You may download a PDF version of this newsletter (684kB).
In July 2005, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest issued a Decision opening 7,000 acres of the Proposed Hoover Wilderness Addition to snowmobiles. We believe that a bad precedent was set when they did not follow required administrative procedures. Most important, in our view, the FS did not do their best to consider users' inputs and create alternatives that would benefit everybody.
As a result, on September 6, 2005 Snowlands Network filed an appeal of the Decision to open 7,000 acres of the Proposed Hoover Wilderness Addition to snowmobile use.
Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Wilderness Society and the Range of Light Group of the Sierra Club are just three of the other recreation and environmental organizations who oppose the Decision to open these Hoover Addition lands to snowmobile use. Winter Wildlands Alliance is a co-appellant on the Snowlands appeal while the other organizations have filed their own appeals.
Snowlands has been working on this issue for two years and is disappointed with the process and the outcome. Snowlands recognizes that decisions should not be based entirely on public voting. However, in this case, the public's opinion was clear 90 percent of the more than 10,000 comments received by the FS opposed opening the Hoover Addition to motorized uses.
The Forest Service's Decision claims that the remaining 40,000 acres of the Proposed Hoover Wilderness Addition, Emigrant Wilderness and Yosemite National Park will be "protected from snowmobile trespass through on-going enforcement activities..."
Snowlands' appeal asks "what on-going enforcement?" For the past 18 years the Forest Service did not enforce the existing snowmobile closure of the entire 47,000 acres. During the 2004-2005 winter our volunteer monitors documented extensive trespass. The Forest Service acknowledged the trespass. Not one citation was issued although the FS had committed to enforce the area closure and had California state money in hand for enforcement!
Under the 2005 Decision the new snowmobile boundaries are more remote and harder to monitor. In the past, only the Leavitt Lake Road Corridor was open to snowmobile use. Even the Forest Service agrees that it will be more difficult to patrol the new boundary that is along the Sierra Crest, the border of Emigrant Wilderness.
Snowlands' appeal challenges the adequacy of the environmental assessment (EA). The Forest Service defined the project narrowly and foreclosed reasonable alternatives thus dictating a singular outcome. Specifically, the EA failed to explore and evaluate reasonable alternatives that could have eliminated the need for opening the Hoover Addition area or at least mitigate the negative impacts of opening the area while still providing additional snowmobile opportunities.
The "resource protection measures" that the Forest Service claim in the decision will protect the environment and other Forest users fail to meet their intended goal -- they merely rehash the status quo and are dependent upon funding and resources that do not exist.
The one concession in the Decision to non-motorized recreationists is that the area "would be available for unhampered backcountry skiing and snowshoeing after April 15." However, the Leavitt Lake Road Corridor, which bisects the 7,000 acres, will remain open to snowmobiles after April 15. Skiers and snowshoers will be forced to share miles of terrain with snowmobiles before reaching the closed area. We do not believe this is an "unhampered" wilderness experience.
Snowlands Network's appeal is strong. We claim that the Forest Service failed to follow procedures set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act when they failed to give the public adequate environmental information prior to the comment period on the project. A June 30, 2005 court ruling addresses this exact issue and clearly supports the appeal claim.
If the appeal is denied, Snowlands can seek an injunction to halt the implementation of the Decision. This would require the Forest Service to continue to manage the 7,000 acres as non-motorized until the court rules on our legal challenge to the Decision.
In July, the Mono County Board of Supervisors, in a non-binding but important vote, supported adding 40,000 acres of the Hoover Addition to the Wilderness while leaving the remaining 7,000 open to snowmobile use.
When will the Hoover Addition come up again in Washington for Wilderness designation? Snowlands can only hope that local and regional politicians will follow through with their support.
Snowlands Network will continue to monitor the Hoover area and document trespass and failure of the Forest Service to enforce motor vehicle boundaries regardless of where they are located. You can see Forest Service documents at: www.fs.fed.us/r4/htnf/
We are particularly indebted to volunteer Jeff Erdoes who, over the past two years, spent many days monitoring the area and provided important input to the appeal.
A hearty thanks goes to the east-side Sierra activists that made the Mono County vote a reality.
The Pathway 2007 Forum, a 40-member panel that represents the diverse constituencies of the Lake Tahoe Basin, meets monthly. As a Forum member, Snowlands Network President Ellen Lapham represents "national, non-motorized" users. This includes summer and winter recreationists. Ellen has taken over from Director Gail Ferrell in this role.
Please contact Ellen at Snowlands Network if you know of any group that would like to have input into the uses and concerns of non-motorized recreation at or around Lake Tahoe (contact information is here).
