BOISE, ID – The “Barber Flat Bridge” that crosses the North Fork Boise River on Forest Road 376 within the Boise National Forest will be restricted to vehicles with a wheelbase of 50 inches or less effective today.

The bridge, located about 35 miles east of Boise, was recently inspected and is deemed unsafe for full sized vehicles due to the movement of a bridge pier.  The pier was damaged following the floods in 1997 and has been monitored since then.  In a recent inspection a steel truss support has weakened and the agency is concerned with its structural strength.

The bridge is primarily used by recreationists to access dispersed undeveloped campsites on either side of the river.  Access to those sites on the north side of the river will be from Highway 21 via Forest Road 327 (Granite Creek), and on the south side from the Middle Fork Boise River via Forest Road 376 (near Alexander Flat).

The bridge will have the restriction indefinitely.  Funding requests have been submitted to the Intermountain Regional Foresters office for further investigation of the foundation pier and to evaluate repair options.

Further information about access to the area is available by contacting the Idaho City Ranger District at 392-6681.

David R. Olson

Public Affairs Officer

Boise National Forest

1249 S. Vinnell, Suite 200

Boise, ID 83709

208-373-4105 (w)

208-861-0768 cell

The committee members evaluate grant applications based on established criteria and make recommendations to the Idaho Park and Recreation Board for funding. Members are required to attend meetings during the year with travel expenses reimbursed.

RTP Advisory Committee – The purpose of the Recreational Trails Program is to acquire, purchase, improve, repair, and maintain trail facilities and sites. There are currently six advisory committee member openings statewide for the following interests:  Hiking, Motorbike, Cross-Country Skiing, Snowmobiling, Disabled, and Water Trails. Those applying for the RTP Committee must live in Idaho, be willing to serve a three-year term, be an active participant in the trail activity they represent, and attend required meetings.

ORMV Advisory Committee – The purpose of the Off-Road Motor Vehicle Fund is to acquire, purchase, improve, repair, maintain, furnish, and equip off-road motor vehicle facilities and sites or areas used by off-road motor vehicles on public or private land, and to assist with the enforcement of laws and regulations governing the use of off-road vehicles in the State of Idaho. There are currently five ORMV advisory committee member openings: one for  Regions 1 & 2 representing Motorbike/ATV; one for Regions 1 & 2 representing Snowmobile; one for Regions 3 & 4 representing Non-Motorized; one for Regions 5 & 6 representing Snowmobile; and one for Regions 5 & 6 representing Non-Motorized. Those applying for the ORMV Committee must live in Idaho, be willing to serve a three-year term, be an active participant in the off-road activity they represent, and attend required meetings.

Applications are due no later than June 22, 2012 and may be obtained by contacting Angela Manning at the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation State and Federal Grants Program:

Angela Manning

State and Federal Grants Assistant

(208) 514- 2448

angela.manning@idpr.idaho.gov

Wallowa Whitman National Forest Supervisor Monica Schwalbach has released a statement saying that she will withdraw her travel management decision and “stop the clock” on the appeal process that was scheduled to end April 30.  Schwalbach said she wants to make sure issues are considered “in a constructive manner” and take time for further consideration of the concerns that have been raised.  In her letter, she addresses several of those concerns.

