Take Action Travel Plan
Do not let your voice be drowned out by the roar of engines!
Joseph Canyon Sunrise
Deep ruts from off-road motor vehicle use
Illegal Motor Trail Proliferation
Spring Creek Damage
Each National Forest was directed to create a Travel Management Plan (TMP) that will prevent the irreparable damage of unchecked motorized vehicle use by determining where motor vehicle use is appropriate. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is still in the process of revising their TMP. Currently, we are in an open comment period on the draft Plan. Comments to Forest Supervisor Steve Ellis are very important and will help shape his decision. We need to clearly show the Forest Service that the majority of forest users want to limit motorized-vehicles on the forest.
Fire up your pen not your motor, and comment on the TMP Draft Plan!!
The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is magnificent country to enjoy solitude, wildlife viewing, hiking, hunting, fishing, stock use, and backpacking. This plan will impact your right to enjoy these activities for decades to come. The Forest Service is considering six alternatives ranging from great to terrible. The impact of these alternatives on natural resources is clear, more motor vehicle routes equals more resource damage. Tell the Forest Service to protect wildlife, fisheries, native plant communities, water quality, old growth forests, and your right to enjoy traditional non-motorized recreation free from rampant motorized use. Let them know that you want natural resource protection taken seriously by selecting Alternative 6! Even if you submitted a letter earlier in the comment period, it is imperative that you write a letter in support of Alternative 6 now!
Open and download the pre-addressed Wallowa-Whitman NF Comment Form – Travel Management Plan in pdf format. Write your comments on this form. In your letter write about a traditional quiet activity you enjoy on the WWNF such as huckleberry picking, horseback riding, birdwatching, or hiking. Mention a specific place you use for that activity, or talk about a particular resource issue you care about - fish, elk, birds, rivers, grasslands, etc. Talk about how motorized vehicles damage that resource through erosion, habitat fragmentation, or noise, and say what action you want the USFS to take (example: close all Level 1 roads, minimize roads in riparian areas and reduce stream crossings, keep all Roadless Areas free from motorized vehicles).
Click here for specific suggestions on key points
And click here for suggestions on specific places to protect
The entire Draft EIS is available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/w-w/projects/travel-management-plan/index-deis.shtml. A very good comparison of the six alternatives is in the Executive Summary (pg. 3 – 38).
How to Submit Comments
Mail: Comments submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than September 17, 2009, and should be sent to:
Steve Ellis, Forest Supervisor, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
P.O. Box 907
Baker City, OR 97814
E-mail comments must be sent to the following address: comments-pacificnorthwest-wallowa-whitman@fs.fed.us. Those submitting electronic copies must do so to the e-mail address listed above, put the project name in the subject line (Travel Management Plan DEIS Comments), and either submit comments as part of the e-mail message or as an attachment in one of the following three formats: Microsoft Word, rich text format (rtf) or Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf). E-mails submitted to e-mail addresses other than the one listed above or in other formats than those listed or containing viruses will be rejected.
learn more about the Travel Plan process.
Send Comments to:
Steve Ellis, Wallowa-Whitman Forest Supervisor
P.O. Box 907
Baker City, Oregon 97814
Or email your comments to: wwnf_travel_mgmt_plan@fs.fed.us
Send Letters to Editor to:
La Grande Observer at news@lagrandeobserver.com
The Chieftain in Enterprise at editor@wallowa.com
The Baker City Herald at news@bakercityherald.com
