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Thanks, Mr. D, for setting up this forum. As y'all should know by now, the Forest Service is starting winter travel management on five forests in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades, starting with Lassen. This is the best opportunity most of us will see in our lifetime to get the Forest Service to focus on winter recreation issues. It is, in particular, the time to consider what restrictions should be imposed on OSV activity. It is also the time to consider where access needs to be improved.
So let's try and get some serious discussion going of what is needed in Lassen National Forest. This discussion concerns the forest, it does not concern Lassen National Park. National Parks are administered under a completely different agency of the US government. What you have to say about Lassen National Park may be brilliant, but it is irrelevant unless it also affects management of Lassen National Forest.
In terms of OSV restrictions, many people of course are concerned about protecting areas that they use. In Lassen, there has been some consensual separation of uses, with skiers developing trails in the McGowen and Colby meadows areas. IMO, in the winter travel management process these areas need to be formally protected.
Beyond this, Lassen NF does not have an intensity of use and accordingly, user conflicts are minimal. However, the purpose of the travel management process is long term planning. There is room in Lassen to set aside more areas for exclusively nonmotorized recreation, thus fostering the growth of such recreation, without significantly impacting the opportunities for OSV recreation.
IMO, in Lassen it is also important to create the opportunity for users to obtain a true Wilderness-type experience in winter. Thus, IMO, the Caribou Wilderness needs to be brought down to winter trailheads through creation of a nonmotorized area extending from this Wilderness to either a northern or eastern trailhead.
There should also be creation of a significant nonmotorized area on the east side of the forest, perhaps surrounding the Bizz Johnson trail.
As with the rest of the National Forests, the FS also should be encouraging users to transition to cleaner and quieter vehicles. This is particularly feasible in the Lassen where most of the territory is relatively flat. BATmobiles have a far greater impact on other users than old technology 2-strokes. In areas where there are BAT restrictions and most activity is "touring", shared use is feasible. Lassen should set some BAT trailheads and areas.
Those are my preliminary thoughts.
So let's try and get some serious discussion going of what is needed in Lassen National Forest. This discussion concerns the forest, it does not concern Lassen National Park. National Parks are administered under a completely different agency of the US government. What you have to say about Lassen National Park may be brilliant, but it is irrelevant unless it also affects management of Lassen National Forest.
In terms of OSV restrictions, many people of course are concerned about protecting areas that they use. In Lassen, there has been some consensual separation of uses, with skiers developing trails in the McGowen and Colby meadows areas. IMO, in the winter travel management process these areas need to be formally protected.
Beyond this, Lassen NF does not have an intensity of use and accordingly, user conflicts are minimal. However, the purpose of the travel management process is long term planning. There is room in Lassen to set aside more areas for exclusively nonmotorized recreation, thus fostering the growth of such recreation, without significantly impacting the opportunities for OSV recreation.
IMO, in Lassen it is also important to create the opportunity for users to obtain a true Wilderness-type experience in winter. Thus, IMO, the Caribou Wilderness needs to be brought down to winter trailheads through creation of a nonmotorized area extending from this Wilderness to either a northern or eastern trailhead.
There should also be creation of a significant nonmotorized area on the east side of the forest, perhaps surrounding the Bizz Johnson trail.
As with the rest of the National Forests, the FS also should be encouraging users to transition to cleaner and quieter vehicles. This is particularly feasible in the Lassen where most of the territory is relatively flat. BATmobiles have a far greater impact on other users than old technology 2-strokes. In areas where there are BAT restrictions and most activity is "touring", shared use is feasible. Lassen should set some BAT trailheads and areas.
Those are my preliminary thoughts.
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