If you would like more information about the Pathway 2007 process, they have their own website: www.pathway2007.org
The WRP covers five areas: (1) access, (2) planning and interagency cooperation, (3) conflict between uses, (4) safety and (5) funding. The draft currently includes separate areas for motorized and non-motorized uses as a key component in the reduction in conflict between uses. This strategy maintains the concept of multiple-use of public lands, but eliminates shared use.
The draft plan also calls out high dollar amount penalties for trespass into non-motorized areas and rear mounted registration numbers or a license plate on all over-the-snow vehicles in order to facilitate enforcement.
Snowlands believes that inclusion of these and other parts of the draft winter recreation plan will benefit the human-powered community when it lobbies the OHMVR Division and Forest Service for protection of human-powered winter recreation opportunities.
"Many of our (California and Nevada) hikers, campers, skiers, snowshoers, climbers and snow-play families use our BLM lands for their winter as well as summer activities. Being active people, we also travel extensively, enjoying BLM lands across the Western United States.
"We value our BLM backcountry and want to ensure that it remains a peaceful place that is enjoyed and preserved for future generations. The BLM should be working towards this goal by establishing transportation plans with specific routes that recognize the range of recreational opportunities on public lands and adequately protects our wild lands.
"A coherent and specific system of routes for motorized users will benefit all users and the environment. Snowlands Network cares about this because we and our constituents have increasing interaction with off road vehicles during the summer months, and year-round unfortunate encounters with snowmobiles and ORV's in sensitive environments. Our enjoyment of our lands as well as our safety is greatly affected by the pollution, noise, and crowding we experience. We and our families who travel light are dismayed by the destruction done by those who travel heavily on motorized vehicles."
Snowlands Network has an action plan to establish a winter non-motorized area at Brockway Summit, located between Truckee and Lake Tahoe on Highway 267. A key part of this plan is for hundreds of skiers and snowshoers to write letters. The key point: there are sufficient lands in the area to provide for both motorized and non-motorized winter recreation.
The obvious division is for snowmobilers (both commercial and private) to continue using the extensive Mt. Watson Road area on the highway's west side. The extensive snowmobile resources there include 23 miles of groomed trails, two designated snowmobile play areas, and three commercial snowmobile concessionaires.
The Forest Service estimates that on Mt. Watson's groomed trails there are between 8,000 and 10,000 snowmobile user days per season. These numbers include 2,400 to 3,000 public, non-commercial user days. On a fair-weather weekend half-day trip, this translates into a skier or snowshoer being passed by 150 or more snowmobiles!
To balance the equation and provide winter recreation for the many non-motorized visitors, Snowlands proposes that a four-mile road on the east side of Highway 267 be set aside as non-motorized. This road ascends gently from Brockway Summit to the top of Martis Peak, and its' unbeatable views of Lake Tahoe. As you can imagine, the Martis Peak area has long been a destination for backcountry skiers and snowshoers.
There are also other snow-covered roads in the Martis Peak area that would make excellent ski tours if designated, marked and signed. The adjacent Mount Rose Wilderness also has wonderful opportunities for skiing and showshoeing.
Tahoe Meadows is a beautiful 4 square mile area just west of the summit on the Mt. Rose Highway between Reno and Lake Tahoe. It is by far the most popular area for skiing, snowshoeing and family sledding anywhere within 100 miles from this destination.
Snowlands and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest agree on the numbers: at least 40,000 people go there for non-motorized snow fun each winter. The Reno area alone will swell to over half a million people within the next 15 years. The demand for public lands to ski, hike and bike will be even greater than now.
On a beautiful sunny winter day, 1500 snow-players visit. This has long been an area of human-powered winter sports and continues to be so, with 93% of the users there for skiing, snowshoeing and family snow-play. We have this valuable data because director Gail Ferrell spent days in the field counting and photographing users.
Snowlands monitored winter 2004-2005 use at Tahoe Meadows and the surrounding Mt. Rose Wilderness and Galena Drainage. Sadly, snowmobile trespass into non-motorized areas was constant, with 25 violations noted by Snowlands volunteers alone. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Carson Ranger District, Humboldt-Toiyabe NF, have also documented snowmobile violations into the these special areas set aside to be enjoyed in their natural state.
In 2005-2006, for the third and last winter in a row, the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will receive $40,000 from Nevada State Parks to patrol and enforce the non-motorized boundaries of areas in and around Tahoe Meadows. Last year the District had promised to increase patrols at Tahoe Meadows by 20% instead they decreased patrols by 40%.
