WMC Update 2012

Would you like to see WSSA support better access to already protected areas for skiers in an effort to help protect and enhance access for its own constituents? Is that a place where there could be common ground?

If snowmobilers wouldn't loose area, nor loose the money they pay into the grooming system, then why wouldn't they?

Response to Wenatchee Mountains Coalition re:  Designating Areas on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for Non-Motorized Winter Recreation


The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor, Becki Heath, has recently received several e-mails requesting that certain areas on the National Forest be designated for non-motorized winter recreation.  Supervisor Heath appreciates the interest expressed in these messages and recognizes the need for a range of winter recreation opportunities on the Forest.  The Forest Planning process is the appropriate venue for identifying and addressing these types of interests and issues. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is currently in the process of revising its Forest Plan, and in order for us to address the interests conveyed in recent e-mails we request that you direct future correspondence regarding this topic to the Forest Planning team.  Supervisor Heath maintains close communication with the planning team and regularly reviews public input, so she will remain informed of your interests. 

Please address future correspondence regarding designating areas for particular types of winter recreation use to:  r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us. {*Please note the third character is an underscore= r6_ (underscore) ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us}   To send comments via US Mail the address is:  Forest Plan Revision Team, Okanogan Valley Office, 1240 Second Ave. South, Okanogan, WA 98840.   

For more information about the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests- Forest Plan Revision please visit the project website at:  www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/forest-plan  

Thank you for your interest and thoughtful comments. 

Response to Wenatchee Mountains Coalition re:  Designating Areas on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for Non-Motorized Winter Recreation


The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor, Becki Heath, has recently received several e-mails requesting that certain areas on the National Forest be designated for non-motorized winter recreation.  Supervisor Heath appreciates the interest expressed in these messages and recognizes the need for a range of winter recreation opportunities on the Forest.  The Forest Planning process is the appropriate venue for identifying and addressing these types of interests and issues. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is currently in the process of revising its Forest Plan, and in order for us to address the interests conveyed in recent e-mails we request that you direct future correspondence regarding this topic to the Forest Planning team.  Supervisor Heath maintains close communication with the planning team and regularly reviews public input, so she will remain informed of your interests. 

Please address future correspondence regarding designating areas for particular types of winter recreation use to:  r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us. {*Please note the third character is an underscore= r6_ (underscore) ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us}   To send comments via US Mail the address is:  Forest Plan Revision Team, Okanogan Valley Office, 1240 Second Ave. South, Okanogan, WA 98840.   

For more information about the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests- Forest Plan Revision please visit the project website at:  www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/forest-plan  

Thank you for your interest and thoughtful comments. 

Many thanks to the USFS Official sending this message by email in response and for posting it here. We are excited to know that USFS is paying attention to this issue. WMC will be providing input and information to the USFS Forest Planning Team. Thank you!

The Wenatchee Mountains Coalition designed the Thousand Skiers Project with the purpose of prompting skiers to communicate directly with the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor in order to illustrate the problem and to ask that the problem be managed now.

WMC believes that the Forest Planning Team will make recommendations in two years from now in regard to a future decision (if any) to manage winter Forest recreation management. We will support that while we seek now the immediate management of the problem.

We ask USFS to manage the current, significant, and well known to USFS Personnel, problem that the Forest in winter is dominated by one use- snowmobile riding. That use, offroad snowmobile riding, eliminates in many cases the opportunity for other legitimate Forest uses such as backcountry skiing and snowshoeing. Our proposed solution will create new and significant winter non-motorized areas. From the Winter Wildlands Alliance website- "Executive Order 11644 also required the Forest Service and other land managers to designate specific areas on which the use of off-road vehicles may and may not be permitted. According to the order, designation of motorized areas or trails will be based upon the protection of natural resources, promotion of the safety of all users of those lands, and minimization of conflicts among various user groups. " See  www.winterwildlands.org/grassroots/regulations.php   We are asking that the appropriate authority address this problem and implement changes on the Forest before November 1st, 2010.

WMC intent here is to inform USFS and to define the problem, to demonstrate the large population of Forest users that is adversely affected, and to ask the appropriate authority to act to manage this problem. We recognize and respect the authority of the Forest Supervisor and we are certain that the Supervisor may, for reasonable and legitimate cause, take action to manage this Forest users conflict. We will be pleased to send comments to the Forest Planning Team, and we will ask that the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor Heath take action to manage this problem before next winter. Thank you.

WMC.....what is your suggestion on where/when to ride snowmobiles? I'm sure since you are not being selfish, you have a suggestion.

WMC.....what is your suggestion on where/when to ride snowmobiles? I'm sure since you are not being selfish, you have a suggestion.

Well sir, that would be where allowed outside of Closed or non-motorized areas and outside of Wilderness. We have been over this extensively here- "Yes, sir you are indeed claiming it all for your use- snowmobile riding. Do you ski? We are familiar with your posts on Snowest as an avid snowmobile rider and see that you are going on there and here right now.

As far as Sno Parks, a vehicle that has displayed a valid Permit may park there. Perhaps sir you could share here some of the sentiment on this topic that is expressed on your usual forum? Sharing, eh?

WMC is seeking areas for non-motorized winter use so that skiers (etc) may have a shot at quiet recreation on untracked snow in some reasonable balance of the Forest total area. WMC has never stated that we seek prohibition or regulation of snowmobiles outside of non-motorized areas."

Below is another illustration of this problem that has been communicated to WMC (names and locations omitted, in WA):

"... we have a beautiful north facing meadow ... that is near the groomed snomo trail.  Sled heads access it via the summer trail (illegal!).  It makes a great place to take beginning ski tourers for safe, low angle skiing.  This year, I was leading a party of four there...  We were almost there, it was untouched since the last storm, when four "gladiators" roared up our uptrack on the summer trail.  All they wanted to do was yell at me when I motioned them to stop, saying we needed to "share".  How do you share a restaurant with someone who wants to throw up on your table?  They stayed there for 20 minutes or so and ruined the fine low angle slope for us before heading off to thousands of other acres they had access to.  (We did manage to move on to steeper slopes and thicker trees).  I'm sure they saw our machines parked and followed our track with intent.  I know they do not like skiers as we try to limit their access..."