Foresthill meeting w/U.S. Forest Service

[andymoto]

Ok listen up EVERYONE, please. I got there late 30 min, but here's some FACTS.
At the present time, there are NO plans to permanently close Foresthill OHV area. But if we don't do anything to help the Forest Service with the problems they are having, it will come down to giving it up as a riding area.

1. Danny Magoo Chandler was there and if he showed up (yeah he may live in the area), he cares. Sadly, only about 25 or so people were there.
2. The funding that maintains Foresthill trails, staging areas, etc. hasn't been recieved for a minimum of the past two years, thanks to the OHV Commission Board, a seven person board and a Commissioner. The Forest Service I believe was told it would be given a $10,000 grant- not much gets done with that minute bit of money.
3. D-36 President Dave Pickett says for everyone to educate themselves on a bill currently in the state legislature- SB742, which addresses grants to the OHV parks.
4. As I stated before on another thread-and the most popular rider in the HISTORY of MX also questioned; where are the motorcycle dealers, aftermarket manufacturers, promoters/track operators and basically those who make money off all riders to at least make a presence at meetings such as this and the riders in general? Numbers are power and I understand businesses are being performed for us and are a necessary part of the economy of the State and motorcycling, but how about sending a rep of your shop, business, racetrack to a meeting? No one there I saw represented any of the above.
But D-36 Pres says the message to the above IS starting to get thru to those groups. I myself have to see it to believe it.

This is what the Forest Service wants help from the motorcycle community-

VOLUNTEERS TO HELP IN THESE AREAS-

A. Help with Trail Maintenance and design of trails. Using shovels, pics, whatever to reshape a portion of eroded trail and such. The Forest Service has a class to certify you as a "sawer"; basically a letter certification (A, B, whatever letter you train for) that allows use of chainsaws to clear limbs, etc.
B. Facilities Maintenance (yup picking up your trash, and keeping the staging areas where you park, unload, ride, reload and leave clean; NO BURNOUTS, FIGURE 8's, RIDING WITH NO HELMET/GEAR and really useless things that tear up those staging areas). The Quads are nortorious for this. There is also a problem with no enough funds to clean up the port-a-cans. Way bad.
C. Monitoring trails for signs of damage, fallen trees, hanging limbs, chunks of concrete, etc. That means some volunteers with Forest Service permission will ride the loops and note all the problems that Trail Maintenance needs to fix, within its limits.
D. Educating especially new riders on being responsible users of the trails, (some others need this too) by not dumping and leaving their trash, racing in staging areas, the "tread lightly" way to use the trails, reporting problems, etc. Should start at dealer level when off road bikes are purchased. Riders selling there used bikes too can tell those buying their bikes. Always pickup (if dealer, should give out) any OHV materials at your dealer, makes you look like you know what youre talking about when you sell your bike.
E. Long term planning- what do we want Foresthill to be in the years to come.
F. Funding needs. The 36 Pres said that there's a hearing/ bill or whatever that the State wants to raise the Green Sticker up to nearly 70 dollars. Suggestions that there be fundraisers, races and opening a non profit org were mentioned as well as there possibly be a "USER FEE" to ride at these parks.

Right now, many of the people have volunteered for the above problems the Forest Service need help from us. But WAY more people are needed, especially in maintenance areas. Those who have already volunteered will be like the captain of the Trail Maint, capt of Facilities Maint, etc, like they will be the ones that coordinate with Forest Service personnel. Service is way understaffed cause of the funding problems and I believe one of the rangers said over 100,000 used the trails last year. All the Forest Service people were very nice and the meeting seemed to head in a positive direction.

I suggest go to Thumpertalk.com, and get more info as well as D-36 websites. There will be another meeting in two weeks, Wed March 29th 5:00 at the Pizza Factory. I will have directions and be a volunteer to help. Showing up would be helpful. This is the first of a bunch of meetings.

And if the weather stays like it has, May 26th is a target date for re-opening, and it maybe before. The Tahoe National Forest website will keep us updated.

Was way cool Magoo was there - I hope you know that his presence at the meeting despite his inability to ride anymore shows who the real people are in the sport and the nots. "For the love of motorcycles and nothing else, period".