Sadly, with over 130 documented snowmobile violations into restricted areas over the last 3 winters, the Carson Ranger District has not been effective. If, as in previous winters, the snowmobile trespass continues unabated, Snowlands will press hard to close all of Tahoe Meadows to motorized winter use. Note, this area is already completely closed to motorized use in summer.
Now is the time to ensure those special places are preserved to for all to experience the silent wonder of winter. Gail Ferrell is Snowlands' lead on this project.
Snowlands will be representing the interest of skiers, snowshoers, snowboarders and families who enjoy snow-play as the purchase and planning processes carry on. We will work to ensure the Incline Lake Property and the adjacent lands are set aside for non-motorized winter recreation.
All those involved believe that a unified voice representing the skiers, snowshoers, snow-players and others who seek solitude when visiting Hope Valley is the best way to effect a compromise that balances our needs with that of the snowmobile community.
The Forest Service has a very difficult task. With Snowlands Network's backing, the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division allocated $8000 to fund a facilitator for this process. A facilitator was instrumental in reaching an agreement on Sawtooth NF for the Wood River Valley where a similar situation existed. Snowlands will work to encourage additional funding for facilitation.
Winning on NEPA ensures that there will be a new environmental assessment. It will be in the form of a greater Hope Valley Winter Recreation Plan. The RS 2477 claim, which is the subject of the appeal, is important because winning on it will give the Forest Service the ability to close Forestdale Road to snowmobile use as part of the new plan.
Clearly a new study will not generate a new conclusion so long as the study continues to be based on science. When it comes to providing access to the park, snowcoaches are equalizing in that they give all individuals the same opportunity to see Yellowstone in winter. This includes children, the elderly and the disabled. The use of snowmobiles benefits one group of park visitors at the detriment of other park visitors who must live with the noise and odor of the machines, or just not visit the park.
The good news is that while the Administration continues with its single-minded approach, data show that visitors and local business owners are already shifting to other modes of winter transportation. The Director of the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce acknowledged earlier this year that a transition is definitely underway, thus shifting the local economy. Business owners are investing in snowcoaches and visitors are riding them in larger and larger numbers while the demand for snowmobile rentals is down.
Site-specific discussions are taking place aimed at creating possibly two non-motorized areas along Highway 88 in the Iron Mountain to Silver Lake area. In a compromise that is being discussed, the snowmobile community would receive improved snowmobile access in areas too far for one-day access by skiers and snowshoers.
But the devil's in the details. Last winter's on-the-ground meeting attended by all the stakeholders was followed by a late summer on-the-ground meeting between our chairman, Marcus Libkind, and the vice-president of the California Nevada Snowmobile Association, Jay Dobler. The negotiations continue.
The efforts of Snowlands focused on the importance of visible license plates on snowmobiles and other ORVs to allow law enforcement officials to properly patrol and ticket drivers that use their machines unlawfully. Currently Nevada has no such requirement to register and tag ORVs. Snowlands will continue to work to achieve a ruling that, within the definition of SB400, snowmobiles are fully identifiable when used on public lands.
Patagonia's internship program allowed employee Chad Brown to be a full-time volunteer. During winter 2004, Chad monitored snowmobile use in the Lake Tahoe area, and gave us much needed data.
This past winter, because of the initiative of Cliff Leihe and Bob Wieting, Snowlands Network hosted presentations at a Snownet meeting and a Ski Mountaineers of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club meeting.
Mike Dooley, who has been instrumental in nurturing Snowlands' relationship with REI, joined Marcus Libkind and representatives of the snowmobile community, Forest Service and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division in a 60-mile snowmobile tour of the Iron Mountain area. This event was part of the on-going negotiations regarding winter recreation in the area.
Doug Frazier has become our leader on winter recreation issues in the Bear Valley area. He has attended numerous meetings, written countless letters and made unending phone calls to agency officials.
Aaron and Kimi Johnson, owners of Mountain Adventure Seminars and Base Camp Lodge in Bear Valley, have continue to actively work toward protecting and enhancing human-powered winter recreation in the Bear Valley area of Stanislaus National Forest. Snowlands is also indebted to them for promoting Snowlands Network in their 2004-2005 brochures.
Jeff Erdoes continues to be at the top of our list of hard working volunteers. This past year he has spent countless "days" monitoring backcountry areas where snowmobile trespass persists. He also met with the Forest Service on several occasions, attended a Mono Country Board of Supervisors meeting, worked with environmentalists to help shape Nevada Off-Road Vehicle legislation, participated in a planning meeting for a Hope Valley winter recreation plan, and reviewed and wrote analyses of various agency documents, meetings and proposals.
