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SCORR NEWS |
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Hidden Gems Wilderness ProposalChuck Ginsburg/ SCORR Chairman - Summit County Off Road RidersMonday, April 5th The Map: Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal (379,000 acres) From 7:15 to 8:15pm Congressman Polis will be at Vinny’s Euro American Restaurant, 301 Main St, in Frisco, on what he is labeling a Listening Tour. This is an oportunity for you to go tell him your thoughs on issues including the Hidden Gems Wilderness proposal. Please be there by 6:30 with all your family and friends wearing something to identify you as a motorized user of OUR PUBLIC LANDS. Signs saying “No Hidden Gems, Don't Close Elliot Ridge, Don't Close Ten Mile, Don't Close Porcupine Gulch, Don't Close Hoosier Ridge, or Don't Close Lower Piney" will help make our position visible. If you cannot make the meeting on Monday or you live outside Summit County, at the very bottom of this email is a list of additional stops on Congressman Polis’ Listening Tour. Please have your friends in those areas attend those meetings also! It is important that we present ourselves as passionate and concerned citizens rather than an angry mob in order to gather the respect of the supporters of the proposal. Remember, we have two proposals to present to the County Commissioners and the U. S. Forest Service as well as the public regarding developing Tenderfoot Mountain and the Cemetery/Landfill Track for OHV use. Below are some talking points that Congressman Polis needs to be aware of:1) Urge Polis to reach out to potential affected user groups, local and state elected officials and other Colorado members of Congress for input on how such a designation will displace recreation opportunities and endanger property and lives that will be more vulnerable to the threat of forest fires; 2) Explain that public lands are not just for the able bodied, but also for families with small children who wish to recreate together, as well as active senior citizens and the less-abled who rely on the freedom provided by OHVs to access America's outdoors; 3) Tell Polis how important these riding areas are to family recreation, and to the promotion of family values. If responsible motorized areas are displaced, where will riders go? 4) Many Colorado jobs will be lost! More thoughts: COHVCO has 'stay the trail' which is great but having been to a lot of meetings with the HG's folks and county commissioner meetings, they only seem to hear comments such as 'I don't want this area closed because I ride my [mountain bike, dirt bike, snowmobile or whatever] here'. This may appear to come across as very self-serving with little regard for the forest itself. Attached is a letter from the American Motorcycle Association to Congressman Polis. Please read it before the meeting. Additional Wilderness would: · Further restrict our public lands to all user groups - eliminating anyone not physically able to hike – young, old, or disabled people to access the very lands they pay taxes for and have a right to use. This would immediately make our “public lands” inaccessible to many of our parents and grandchildren. · Eliminate the possibility of motorized recreation even if trails met sustainability and environmental standards. This would increase the density of motorized use in already overcrowded areas. · Alienate the mechanized and motorized user groups. Eliminating any trails and restricting future trail use is a sure way to put the motorized community (26% of the population of Colorado) in competition with land managers. The better option than completely closing areas is finding solutions to enable responsible and sustainable motorized recreation which puts the motorized community in cooperation with land managers. · Make wildfire control, pine beetle control, emergency rescue, and other “forest management” issues much more expensive if not impossible to conduct. Wilderness means NO emergency vehicles, no chainsaws, no fire trucks, no logging, and no mechanized/motorized recreation. · Reduce funding for trails and maintenance for all user groups as adding more wilderness would divert USFS management dollars to managing the wilderness and enforcing trail use and closure. This would also probably require closure of other trails and services.
