dixie NF public forum

Skylinerider

Wandering the desert
Location
Ephraim
The U.S. Forest Service is holding a series of public meetings to explain both the details and intent of the recently proposed draft Planning Rule that, if put into effect, will serve as a national blueprint for how hundreds of individual plans will chart national forest management in the coming years.

The purposes of the public meetings are to increase public understanding about the content of the draft rule; explain how input gathered during the public scoping period was incorporated into the draft rule; and respond to questions about the proposed planning rule.

While the forums should assist attendees in better understanding the proposed rule and making more informed comments, we will not be taking public comments on the proposed rule, nor will the agency be recording the forums for inclusion in the rulemaking record. The public will have until May 16, 2011 to submit comments.


WHAT: The proposed planning rule provides a collaborative and science-based framework for creating land management plans that would support ecological sustainability and contribute to rural job opportunities. Forest Service land management plans guide management activities on the 155 National Forests and 20 Grasslands in the National Forest System.

WHEN: The Dixie National Forest will host two identical forums on March 24, 2011. The first forum will be held from 2:00-5:00pm; the second will be held from 6:30-9:00pm Mountain Time. We will use video teleconferencing technology to link distant Forest Service locations with subject matter experts from Washington, D.C. and Ogden, Utah.

WHERE: Dixie National Forest Supervisor’s Office 1789 N Wedgewood Ln Cedar City, UT 84721



- MORE -

DETAILS: Full text of the proposed rule, instructions to provide comment, the planning rule blog and more can be found at: www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule
 

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
Curt, will you be attending the meeting? Would you be able to brief us on the highlights of issues that would affect the 4x4/OHV community?
 

Skylinerider

Wandering the desert
Location
Ephraim
Unfortunately I will be in the Virgin river gorge studying flora for a biology class. If I get back in time for the second one I plan on going, but there is a good chance I won't make it back in time.
 

ret32

Active Member
Location
Midvale
More of these have been announced...

Fishlake National Forest:
WHEN: The Fishlake National Forest will host two identical forums on March 29, 2011. The first forum will be held from 2:00-5:00pm; the second will be held from 6:30-9:00pm Mountain Time...

WHERE: Fishlake National Forest Headquarters; 115 E. 900 N; Richfield, UT
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=STELPRDB5284905&navid=180000000000000&pnavid=null&ss=110408&position=News&ttype=detail


Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest:
WHEN: The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests will host two identical forums on March 24th. The first forum will be held from 2:00-5:00 pm; the second will be held from 6:30-9:00 pm Mountain Time...

WHERE: Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, Salt Lake Supervisor’s Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 South State Street, Room 8438, Salt Lake City, Utah.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTS0djAwgAykeaxRtBeY4WBv4eHmF-YT4GMHn8usNB9uHXDzYBB3A00PfzyM9N1S_IjTDIMnFUBAA3Zibt/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=STELPRDB5284572&navid=180000000000000&pnavid=null&ss=110419&position=News&ttype=detail


I'll plan on being at the Salt Lake evening forum.
 

ret32

Active Member
Location
Midvale
Anybody going? I'll be at the SLC evening forum.

Here is the current comprehensive list of meetings throughout Utah (subject to change - based on the document at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5270751.pdf)...

Thursday, March 24, 2011
Two Sessions: 2:00-5:00 and 6:30-9:00:


Dixie National Forest
Forest Supervisor's Office
1789 N Wedgewood Ln
Cedar City, UT 84721
Contact: Gretchen Merrill 435-865-3741

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (press release here)
Forest Supervisor's Office - SLC
125 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
Contacts: Reese Pope 801-342-5104, Kathy Jo Pollock kjpollock@fs.fed.us



Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Two Sessions: 2:00-5:00 and 6:30-9:00:

Ashley National Forest
Forest Supervisor's Office
355 North Vernal Ave
Vernal, UT 84078
Contact: Kathy Paulin 435-781-5160

Ashley National Forest
Duschesne Ranger District
85 West Main
Duchesne, UT 84021
Contact: Kathy Paulin 435-781-5160

Ashley National Forest
Flaming Gorge Ranger District
25 West Hwy 43
Manila, UT 84046
Contact: Kathy Paulin 435-781-5160

Fishlake National Forest (press release here)
Forest Supervisor's Office
115 East 900 North
Richfield, UT 84701
Contacts: Mel Bolling 435-896-1075, John Zapell 435-896-1070

Manti-La Sal National Forest
Forest Supervisor's Office
599 W Price River Dr
Price, UT 84501
Contact: Marlene Depietro 435-636-3539

Manti-La Sal National Forest
Sanpete Ranger District Office
540 N Main
Ephriam, UT 84627
Contact: Marlene Depietro 435-636-3539

Manti-La Sal National Forest
Ferron/Price Ranger District Office
115 W Canyon Rd
Ferron, UT 84523
Contact: Marlene Depietro 435-636-3539

Manti-La Sal National Forest
Monticello Ranger District Office
496 US Hwy 491
Monticello, UT 84535
Contact: Marlene Depietro 435-636-3539
 

jackjoh

Jack - KC6NAR
Supporting Member
Location
Riverton, UT
FS Planning meeting 3/24/2011
This was a Video Teleconference that took place in SLC between 2 and 5 PM with the following offices of the FS represented:
Bridger National Forest, Boise, ID
Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson, WY – Big Piney, WY – Afton, WY – Kemmerer, WY – Pinedale, WY
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, SLC, UT – Evanston, WY
I was in the SLC group of 8 individuals and the only Off Road person; others were Government, Sierra Club, and Conservation groups. Most other offices groups consisted of two to five individuals. Idaho and Wyoming groups were very public access.
The FS has developed a planning process that emphasizes science and tries to do away with emotional/personal type responses. It is a “just the facts” type of input they are looking to solicit. It will be extremely hard to give people advice on how to write letters that they will actually look at and respond except to say list your facts and show how they affect you. According to their Public Engagement guidelines “You have to list the section by number that is in the Federal Register that your comment is referring to. State each concern, criticism, and suggestion (including suggested rule text) as clearly and specifically as possible and focus on rule making, and not on other issues or concerns regarding the Forest Service” What they are talking about is Part 219 of the Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 30 /Monday, February 14, 2011/Proposed Rules. I hope Ron will be able to explain this better than I can.
I asked a couple of questions that did not have too much to do with rules. 1. Do you believe that with the present monetary situation in the country that there will be enough money in the federal budget to manage our areas. The answer was “no one knows but they do know that Wasatch Cache was not very high on the priority list”. I also asked if rules were in place to allow re-opening of closed areas. They stated that it would be up to the local manager. They also said that any road closures were up to the local manager and the only thing I can say if that is true we had better be very close to each of the managers.
I also asked that in reference to section 219.9 and 219.10 when conflicts existed between animal and human use of an area how is it decided which takes preference? Answer – “The planning rule does not direct the deciding official how to resolve conflicts. The rule says we need to consider all 3 components (social, economic,& ecological) of sustainability. When the plans are developed, we would work collaboratively with the public to resolve conflicts and provide for all 3 components. The resolution can come through land allocation, use thresholds, etc.”
Bottom line, I think we need a lawyer but since we don’t have one we need to read carefully and get the best advice possible when submitting proposals.
The deadline for submitting questions about the rules is April 15, 2011 to questions@merid.org answers will be at their FAQ section: http://fs.usda.gov/planningrule
The deadline for submitting comments is May 16, 2011 to: http://www.govcomments.com Public may inspect comments at: http://contentanalysisgroup.com/fsrd
I hope this helps, my brain is busted.
 
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