Snowlands is sponsoring two October events inspired and led by member Larry Crisman. Larry is dedicated to building and maintaining backcountry ski and snowshoe trails on Lassen National Forest.
Snowlands works to provide high-quality trails for backcountry skiers and snowshoers. These trail days also show the Forest Service that our community values these places enough to volunteer our time.
Chico: Both days we will meet at the Chico Park and Ride at Highways 99 and 32 at 8:00 AM from which we will carpool. Plan to share gas expenses.
Bay Area: Anyone interested in carpooling on Friday night, Oct 14, from the greater San Francisco Bay Area should contact Marcus Libkind (925-455-5816).
Poised and steady on my cramponed feet I stood on a knife-edge looking down on a steep, deep blue ice slope of 80 degrees plus. I grinned at the view despite my exhaustion and the incessant, blasting winds. Another ice face climbed, another difficult pitch - yet we were just a few days up on the mountain in an expedition that took many weeks to reach 28,000 feet. That climb was my 1986 attempt on Mount Everest's North North-East route.
Now, 19 years later, my expedition is closer to home. Joining Snowlands brings me toward my goal of preserving and enjoying our spectacular wilderness. I trust that my experience on big mountains and in remote parts of the Far North will help us persevere despite avalanches, ice, winds ... appeals, injunctions, writs.
Over the years I found inspiration in knowing where we are going (the top of a mountain is a clear goal, readily seen) and how we are going to get there (slog upward under loads). So, I started this job by writing my first draft 'elevator speech' and proposing a vision:
Snowlands Network is the only California and Nevada advocacy organization for winter recreation that is powered by muscle (skiing, snowshoeing, snow-playing, hiking, climbing, birdwatching, photography, etc).
Today, millions of recreationists from young families with 'tubes' to retirees on snowshoes, from Nordic racers on skate skis to backpackers on randonee skis want open winter landscapes free of urban ills noise, pollution, crowding.
Snowlands has a vision we strive to ensure: Future generations will enjoy plentiful winter recreation acres. They will inherit serene meadows and forests, and quiet mountains with unpolluted watersheds -- even when they are close to high growth urban centers.
How do we achieve that vision? That is for the next draft.
Ellen
With this issue of the Snowlands Bulletin I am very proud to announce that we have fulfilled another of the goals set when we formed Snowlands Network four years ago -- we have hired our first professional staff member, Ellen Lapham. Getting to this point required taking on significant new work as well as continuing our ongoing representation of your interests. This Bulletin presents our work since the last issue of Winter 2004/2005.
Ellen came on-board full-time on July 1 and is coming up-to-speed on the many facets of our organization. She comes to us with excellent business and public service credentials and a passion for our work. After receiving her MBA from Stanford she spent 20 years as an executive in Silicon Valley. In parallel she chaired the board of environmental education center Hidden Villa, volunteered on regional and national boards, and has spent weeks on skis in the wilderness. Ellen has one son, an emerging filmmaker in Los Angeles. I truly believe that with her expertise and guidance Snowlands is embarking on significant changes that will increase our effectiveness in representing you.
The entire Board of Directors and numerous volunteers have done a fantastic job keeping things going over the difficult past year as we increased our fundraising efforts and searched for the right person to manage the organization. We are especially indebted to five major donors, The Morgan Family Foundation, the Fairweather Foundation, REI, The Resources Legacy Foundation, and Patagonia. Their trust in the Board of Directors and support for our work has permitted us to take this giant step forward.
The articles in this Bulletin give you a glimpse of the many things that have been going on over the past nine months that affect you. Through it all Snowlands has been there representing all non-motorized winter recreationists. It is difficult to say one issue is any more important than another, but for me the current negotiations with the snowmobile community and agencies regarding establishment of non-motorized areas in the Iron Mountain area is very near and dear to me. Why? Directors Jim Gibson, Janet Hoffmann and I have worked on this for 19 years.
Today I am hopeful. I see the potential for a collaborative agreement between parties that will lead to the designation of non-motorized winter areas along the Highway 88 corridor on the Amador Ranger District, Eldorado National Forest.
Marcus
You'll sail along the ridge,with spectacular views east and west, on this easy 6-mile ski tour.
