Politics : politics@vcmc.info

Sequoia Trails Newsletter December 2024

GREAT NEWS-Stewards of the Sequoia Volunteers Reinstated

It took three years, but Stewards of the Sequoia volunteer trail maintenance program was recently reinstated by the Sequoia Forest Service, including reinstating our 30 adopt a trails. There were smiles all around as new staff welcomed Stewards back as partners.

At this point, Stewards have been maintaining and saving Sequoia trails for over 20 years. That is more years than most staff have been working for the Forest Service.

With heavy rain storms in the forecast, Stewards volunteers immediately started working on trails to prevent them from rutting out and negating our previous hard work. Over the past two weeks, Stewards rebuilt a record-breaking 232 water bars that had failed or were about to fail on 58 miles of trails. This will prevent ruts and increase your recreation enjoyment. It was most fortunate that Stewards was able to do this work since many trails had received no maintenance during the three years that Stewards was prohibited from working on them.

Stewards award-wining Trail Appreciation program will continue to rebuild more water bars, brush and clear trees on the trails this fall and winter.

2024 Year In Review Stewards continued our maintenance program on BLM trails again this year, performing maintenance on over 60 miles of trails including refreshing 94 water bars, clearing 17 downed trees and repairing 2900 feet of ruts. The BLM continues to appreciate Stewards efforts to help maintain trails. Stewards have also been engaged in planning efforts to keep trails open. Problems Ahead The Piute Travel Plan has been on hold for many years now and the Sequoia Forest has talked about imminent resumption of the process for the past year. Stewards was a heavily involved stakeholder in the  past Piute Plan process, submitting hundreds of pages of substantive legal comments and helping draft the Proposed Action to include all Piute trails remaining open. Stewards was instrumental in getting all trails reopened after the 2008 Piute Fire closure. However, now it seems the Forest Service wants to ignore all past planning in favor of keeping very few Piute trails open. It looks like Stewards are going to have to continue to heavily advocate for keeping Piute trails open during the upcoming plan. Certainly, without Stewards advocacy work, most of the Piute trails would have already been closed and would soon be closed.

. WHY WATER BARS? No one likes ruts, but trails rut out like above left without waterbars to prevent water running down them It takes a lot of time to fill in ruts like above right. It is far better to water bar and prevent ruts and have fun trails

Help Is Needed

Sadly, many Stewards members have cancelled their annual donations to the point that this year Stewards had to use money from our war chest to pay much of this years expenses. We urge those of you have not donated to Stewards to step up now and do your part by donating to help stop trail closures and maintain Sequoia trails.

Stewards have been fighting and winning to keep Sequoia trails open for over 20 years, but we need the support of more of the people who enjoy Sequoia trails to keep doing that.

What are your Sequoia trails worth to you? Make no mistake, funding Stewards advocacy now is the most effective and necessary way to keep your trails open. Once trails are closed, it is far more costly or even impossible to get them reopened.

Please make your tax deductible donation now to help keep your Sequoia trails open. Please urge your friends who enjoy Sequoia trails to donate and do their part.