CAL4 Cal4Wheel Submits Objections to Eldorado National Forest Hazard Tree Mitigation Project

[Access Issues - California Four Wheel Drive]

Cal4Wheel Submits Objections to Eldorado National Forest Hazard Tree Mitigation Project
Monday, 13 March 2023

On March 11, 2023, Cal4Wheel submitted Objections to a Roadside Hazard Tree Mitigation project for Eldorado National Forest (ENF). Previously in August 2022, Cal4Wheel submitted comments on the project’s Proposed Action for Scoping to urge the Forest Service to maximize the total acreage for hazard tree abatement in order to increase public safety, protect public access to motorized recreation opportunities and general outdoor recreation, and decrease future risk of wildfire. Of positive note, ENF included the full 2,461 miles from the original proposal within the draft final decision.

However, Cal4Wheel objected to other components of the draft final decision given that it fails to effectively fulfill the Purpose and Need for the project through unnecessary limitation on scope of implementation related to:

1. Maintenance level 1 roads
2. Catastrophic wildfire prevention
3. OHV and outdoor recreation
4. Social and economic impacts
5. NEPA review

Additionally, Cal4Wheel offered the ongoing support of club membership as volunteers to support the success of both immediate hazard tree mitigation and post-project maintenance needs.

Read the Objection letter here

Rose Winn, Cal4Wheel Natural Resources Consultant
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[WLDWUN]

Of positive note, ENF included the full 2,461 miles from the original proposal within the draft final decision.

not really
all of the ML 1 roads will not be included at this time. (614 miles)
they only will become included if they become open to use, thus they would no longer be ML 1 roads. (and that's not going to happen)

I personally was against them using funds, to do Maintenace adjacent to a route the public cannot travel on.
other than that, I fully support the objective of the project and have even offered to help


per the decision
, maintenance level 1 roads would not likely be prioritized for treatment and removal of hazard trees would be deferred until the road is opened for use.

 

[RunningProblem]

WLDWUN whats the reason for not supporting money on the adjacent route? Are they improving a road public isn’t allowed on?

 

[WLDWUN]

Maintenace Level 1 routes are not open for any use. Even the Forest Service is not permitted to use them.

Since the public cannot use the routes, there is no reason to be spending funds to do tree work along them.

if they want to open them for public use, they must first become at minimum a Maintenance Level 2 route.
I would be all for that.... but that will not happen without going through another travel management process.

 

[Clb]

Interested to hear what they are saying....
Thanks for the perspective. ? John?
Wldwun