Forest Supervisor Stops the Clock on Wallowa-Whitman Travel Management Plan
Letter to the Editor
It has been one month since the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest released its travel management decision.  Since then, there has been considerable public interest and debate over various aspects of the plan.  As I have listened to the many people who are commenting on the plan, it has become apparent that there is a good bit of confusion, as well as some concerns that would benefit from more discussion.
Because of these concerns I have decided to withdraw the travel management decision, and stop the clock on the appeal process that is underway.  The forest needs to develop a travel management plan for public motorized recreation, but I want to be sure the various options for moving forward are considered in a constructive manner.  I believe that by taking the time now to allow for further dialogue and consideration regarding the concerns that have been raised; we will develop a better outcome in the long run.  Some of the key concerns include the following.
A main concern is there have been significantly different numbers bantered about regarding how many miles of roads would be designated open for public motorized recreational use, and how many are being closed to motor vehicles.  The number question is a challenging one because there are different ways of looking at the situation.  For instance, there currently are over 9,000 miles of roads on the Wallowa-Whitman national forest landscape, but only about 4,700 miles are considered open to the public.  Many of the others are impassable because they are overgrown with vegetation.  Meanwhile, the project area included in the travel management decision is focused on 1.3 million of the 2.4 million acres on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.   Road totals for the project area are therefore less than those for the entire forest.
Along with the roads question, is a concern that the maps provided to the public do not offer enough detail for people to adequately consider the potential implications of the decision.  I have heard several people suggest that the agency provide more information on these maps, such as road numbers, landmarks, and watershed boundaries.  Without more detailed information, it is difficult to provide specific responses back to the agency about the decision, and what people might like to see changed.
Another key issue is that many people are concerned about access for firewood.  While the travel plan decision provides for identification of additional firewood cutting areas across the forest, many people are concerned that this approach may not be adequate to meet the need for fuelwood in our northeast Oregon communities.  I have met with quite a few people to discuss this concern and appreciate the various suggestions that have been offered regarding ways to address the issue.
A separate concern involves access to private lands and permitted uses such as grazing and mining on the forest.  Access to private land and permitted uses is fully allowed by the travel management plan.  Private land owners would still have access to their cabins, miners would continue to have access to their claims, and grazing permit holders will retain access in allotments to administer their permits.
These are all important concerns and I appreciate the people who are raising them.  I also think the agency has a responsibility to address these concerns, including clarifying misinformation, providing more specific information to the public as requested, and engaging in further dialogue.
I truly appreciate the passion that has been shown in response to this decision, and want to encourage everyone to direct this passion in a positive, productive and respectful way.  I encourage anyone who has additional suggestions to share them with me or one of our local district rangers.  The Wallowa-Whitman national forest is treasured by all, so let’s be sure we develop a plan that is reasonable, responsible, and makes sense now and for the future.
Monica J. Schwalbach
4/17/2012

http://idahostayontrails.blogspot.com/2012/03/try-idahos-new-interactive-ohv-trail.html

New Congressional contact information, e-mails, fax and phones.

See how your Senator voted below.

Urgent Action Required.  This is an all out call to action NOW!

Senate creates huge new Land Acquisition Trust Fund.

It gives billions of dollars to the Federal land agencies without having to
go through the appropriations process.

That means there is no oversight.  No accountability.  It gives the Park
Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and BLM and blank check
to take private land.

There is no way these agencies should have a blank check to convert private
land into Federal government ownership when we’re drowning in debt.

The US should not borrow money from China to buy out private land.

The Senate Transportation Bill is an all out attack on Rural America.

You must call, fax and e-mail your Congressman today, tomorrow and every day
for the next two weeks.  Tell him to stop the huge Senate Transportation
Bill with the LWCF snuck inside it when it comes to the House in the coming
days.

The big money green land grabbers bootstrapped on the Transportation bill a
provision to take the Gulf Oil Spill penalty money and give those billions
of dollars to the Gulf States.

But the bill could not get enough support to pass the Senate.

Language was slipped in by the greens and some of your own Senators (see how
your Senator voted below) vastly increasing the yearly Land and Water
Conservation Fund money taken from the taxpayers so the Federal land
agencies could buy more private land and convert it into government
ownership.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund gets from $150 million to $350 million
a year normally from Congress through the appropriations process.

To please the non-Gulf state Senators who were opposing the Gulf Oil Penalty
money for the Gulf States bill and to get enough votes to pass the over all
Transportation Bill, language was snuck in whereby the Senate upped the Land
and Water Conservation (LWCF) funding to $700 million.

These fund will be taken from the taxpayers for the next two years which
doubles the most recent contributions to the LWCF for land acquisition by
the Park Service and other land buying agencies.

So you, the taxpayer, are paying all this LWCF slush money so the Gulf Oil
Spill money can go to the few Gulf States.  And the land acquisition funding
is guaranteed.  It doesn’t have to go through the Congressional
appropriations process.  There is little or no oversight or accountability.