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Combining Work and Play with the AMAby Tim Nixon/SCORR, March 21, 2010
It's been a rumor for years that joining the The rumor went that supporting It's an outdated rumor because for the last four years, the AMA has been accused of just the opposite. "Our efforts are generally split pretty evenly between street and off-road issues. However the last few years have proven particularly challenging in protecting off-road riding opportunities, especially in Colorado. The AMA has partnered with COHVCO, TPA, BRC and other to initiate public debates over potential Wilderness designations including campaigns like H.R. 4289, the Colorado Wilderness Act of 2009 (850,000 acres), H.R. 3914, The San Juan Wilderness Act (44,000 acres) and the yet to be introduced Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal (379,000 acres)." Our community is beginning to speak with a more unified voice and it's beginning to pay off." AMA President Rob Dingman said. Former SCORR president and current webmaster Tim Nixon spent a few days in the Moab, Utah desert riding with AMA President Rob Dingman, AMA Vice President Ed Moreland, AMA Chairman Stan Simpson and a host of others. This “Ride with Respect” tour was hosted by the Trails Preservation Alliance and attended by Don Riggle, Director of Operations. For a bit of history, TPA gave SCORR a grant a few years ago to help us to become incorporated. “One of our missions is to enable clubs like SCORR to get organized and help us in the on-going battle to keep our trails open”, TPA Director Don Riggle said. We rode with Moab local Dale Parriott of Elite Motorcycle Tours and shown several possible trail closures in the Moab area. These areas are north of Moab, on both sides of State Highway 191. The riding in Moab was spectacular and Dale kept a diverse group of riders safe, including those on KTM 960's and a 990 in places where a trials bike was more appropriate. But what about Colorado and SCORR? First, money helps. Become a member of all of the above organizations and renew every year to help pay for the staff, lobbyists and the lawyers that help fight for our right to ride. Second, write letters. The AMA has a wealth of information, including a Rapid Response Center with details needed to compose your factual and convincing masterpiece. Besides, you don't need those heated hand grips! |
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Tenderfoot/ Frey Gulch Area, Dillon CO Issue SummaryClick here for the complete summary, complete with maps and proposed solutions The following is an excerpt from the summary by Ken Waugh/ Dillon Ranger District: Area Description:The Tenderfoot / Frey Gulch area is approximately 4,200 acres of National Forest in Colorado that borders on public land administered by Summit County, the town of Dillon, and the Denver Water Board as well as numerous private residences. Approximately 700 hundred acres of Summit County land is designated as landfill property and consists of the trailhead adjacent to the Dillon Cemetery, the motocross area to the east of the trailhead, and 1.5 miles of the Oro Grande Trail. Issues:There are two distinct constituents who have an interest in the Tenderfoot /Fry Gulch Area. First are those that recreate in the area and second are Summit County residents (who also recreate in the area). Recreationists consist of campers, hunters, hikers, jeep drivers, and riders of horses, ATV, motorcycles, and mountain bikes. The Forest Service has heard from both parties and many issues have been raised. Some of these issues are either not based on fact or can be mitigated. The motorcycle riders have expressed a desire to maintain the opportunity to ride in the area. Not only do they want the system that is proposed in the Travel Management Plan, but ultimately a trail system of about 30 miles total. This must be considered in the Forest Travel Plan decision. In the letter that the BOCC submitted to the Forest Service with comments to the Supplemental Draft Travel Plan EIS, the reasons for strong opposition were stated to as:
These issues were identified by mostly uninformed residents and resulted in a hastily-made decision to recommend that the whole 4,200 acre area be designated for non-motorized recreation purposes only. The Dillon Ranger District offers clarification and possible mitigation of the following issues raised by the public:Issue A - Appropriateness of the use of motorcycles in the National Forest. Issue - Some people believe that riding motorcycles on trails on National Forest land is not appropriate. Response - Riding motorcycles on trails is, in fact, appropriate in some areas. These areas have been designated though the Forest Planning process, which is a very public process. The White River National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) was revised recently (in 2002). That is when general decisions were made as to what areas are managed for motorized or non-motorized recreation. In the current Forest-wide travel planning process, the Forest Service will make site specific decisions on travel and must be consistent with direction in the Forest Plan. The Forest Plan gives some general Forest-wide direction. For example, there is a stated objective to “Improve the capability of the National Forests…to provide diverse, high quality outdoor recreation opportunities.” And there is a guideline to “Emphasize providing a wide range of motorized, mechanized, and non-motorized recreation opportunities and difficulty levels.” The Forest Plan identifies Management Areas which are grouped into eight major categories. Within each category are different management area prescriptions that share a related management emphasis. Each prescription is defined in terms of a theme, Management Area description, desired condition, standards, and guidelines. The Tenderfoot / Frey Gulch area consists of three management areas. 5.41- Elk and Deer Winter Range, 5.43 - Elk Spring Calving Habitat, and 5.5 - Forested Landscape Linkages. Tenderfoot/ Frey Gulch Area, Dillon CO FAQ'sby SCORR Where is the proposed trail and parking lot?In response to public comments on the trail layout, SCORR has maximized the distance between residential areas and proposed trails. Forest Service direction cannot override land use decisions on adjacent lands; therefore SCORR has eliminated the Oro Grande trail, the Dillon cemetery trailhead, and the adjacent “track” area from their proposed network in response to the County’s recommendation of non-motorized use on that trail that come about during the comment period for the Travel Management Plan. In February, the Town of Dillon and the Snake River Planning Commission amended their land use codes to eliminate motorized vehicle along the Snake River. As a result, the proposal does not include access to the proposed Tenderfoot trail system from any of these existing routes. SCORR has identified an area past the shooting range and beyond the Forest Service gate for the proposed trailhead for parking and access to the proposed new trail system. Who is going to pay?
