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Sequoia Trail News
February 2022
Piute Travel Management Plan Discussion Comes To A Halt
Several months ago Stewards of the Sequoia began email discussions regarding our concerns with the Forest Supervisor canceling the ongoing Piute Travel Management Plan that would determine
if more than a hundred miles of Piute trails will remain open or be closed. Stewards have had some productive discussion with District Ranger Al Watson and Dr. Leonard the new Sequoia Head Planner.
Last month Ranger Watson wanted to stop the discussion claiming that our questions had already been answered by Sequoia Forest Supervisor Benson. However that was not true. At this point both District
Ranger Watson and his boss Supervisor Benson have refused to answer two very simple and reasonable questions-
Without a prior Piute Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) how could you create a valid 2010 Piute MVUM without having completed the Piute Travel Management Plan?
What Travel Management process has been completed analyzing and determining that more than 100 miles of inventoried Piute routes should be closed?
Forest Supervisor Benson previously told us to rest assured that proper process had been followed, but refused to provide specifics or answer our questions.
Stewards have just now followed up with Ranger Watson and Sequoia staff-
In effort to complete the loop on this important discussion and provide transparency let's recap the situation.
- Neither you or Supervisor Benson as the authorized officials have been able to provide a Piute MVUM prior to the 2010 Lake Isabella, Greenhorn, Piute MVUM, however that 2010 Record of Decision (ROD) stated
the Piutes were removed from that Travel Management Process which indicates that a valid Piute MVUM could not be created from that process.
- You and Supervisor Benson are unable to tell us what Piute Travel Management Process was completed analyzing and closing all the existing Piute inventoried routes that are shown as open on your Forest Order
06-09 Piute Cross Country Travel Ban map. The 2010 ROD stated only the ban on Piute cross country travel was considered, which would indicate that the 2010 ROD endorsed your Forest Order 06-09 Piute Cross Country Travel Ban map as the current status of trails
open for continued use
- With this information we must conclude that your office has not yet completed Piute Travel Management and must do so in order to create a valid Piute MVUM and that all existing Piute historic trails as shown
on your Forest Order 06-09 Piute Cross Country Travel Ban and your 2011 Piute Proposed Action are open for continued use while they are being analyzed and considered for addition to the forest trail system per the travel management rule.
If you have evidence refuting our conclusion please feel free to provide it now.
We look forward to working with you to complete your ongoing Piute Travel Management Process to preserve the existing World Class Historic Piute motorized trail system and create the first valid Piute
MVUM.
Stewards continue to persevere and create the legal record, while District Ranger Watson refuses to answer our emails.
Study Supports Need To Manage Overgrown Forests
It has long been known that our forests are dying because there are too many trees per acre due to fire prevention and bans on logging. With more trees competing
for limited water up to 60% of them have become diseased and died. As we have seen in the McNally, Piute, Cedar, Castle, French and Complex fires a forest full of dried timber will eventually burn in super heated unnatural fires incinerating most remaining
live trees.
In arid areas like the Southern Sierra after these fires vast brush fields are replacing forests. Trees are not regenerating since the pine cones have for the most part been incinerated.
The cost to fight these fires has been astronomical and leaves a barren landscape. If only 10% had been spent on forest thinning and treatment we could still have much of our irreplaceable forests
and they would more healthy and fire resilient..
Since these mega fires are a fairly new phenomena of the past 20 years there were few if any studies about the cause and effect. Without studies it has been hard for agencies to scientifically justify fuel
reduction projects.
Fortunately a new study on Forest Ecology and Management
has just been released determining that up to 60% of our overgrown forests are at risk of imminent mortality and that serious action is needed to thin them and create healthy fire resilient forests.
This long overuse study comes on the heels of the long overdue
Shared Stewardship Agreement For California's Forests and Rangelands, in which the Forest Service and State of California each agree to treat or thin 500,000 acres of forest every year. Hopefully we can save the fewer areas of not yet incinerated forests
and return them to health. Burned landscapes are no fun to recreate in. Stewards is urging the Sequoia National Forest Service to quickly identify high priority areas which can be treated to help restore our National Forest.
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Pizza Barn
offers tasty fresh pizza, sandwiches, salads and more. In Kernville near the intersection of Mountain 99 and 155.
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Over the years your donations helped Stewards reopen this trail along with eight others and so much more.
Yet today 90% of Stewards members have let their donations expire. Please make your donation now so we can continue our efforts to keep your trails open. Thanks
With your help Stewards of the Sequoia will continue to keep the Sequoia National Forest A Land Of Many Uses and open to all
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