Wow Andy, such passion over Forrest Hill. Does this mean you finally bought a bike? About time, what, it's been over 10 years now?

[hrlyman]

That is awesome Andy, thank you so very much for being there and getting this message back to us.

There it is people in black and white.... The Forest Service is asking for our help... Now I know many of you track riders that believe trail riding is for 'spodes' (what ever that is) are going to say "we dont use trails so we dont need to help".... I hope this will not be the attitude you take.

I am hopeful that everyone will come out and do some part as an "OFF-ROAD" community and work for the better good of everyone. This means 2,3,4 wheelers alike. It also means that our brothren of 4-Wheel Off-roaders will come to our assistance also as we will come to theirs.

In the end we are all in this together because "Motorized Off Road Vehicles", "OHV", includes all of us.

[matte]

Originally Posted by andymoto

This is what the Forest Service wants help from the motorcycle community-

F. Funding needs. The 36 Pres said that there's a hearing/ bill or whatever that the State wants to raise the Green Sticker up to nearly 70 dollars.

I would have no problem paying $70 IF the money actually went to right place, but my understanding of the situation is this: the allocation of those funds is controlled by the OHV Commission, and right now that commission is totally controlled by Paul Spitler and a bunch of other eco-wacks from the Sierra Club, California Wilderness Coalition, etc. and they block every effort to spend any of that money on what it was intended for; maintenance of our riding areas. They don't even try to hide the fact that they've turned it into the "OHV Elimination Commission"! What would be the point of giving them roughly twice as much money if the only thing they're spending it on is closing riding areas and "restoring" them? Talk about putting the fox in charge of the hen house!!! Am I wrong about any of this?

[hrlyman]

Originally Posted by matte

I would have no problem paying $70 IF the money actually went to right place, but my understanding of the situation is this: the allocation of those funds is controlled by the OHV Commission, and right now that commission is totally controlled by Paul Spitler and a bunch of other eco-wacks from the Sierra Club, California Wilderness Coalition, etc. and they block every effort to spend any of that money on what it was intended for; maintenance of our riding areas. They don't even try to hide the fact that they've turned it into the "OHV Elimination Commission"! What would be the point of giving them roughly twice as much money if the only thing they're spending it on is closing riding areas and "restoring" them? Talk about putting the fox in charge of the hen house!!! Am I wrong about any of this?

Absolutley not... your right on target. The funding issues are not at all in relation to NOT ENOUGH $$$$... its related to whos getting it!... and the FOREST SERVICE is not getting the funds that were intended for them from the green/red sticker program and also they are not getting their funding from the fuels taxes that we pay THRU THE A$$ on around here....

These are the things that need to be stressed to our legislators on MONDAY MARCH 19th.... ask them where is our MONEY??????
We "Off-roaders" have made a serious investment in this program and now we're being taken advanatge of.

[NOR*CAL54]

So why exactly is it closed?? Those "problems" make it sound like a crappy place to ride......not a reason to close it.

[hrlyman]

Originally Posted by NOR*CAL54

So why exactly is it closed?? Those "problems" make it sound like a crappy place to ride......not a reason to close it.

Well it basically boils down to not having enough manpower to maintain the trails and during the wet season, and we're talking very wet during early Feb. there was a bunch of runoff that rutted out the trails and caused a bunch of damage. Well now the damage needs to be fixed.

It really is an awesome place to ride if you want to get out into the mountains and really enjoy what trailing is all about.

Taking care of something really is a simple task if we all work on it together and thats what I think the Forestry Service is trying to ask us all to do. So hopefully the smarter minds prevail here and we all realize that if we are to preserve our right to ride.... that we have to have a place to ride first.

[andymoto]

Originally Posted by matte

I would have no problem paying $70 IF the money actually went to right place, but my understanding of the situation is this: the allocation of those funds is controlled by the OHV Commission, and right now that commission is totally controlled by Paul Spitler and a bunch of other eco-wacks from the Sierra Club, California Wilderness Coalition, etc. and they block every effort to spend any of that money on what it was intended for; maintenance of our riding areas. They don't even try to hide the fact that they've turned it into the "OHV Elimination Commission"! What would be the point of giving them roughly twice as much money if the only thing they're spending it on is closing riding areas and "restoring" them? Talk about putting the fox in charge of the hen house!!! Am I wrong about any of this?

