CALL TO ACTION for Grooming our Local Mountains

[Roy AllardAdmin]

I talked to National Forest Service Bob Frenes today. He told me the Sequoia National Forest is the only one not Grooming in California. He’s been doing his best removing trees but has limited access without the groomers.

Per Bob we need to light a fire under Porterville National Forest Service

Please make a telephone call and let them know how displeased you are with a banner year of snow and there is no grooming. Let them know that our OHV funds need to be used to start grooming and trail safety is a major issue without grooming. Let them know the forest is a land of many uses and without grooming our recreation is being impeded. Make the call personal with any other thing you think would help.

The two folks in the Porterville are:
Karen Miller – Recreation Officer
Kevin Elliot – Forest Supervisor
559-784-1500

Please persist until you get through to Karen or Kevin. Bob mentioned Karen is very accessible by calling the above number. Kevin not so much, but demand to speak to one of them.

Member Don Brown is taking another route and he will update us soon.

Thanks for your time and lets get our trails GROOMED!!

[donbrown]

Talked Friday afternoon to the N**ational Forest Service supervisors head office for Region 5. **They are in charge of the entire state of California .

The **mountain yellow legged frog became an endangered species a few years ago**. It used to be all over the Sierras BUT** Fish and Game allowed foreign fish in the streams and these non local fish ate all the tadpoles **!!!!!

So **93% of the Sierras where the frog MAY HAVE LIVED has no frogs**.

The NEPA National Environmental Policy Act requires an analysis to be performed to see the impact of various activities (grooming) will have on an endangered species.

Then an EIA environmental Impact statement is made public for feedback and comment . This takes about a month and is typically performed in August -September for grooming

Fish and Game made an impact analysis for the mountain yellow legged frog and **did not mention any analysis performed for the Sequoia National Forest**.

An environmental group filed a complaint and litigated **all areas considered a suitable habitat must have a Impact Analysis and EIA performed**.

**Since the Sequoia National Forest has no Impact Analysis and EIA performed for the mountain yellow legged frog in the Sequoia Forest … no grooming can be performed per federal law.**

**Based on the necessary steps to get paperwork advising the impact of grooming will take over a MONTH AFTER the analysis is complete.**

**TODAY the NFS does not know if or WHEN FISH and GAME COMPLETED THE ANALYSIS FOR THE SEQUOIA FOREST**

[donbrown]

OOps talked Thursday afternoon 28 Jan

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