It is a Trust Fund guaranteed to give a huge increase in LWCF land
acquisition funding to the Park Service and other land buying agencies so
they can remove landowners from their homes and land across the country.
All of this is being done while the country is drowning in debt.

In fairness, the Senate did say the agencies could only use this money to
buy out and remove “willing sellers.”  But as nearly every inholder knows,
there is no such thing as a “willing seller.”  Even the former Director of
Land Acquisition for the Park Service Will Kriz was quoted years ago saying
there is no such thing as a “willing seller.”  Every landowner is threatened
with condemnation.

—–In summary, the Senate doubled the money they take from taxpayers for
the Land and Water Conservation fund to buy land to $700 million for the
next two years on a guaranteed basis.

This in spite of the Park Service alone being behind over $10 billion in
deferred maintenance and where none of the money goes to help create jobs or
to help the economy recover from the severe recession.

There is no Congressional appropriations process for this money in the LWCF
fund and little or no oversight in spite of our country facing a huge
deficit.

Stop The LWCF Transportation Bill Land Grab, Go To www.landrights.org  for
details.

Solution:  (Updated Action Items)  (The Problem is restated below)

—–1.  Deluge your Congressman with calls, faxes and e-mails. Call any
Congressman at (202) 225-3121.  You must make his or her phone come off the
hook.  Make sure he or she understands that you will remember the vote on
the LWCF Land Grab in November.

Ask him or her to oppose any version of the Transportation bill that has
LWCF land acquisition funding inside.  While the Senate added the LWCF
provision to a bill called the “Restore Act”, the Restore Act in the House
does NOT have this LWCF provision and has already passed the House as a
separate bill.    It did does not have the LWCF inside it.  The Senate added
the LWCF.  The House must stop it.

The Senate passed the Senate Transportation Bill (S 1813) (With LWCF
inside).  It’s likely the House will vote on the Senate bill instead of
passing its own bill.  That would be a disaster.

—–2.  Deluge the Speaker of the House John Boehner at (202)
225-0600 or the Capital Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.  Urge him to pass a
separate Transportation Bill which does NOT include money for LWCF funding
and which actually includes an explicit prohibition on federal land
acquisition.  E-mail:  – bill.greene@mail.house.gov

—–3.  Call, fax and e-mail the offices of other House Leaders:

Rep.   Eric Cantor  House, Majority Leader  (202) 225-4000
Fax:  (202) 226-1115.   E-mails:  steve.stombres@mail.house.gov
neil.Bradley@mail.house.gov

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip  (202) 225-0197
Fax:  (202) 225-0781  E-mails:  brian.worth@mail.house.gov
Natalie.Buchanan@mail.house.gov

Urge them not to vote on the Senate Bill (S 1813) when it comes over  to the
House.   That bill includes the massive land acquisition LWCF Trust Fund
money.

The House should come up with its own bill.

It is critical that your Congressman add Amendments to the Transportation
bill to force it into a House-Senate Conference Committee.  ANWR (Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge) drilling bill would be a good choice.

—–You must jump on your Congressman quickly and keep the pressure on for
at least the next two weeks.  Call any Congressman at (202) 225-3121.  It
takes time, but it will save you a lot of suffering later.  So call, call
and call again.  Call your friends.  Call your neighbors. Get them to call.

You must get your Congressman to oppose the Senate passed version of the
Transportation Bill when it comes to the House.

The Senate passed the Transportation Bill (S 1813) including the Land and
Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) funds March 14th.

Call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 to make sure they know you know how
they voted on the Amendment to add the LWCF land acquisition funds to the
bill.  If your Senator voted against the LWCF funding Amendment, thank him.

Do not make threats.  Be respectful. But make sure your Senators understand
that the Senate Transportation bill is an attack on Rural America and all
landowners and that you hope it will be defeated in the House.

—–Go to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and all other social networking sites
to get this issue networked out quickly.  You can stop this huge land grab
and put the money to reducing the deficit.

The Problem:  Background:

The Senate just passed an Amendment to the Transportation Bill      (S 1813)
that huge funding for the LWCF (Land and Water Conservation Fund.  This
Amendment adds billions of dollars to the Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF) to buy private land and convert it into government ownership.

