without public notice or due process. Case and point.....the lower Rush Creek road to Mono Lake. Its time we stop looking at the land management agencies as Gods...we still live in the USA and we pay their wadges! I guess Im just a little bitter after dealing with land managers throughout my carrier whos ego or personal agenda outweighs their knowladge or whats right for the environment!

The big problem with the road thing is exactly what oldranger may have eluded to. You close a road that someone uses, well, they will find a way to cut a new road. This is a big problem in southern Nevada. What the BLM has sucsessfuly done to minimise, mitigate, and rehabilitate, is......keep the main historical road and travel routs open, then close and rehab the spur go to nowhere roads. Works great and you dont ruffle feathers!

[dave54]

http://www.lassennews.com/home/6645-sup ... ion-status" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


This is completely within the original reason for the creation of the forest reserves and the original laws and regulations. Language supporting local government voice in NF policies is still found in the FS manual and laws.

Sec I. Reg 1 "...The Forest Service will do all within its power to protect such claimants and owners, and will grant preference in the use of privileges to actual residents in or near the Forest Reserves...."
The Use of the National Forest Reserves. Regulations and instructions July 1, 1905.

Italics mine.

For a more complete discourse on Theodore Roosevelt's thoughts and reasoning on the creation of the Forest Service, refer to his autobiography. He devotes several chapters to his conservation philosophy.