The following is a brief summary of what is happening here in Northern California with the Plumas National Forest. I thought it might be of interest to some of you for comparison or assistance in the future. This has been a long, hard process for us here in my area and it is not over yet.


Plumas NF Working on Environmental Impact Statement

The Plumas NF is starting the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis for the Off-Highway
Vehicle (OHV) Route Designation - Travel Management project. This phase consists of developing the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) This project is part of a nationwide USFS process to authorize
OHV use on trails, roads and other areas. It is important to note that the term "OHV" include any type of
motorized vehicle, including pickup trucks.


The USFS is proposing 370 miles are in addition to the 107 miles of motorized system trails that
currently exist on the Plumas NF. In addition to motorized routes, there also 4120 miles of system roads
on the Plumas NF which have always been available for motorized use. Of the 4120 miles that have
historically been open to all vehicles, 636 miles of systems roads are now proposed to be restricted to
street legal vehicles only.

Although there are still some points of disagreement, the USFS is actually listening to Sierra Access
Coalition and adding SAC members' routes to the Plumas NF proposed plan. This is a remarkable
achievement. The Plumas may well have the best plan in California, thanks to the hard work of the SAC
Steering Committee and SAC members.

A number of issues haven't been worked out yet, such as allowing use of Level 3 roads by Green
Sticker vehicles for loops and other destinations. The California Highway Patrol came out with a letter
to the USFS that said the California Vehicle Code does not apply to Level 3 roads, but the Plumas NF
appears to be ignoring that determination and proposing to restrict green sticker vehicles on these
roads anyway. Another issue of great concern is the distance a vehicle will be allowed to drive off a
designated route for dispersed camping, particularly for campsites in the forest that families have used
for generations. SAC wants to see Plumas County family heritage preserved. Using a vehicle to
retrieve game is also still a point of contention.

SAC is in regular contact with the Forest Service and will keep you informed as things progress
through the EIS process.

THX Annie...

Unfortunately.. the feds and lumber companies are dictating the same type of limited trails down here for us...