Outside the Ivory Tower: 42 Roads Continued

Outside the Ivory Tower: 42 Roads Continued

At the end of October “42 Roads and the New Forest” was posted. It asked people to attend a Forest Service open house. Their plans have moved along and on 3/6/2013 another open house was held. I submitted the following:

Comments on the El Dorado National Forest Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Travel Management Project dated February, 2013

Firstly, I wish to thank all those responsible for this detailed analysis of the National Forests’ roads. And I want to especially thank those responsible for the very productive efforts that produced alternatives exhibiting common sense enforcement of the existing environmental laws. Some of these alternatives significantly modify a court order of extreme environmental ideology. However, I am not satisfied with any of them. No routes, except for rare exceptions, should have been closed. Given our population growth and the growing need of outdoor experience for urban people, the Forest Service should be expanding, not reducing, use of the National Forests. “Cross country travel” roads, which are now prohibited, are essential for emergency services and for logging. They also allow people to enjoy the forest while going to other destinations.

Forest roads should not be reserved only for those with the time to explore dead end roads. But dead end roads should also not be closed because they provide access to more private locations. People have the right to experience a forest, not a more crowded park like situation. None of what I’ve said, however, is meant to preclude improvements or changes in a probably small number of very destructive road situations. I would prefer the Forest Service to devote itself to fixing those very few situations and expanding, not restricting, forest use.

Mark L. Bennett, Pine Grove