4x4Wire

Here is the first try for United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) at our Blog.  Many thanks to John Stewart for allowing us this opportunity.  Bear with us as we learn the ropes!

Two eNews in the same month? November updates | UFWDA

See attached and headlines below. Also follow us on our new Twitter account @ufwdaOrg

Headlines
• New bold moves for Gov’t land grab and restrictions to recreational use!

• Links from the UFWDA 'forum'

• Two petitions started because of Utah issue

• Pirate 4x4 forum links

• Winch Recovery Bandana

• Where do you want to ride today?

November updates | UFWDA

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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the release of the Ring of Fire Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Haines Planning Area Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a 90-day public review and comment period. The BLM will accept public comments from December 14, 2012, through March 14, 2013.

The decisions to be made through this planning effort include:

Whether to retain the Special Recreation Management Area designation;

Whether any part of the Planning Area meets the criteria for an Area of Critical Environmental Concern designation;

The popular Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Riding Area in California may not (yet?) be lost to a Marine base expansion. But is this just a temporary reprieve or token gesture?

The military is barred from spending money on expanding the Twenty Nine Palms military base into Johnson Valley until it completes a report on how the expansion would affect off-highway riding, under a military spending authorization bill approved by U.S. House and Senate conferees on Dec. 18.

The non-binding report to Congress would cover the impact on OHV recreation in the Johnson Valley, along with alternatives for achieving the goals of the military and the OHV recreation communities. This report would allow for more time to come to a solution that meets the training needs of the military while maintaining access for motorized recreation. Or is it a placating stall tactic? There is nothing binding other than to complete the study. It is a study to determine if alternatives are available, not that alternatives must be found, followed or chosen by the military.

In July, the Department of the Navy released a final environmental impact statement for the expansion of the Marine base. The preferred alternative would allow public use of only 40,000 acres of the 190,000-acre Johnson Valley OHV area, and for only 10 months a year. It is an effort by the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twenty nine Palms to expand its land holdings to allow for more live-fire training. The proposed expansion needs congressional approval.

Several years ago, the Navy began the formal process to take over some 365,906 acres of public land near San Bernardino to use for live-fire training for the Marines. The Navy filed an application with the U.S. Interior Department seeking control of the public land, which is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Navy also wants priority for some 72,186 acres of non-federal land in case the federal government acquires it.
The fight to retain public land access for recreational use is far from a battle won in this case but it is a temporary reprieve.
Learn more by following us on Twitter @ufwdaOrg and visiting our website at www.ufwda.org or “Like” us on Facebook at United Four Wheel Drive Associations.

Ottawa National Forest Eastern OHV Connector

Good News! Another step toward passing the 70-mile Ottawa National Forest Eastern OHV Connector Route Project MI-TRALE has been working on for years happened this week.

Forest Supervisor, Anthony V. Scardina, issued a Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Ottawa National Forest Eastern OHV Connector Route Project.

View the latest at http://mi-trale.org/ottawa-national-forest-eastern-ohv-connector/

http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=38997

Greater Sage-Grouse Planning Efforts : How will it impact your recreational access to public lands?

The Forest Service (FS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to amend the Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and the Carson City and Battle Mountain Resource Management Plans.

These forests include 13 states. Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Restrictions in these states will have monumental consequences for us all.