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May 15, 2009 Hello SCORR members,This year there were an amazing amount of changes for SCORR and there is much more to come. We have been busily planning more fun events to go along with our usual activities like trail maintenance and supporting the Summit Mountain Challenge. One of the changes is that we are instituting a membership plan for SCORR, so we can raise the funds necessary to support our organization. The funds will be used to support a new and better club. For example, we needed to create 501(c)3 non profit corporation for SCORR so we could apply for state OHV grant funds. Your SCORR contributions are now tax deductible and you will receive written acknowledgment from the club for all contributions. In addition, other contribution you make to the club may also be deductible. The funds raised by our membership plan, contributions and sponsorships will go toward supporting the necessary state and federal reporting along with funding our operating expenses like the web site.
Our first event this year should be a lot more fun than our previous meetings at the senior center. No offence to the center, but this upbeat meeting will be held at the Backcountry Brewery Thursday, June 4th from 6-8pm. Drop by any time and enjoy the opportunity to win cool door prices and take advantage of a special two for one beer special for all 2009 SCORR members. Coffee and soft drinks will be free and Backcountry has offered to extend their happy hour just for us, 25% off appetizers and additional pints for only $2 until 8pm. Members of the SCORR board will be there to personally update you on all that has happened over the last year as we became a non-profit corporation, commented on the hidden gems wilderness campaign, the Forest Service travel management plan, defended our right to ride in the golden horseshoe, applied for state OHV grants and faced some local opposition.
SCORR is organized for rider education and close cooperation with the Forest Service and Summit County governments to protect, promote, manage and preserve motorized trail riding opportunities in Summit County, Colorado. We hope you agree that SCORR is worth supporting with a $25 annual membership and appreciate any contributions you can afford. Regardless of whether you can support us with contributions we would still like to see as many of you as possible at our membership drive. Come out and enjoy the fun. We will also have sign-up sheets for our trail maintenance and support for the Summit Mountain Challenge. Here is the current Calendar for SCORR in 2009:
Meetings and Rides - June 4th 6-8pm at the Backcountry Brewery in Frisco, First annual SCORR membership Drive - Proposed August 29th Trail Ride in Buena Vista - TBD
Trail Maintenance and Group Ride - June 20th - SCORR Party to follow - July 11th - August 1st - September 19th
Summit Mountain Challenge MTB Races – we need volunteers (moto support) to help at the asterisked dates! - June 3rd Frisco - June 13th Tour De Trash * - June 24th Gold Rush * - July 4th Firecracker * - July 15th Swan River * - July 29th Peaks - August 12th Penn. Gulch * - August 19th Breckenridge
In case you cannot attend the membership Drive and would still like to contribute we have attached our new membership form. To volunteer for a trail maintenance day please contact Chuck Ginsberg (chuckginsburg@comcast.net). To volunteer for the Summit County Challenge support please contact David Love (davidrlove@comcast.net). Thanks in advance, with your help this will be a great year for SCORR!
Chuck Ginsburg Kent McGrew Mike Hawkins Fred Niggeler David Love |
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Proposed Tenderfoot Mountain Trail System
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July 12, 2008COHVCO awarded SCORR "The OHV Club of the Year"!Here is what they had to say about YOUR club!"There are lots of OHV clubs in Colorado that have dedicated many years of efforts to enhance motorized recreation opportunities throughout Colorado and many are deserving of the recognition. However, few have done as much, in such a short amount of time as the Summit County Off Road Riders (SCORR). The club was dormant for many years [after fighting successfully for previous years to keep our trails open -Ed] until early in 2006 when an area near Breckenridge called the Golden Horseshoe began to get attention as an area in “need” of recreational management when the town of Breckenridge and Summit County jointly purchased the lands owned by B&B Mines. At that time SCORR was resurrected and has stepped up to get involved in the process of helping to “manage” it and possibly provide some motorized recreation opportunities in the area. Because of their extensive partnership with the U. S. Forest Service at the Dillon Ranger District and after much compromise, it was suggested that Tenderfoot Mountain (the only other area open to motorized use in Summit County) be designated as an off road multi-use use area and was submitted in the Travel Management Plan. Goals include a permanent trailhead with organized parking, bathrooms, information kiosks, buck-n-rail fencing around a wetland, many miles of new trails, and maintenance/reconstruction of existing trails. Currently, SCORR has applied for a grant for State Parks OHV funds to begin this process. Several SCORR members are Trail Crew Leaders thru The Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, working side by side with the “non motorized” and mountain bike community demonstrating that they can also take stewardship of public lands seriously. Last year SCORR won two awards for their efforts to preserve their trails: The Golden Pulaski form The Friends of the Dillon Ranger District and Volunteer of the year from Summit County Open Space and Trails. This year they have seven trail projects on the calendar over the course of the summer. SCORR has monthly meetings held the first Thursday of every month at the Summit County Community Center. |
