Trail Run: 7/28/2012 Recon of proposed road closures in BB area

[Roger]

This is a short notice, but we do not have much time.

In response to the Forest Service proposing to close some roads in the Big Bear Lake area, I want to recon the roads that are impacted before I make my comments. If you are interested in joining me, please let me know.

Date: 7/28/2012
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: Big Bear Discovery Center. I'll either be by my Jeep or inside. I won't be hard to find.

Here we go, another battle to fight...

[530ktm]

I am curious what proposed roads they are even thinking about here. A large group of Jeeps will be up there Saturday as well.

[bigbearwheeler]

Hi Roger. This has been an ongoing battle for us up here in Big Bear for years and my thanks go out to you for wanting to be involved. We need everyone. Do you know which roads are being proposed for closures? I'd like to take a look at them myself. Point of interest !! One of the reasons some of our roads are under attack is because over the years they have become widened by people who tend to stray off of them. There are area's on Gold Mtn that are at least 25 feet wider then they once were. Because of this, we are giving our local extreme environmental groups fuel for their agenda's. To close roads. Everyone should be aware that if they don't stay on the main roadbed they are helping these extreme groups shut down our roads. Just fuel for thought.

[FishPOET]

Do you know which roads are being proposed for closures?

I am curious what proposed roads they are even thinking about here.

http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/showthread.php/22354

[USMC 0369]

[COLOR="darkred"]I'll be there. I'm going to look for my maps tonight.[/COLOR]

[Materdaddy]

Hi Roger. This has been an ongoing battle for us up here in Big Bear for years and my thanks go out to you for wanting to be involved. We need everyone. Do you know which roads are being proposed for closures? I'd like to take a look at them myself. Point of interest !! One of the reasons some of our roads are under attack is because over the years they have become widened by people who tend to stray off of them. There are area's on Gold Mtn that are at least 25 feet wider then they once were. Because of this, we are giving our local extreme environmental groups fuel for their agenda's. To close roads. Everyone should be aware that if they don't stay on the main roadbed they are helping these extreme groups shut down our roads. Just fuel for thought.

You're preaching to the choir here at MJR, but thank you for sharing that none-the-less. This type of knowledge needs to spread to those who don't realize actions they think are minor (like parking/driving off the trail) can have a major impact.

[JeepGal]

100% agreed! We just recently had a situation exactly as you described...so its nice to hear it from someone other than us

[bigbearwheeler]

Yes, I do realize that I may be preaching to the choir about staying on the forest roads up in Big Bear with MJR folks, but not everyone knows that this is one of the reasons why were losing our roads. That's where I was going with this information. Unfortunately, its not the only reason we're losing roads though. It is an extremely complex and in many cases confusing delema for most forest recreationalist to understand. And the situation is just getting worse all the time. Case in point. Just general information. Our real advisaries up here in Big Bear are the Center for Biological Diversity and the Wildlands Society. These are the folks we should be fighting in court on a constant basis. These are the guys that want us to just go away and they're spending loads of money each year in their efforts to do it. Again, I may be preaching to the choir again, but I'm pretty sure there's some out there that didn't know this. Knowledge is power and I think we should all know what we're up against here. It's the only way we can win.

[bigbearwheeler]

Whoops. Correction. Its the Wildlands Conservancy.

[Russ Chung]

Although I agree that the CBD and the WC would like to close EVERYTHING to motorized travel and have often taken the Forest Service to court, I believe that the these closures are indicative of a new tactic; instead of going to court to close a route, road or trail, they are going to the State Water Board and getting the Board to close the whole area to motorized traffic on the basis of pollution and sediment. I understand that Mountaintop District Ranger Scott Tangenberg was assigned to his post because of his expertise in dealing with the State Water Board, and he deserves our support. IMHO, closing and restoring an illegal trail is a reasonable way to deal with pollution and sediment. OTOH, closing an authorized route in lieu of repairing and maintaining it is not a good response. In order to keep those routes open to motorized vehicles, we have to minimize the pollution and sediment we cause.
1. Educate the users to stay on the trails
2. Clean up the spill when you break something
3. Volunteer for Adopt-a-Trail work

[FishPOET]

Snow Summit and Bear Mountain take water out of the lake to make snow. The snow melts and drains back into the lake bringing pollution and sediment along with it. Stop the snow making process and you solve a much bigger sediment problem than what vehicles create when crossing a stream.

[dirtman13]

Although I agree that the CBD and the WC would like to close EVERYTHING to motorized travel and have often taken the Forest Service to court, I believe that the these closures are indicative of a new tactic; instead of going to court to close a route, road or trail, they are going to the State Water Board and getting the Board to close the whole area to motorized traffic on the basis of pollution and sediment. I understand that Mountaintop District Ranger Scott Tangenberg was assigned to his post because of his expertise in dealing with the State Water Board, and he deserves our support. IMHO, closing and restoring an illegal trail is a reasonable way to deal with pollution and sediment. OTOH, closing an authorized route in lieu of repairing and maintaining it is not a good response. In order to keep those routes open to motorized vehicles, we have to minimize the pollution and sediment we cause.
1. Educate the users to stay on the trails
2. Clean up the spill when you break something
3. Volunteer for Adopt-a-Trail work

4. Construct puncheons and corduroy roads

[Roger]

Most of the discussion on this thread belongs on the tread over in the Land use section!

So is anyone else besides Nick & I going Saturday???

Nick - Breakfast at North Shore Cafe 8:00 AM? ( Boycott Blondie's )

[USMC 0369]

Most of the discussion on this thread belongs on the tread over in the Land use section!

So is anyone else besides Nick & I going Saturday???

Nick - Breakfast at North Shore Cafe 8:00 AM? ( Boycott Blondie's )

[COLOR="#8b0000"]Absolutely.[/COLOR]

[crawlinprn]

Hey Roger
I would like to tag along. I will see you up there before 9.
Greg