Hello Matt- you are correct, but this committee from what I understood, is out at the end of this year or 08, which, unfortunately at the same time is when the Green Sticker program "sunsets", which means the law expires. Yup, this program has been hijacked by a lot of people in our halls of the State Capitol for way longer than Mr. Spitler and company have been at the commission. Im totally with you Matt. They used the fact gas prices have more than tripled since the start of the sticker thus justifying the need to hike the price of the sticker. I think in a way a user fee may be better for the OHV parks and just dump the stickers; everyone that goes to the privately operated MX tracks are paying what basically is a user fee of 15-20 dollars every time they ride there. Sure if youre a OHV park system rider, it'll cost you more, but at the same time you are directly giving the parks the funds, not thru an old and once great program to those who keep basically diverting the money. If Foresthill even could charge $5 a rider, they wouldve had at mininum $500,000 just for the year and there would be on-going riding, no temporary closures. Theyre trying just to get $10,000? Another point thats real amusing to me- the U.S. Forest Service is under the Federal Government umbrella and EVERYONE knows how the Feds love to collect money from us in any way possible- The Forest Service, by law, is NOT ALLOWED to accept A MONETARY DONATION OF ANY KIND. Your trying to give them money and they cant take it. How dumb does that sound? I, like many have watched riding areas close left and right and like Magoo said, the motorcycle community NEVER bands together. Thanks Matt for your correct assessment and staying informed about this ridiculous situation. We need more informed riders and ones that will write or call their state legislature reps and be volunteers. Like my original thread says regarding funding, there are ideas in the works. Pass the word.

[andymoto]

Originally Posted by hrlyman

Well it basically boils down to not having enough manpower to maintain the trails and during the wet season, and we're talking very wet during early Feb. there was a bunch of runoff that rutted out the trails and caused a bunch of damage. Well now the damage needs to be fixed.

It really is an awesome place to ride if you want to get out into the mountains and really enjoy what trailing is all about.

Taking care of something really is a simple task if we all work on it together and thats what I think the Forestry Service is trying to ask us all to do. So hopefully the smarter minds prevail here and we all realize that if we are to preserve our right to ride.... that we have to have a place to ride first.

And my friend, you are correct as well. There has been some trail repairs that have occurred. Understand that the Forest Service, like you said, is understaffed, not recieving the grants that they should be and it's come down to like the last of the food chain, the riders, 3&4 wheelers, etc. Anyone that cares, and this place is way rad and believe me, I'd rather ride thru the smell of the pines than go to Prarie Sh--y, Carnegie cause their dirt is way worse than the smell and good loam Foresthill has. And by the lack of funding, a few portions of their trail system at Foresthill are getting hard packed. And the problem with deep ruts come from 3&4 wheelers way more,especially when wet; motorcycle riders use single lines and especially in loops 5 & 6 where the toughest trails are and narrowest, they are mostly single line, tough and way fun. Another thing I forgot to mention, go to friendsofforesthillohvtrails@gmail.com- there is also a goal of building six bridges to keep users from going over water crossings, which erode the trail and install culverts to direct the seasonal creeks under the trails. The website is planning a fundraiser in June to Raise at least $35,000 for Foresthill and give the money to the Forest Service in the way of a creation of a non-profit group and a few other ideas since they arent allow to take donations, how stupid, and asking any lumber companies to donate materials for the bridges and approach any local contractors to build the bridges and the bridges will be named after them. So if you were a contractor and built the bridge, it would be called the Harleyman bridge;just like naming of the freeways. Thank you for caring and support. Try and volunteer, write, e-mail legislators, the Monday thing, (no ones told me a time) and Pass the word around.

[DirtDgr]

I notice that Dave Pickett was there?

He is paid by D-36 card holders to fight for our, your, riding areas and spends ALL his time doing so.

Everyone on this site should have a D-36 card.

Magoo is right about the industry not getting together to fight this kind of krap.

Owning a D-36 card is one small thing we can do as riders to help.

Im a Lifetime Member myself.