DESCRIPTION|
Difficulty: |
Advanced beginner and beginning intermediate |
| Length: | 6 miles round trip |
| Starting Elevation: | 7900 feet |
| Cumulative Elevation Change: | +900, -900 feet round trip |
| Navigation: | Map |
| Time: | Most of a day |
| Season: | Early December through mid-April |
| Snowmobiles: | Low use |
| USGS Topo: | 7.5' series, Tragedy Spring |
| Start: | Highway 88, 2.9 miles southwest of the Silver Lake dam, where the highway makes a right angle turn. |
This north-south ridgeline tour above Shealor Lakes to the west and the Silver Fork of the American River to the east is a little known gem along Highway 88 at Tragedy Spring. A short ski from the highway puts you on the ridge; beyond it is easy to follow the ridge as you absorb the outrageous views surrounding you including the red cliffs of Thunder Mountain that form a stark contrast with the snow and border of Kirkwood Ski Resort. Equally impressive is the view down to frozen North Tragedy Creek and Shealor Lakes.
Although the tour described here ends at Peak 7620, more advanced skiers can create a loop by combining this tour with one in the North Tragedy Creek drainage. There is also the opportunity for a one-way tour along the ridge with a return to the highway at the dam at Silver Lake. The really hearty can end the day by climbing from Silver Lake to Tragedy Spring.
The tour begins on the north side of Highway 88 at Tragedy Spring. You will find parking on both sides of the highway. Ski slightly east of north for approximately 0.4 mile until you find yourself at the south end of a ridge that runs north. In this first stretch you will climb slightly, descend slightly and finally climb slightly to the ridge. The route finding for the remaining 2.7 miles is straightforward -- just follow the ridge north to Peak 7620.
A major part of this Grant will help our volunteers mark trails along California Highway 88 and create the first ever trail map for the area. These trails will be within easy reach of the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area for day and overnight backcountry ski and snowshoe adventures. We emphasized to REI that many people need the security provided by marked backcountry winter trails just as they need marked hiking trails in the summer. REI agreed!
REI's Jerry McKeon presents check to Snowlands' chairman Marcus Libkind.
 |
Snowlands' Board and volunteers are actively building trails, monitoring uses, assisting planning, and ensuring that muscle-powered winter recreation stays exceptional inCalifornia and Nevada |
What is a Great Way For You to Spend Money and Support Snowlands...
...without a single extra dollar coming out of your pocket? Check out these three ways -- all are simple and environmentally friendly.
Every time you shop at Amazon.com and Backcountry.com be sure to enter their website by clicking on their logos on the Snowlands website (www.snowlands.org).
They will send Snowlands a cash payment based on any purchase you make. Tell your friends too!
Snowlands Network is proud to announce that our founder and chairman Marcus Libkind was voted second place in Hooked on the Outdoors' quest for their Second Annual Outdoor Person of the Year.
In February 2005 the magazine announced the Top 10 national leaders. They all shared the common characteristic of giving back while remaining selfless -- one of the criteria in the judging -- along with being an inspiration to outdoor enthusiasts.
The many nominees were initially narrowed by Hooked to a list of 25. Then Hooked contributors and friends voted on the slate. Marcus came in second, being aced out by none other than Gary Erickson, owner of Cliff Bar Inc.
Hooked had it right when they wrote: "If you happen to be skiing in the California backcountry of the Sierra Nevada and you experience the solitude of wildlands, take a moment to whisper a word of thanks to Marcus Libkind."
You can read the entire Hooked on the Outdoors story on the internet at:
It is an excellent history of Marcus' 20 years of activism in representing your interests.
Backcountry Snow-sports Alliance, CO
Bluewater Network
Carson Valley Trails Association
Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation
Friends of Hope Valley
Friends of Kirkwood
High Sierra Hikers Association
Natural Trails and Waters Coalition
Planning and Conservation League
Sierra Nevada Alliance
Wildlands CPR
Winter Wildlands Alliance
| Bicycle Bananas Reno, NV www.bicyclebananas.com |
Patagonia Outlet Reno, NV www.patagonia.com |
|
Bicycle Warehouse |
REI www.rei.com |
|
Bittersweet Publishing Company |
Rock Creek Lodge Mammoth Lakes, CA www.rockcreeklodge.com |
|
Erik Holland, Artist |
Sorensen's Resort Hope Valley, CA www.sorensensresort.com |
|
KPS|3 Advertising |
The Sporting Rage Carson City, NV www.sportingrage.com |
|
Lost Trail Lodge |
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage San Jose, CA |
| Mt. Rose -- Ski Tahoe www.mtrose.com |
Western Mountaineering www.western mountaineering.com |
| Mountain Adventure Seminars Bear Valley, CA www.mtadventure.com |
Wilderness Exchange Berkeley, CA www.wildernessexchange.citysearch.com |