It is CARA all over again.  This is an attack on Rural America.  It is an
attack on you.  The LWCF is used to buy private land.

Please send an e-mail to ccushman@pacifier.com to let us know what you did
or a copy of what you sent. That will help give us more ideas.

—–From Energy and Environment Newsletter:

“The result is an amendment that supporters now say would provide perhaps
the largest-ever federal boost to conservation and environmental efforts in
the nation.”

“This could be the biggest infusion of conservation dollars in history,”
said Joshua Saks, legislative director for the National Wildlife Federation.
“This would be a remarkable achievement.”

Conservationists are planning a vigorous lobbying push in the House after
yesterday’s passage of a Senate bill that would roughly double funding for
land acquisition and conservation and potentially direct billions of dollars
in oil spill fines to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Senate’s two-year, $109 billion transportation bill includes a massive
infusion of cash into a popular federal program called the Land and Water
Conservation Fund (LWCF). The provision would double current funding levels
to $700 million for each of the next two years and reauthorize it until
2022.

“None of this money will be used to create jobs,” said Chuck Cushman,
executive director of the American Land Rights Association, who urged
members to “deluge” lawmakers with calls opposing the amendment in the
coming weeks.

“The LWCF transportation bill will lead to a massive expansion of federal
lands thereby reducing your access and use,” he said in an email to
association members. “The green groups will work to get the new federal
lands into wilderness status.”

What’s wrong with the LWCF Amendment to the Transportation Bill?

—–A.  None of this money will be used to create jobs.

—–B.  None of this money will be used to reduce the deficit.

—–C.  It doubles funding for the LWCF adding $700 million for each of the
next two years.   It funds a CARA like Land Acquisition Trust Fund that will
be a threat to all private property owners and Rural America for many years.

—–D.  The funds that go to LWCF from the Transportation Bill do not have
to go through the appropriations process.  It is a trust fund.  There is no
Congressional oversight.  The money is immediately available to the land
buying agencies like the Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife
Service and BLM.

—–E.  The Park Service bought land by condemnation or under threat of
condemnation from nearly 100,000 people during the 70’s and 80’s when they
were given too much money. Whole communities disappeared.  You can still see
the sidewalks, driveways and empty foundations in many national parks where
people used to live.

There is an old saying, “Those that fail to remember history are bound to
repeat it.”

—–F.  The Transportation Bill (S 1813) extends the LWCF until 2022 from
the present law of 2015.

—–G.  The LWCF money will be a dagger in heart of the economy.

—–H.  A fully funded LWCF is an all out attack on Rural America.

—–I.   A fully funded LWCF is an attack on local communities and
undermines their tax base.

—–J.   Inholders and landowners are in grave danger.

—–K.  The LWCF Transportation Bill will lead to a massive expansion of
Federal lands thereby reducing your access and use.  The green groups will
work to get the new Federal lands into Wilderness status which limits your
access.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
ROLL CALL VOTES > Senate Vote #32 (Mar 8, 2012)
Amendment (Nelson (FL) (Restore Act including LWCF)
Amdt. No. 1822)
Number: Senate Vote #32 in 2012
Date: Mar 8, 2012 3:24PM
Result: Amendment Agreed to Amendment: to S. 1813: MAP-21

VOTE DETAILS

Alabama
Yea AL Sessions, Jefferson [R]
Yea AL Shelby, Richard [R]

Alaska
Yea AK Begich, Mark [D]
Yea AK Murkowski, Lisa [R]

Arizona
Nay AZ Kyl, Jon [R]
Nay AZ McCain, John [R]

Arkansas
Yea AR Boozman, John [R]
Yea AR Pryor, Mark [D]

California
Yea CA Boxer, Barbara [D]
Yea CA Feinstein, Dianne [D]

Colorado
Yea CO Bennet, Michael [D]
Yea CO Udall, Mark [D]

Connecticut
Yea CT Blumenthal, Richard [D]
Yea CT Lieberman, Joseph [I]

Delaware
Yea DE Carper, Thomas [D]
Yea DE Coons, Chris [D]

Florida
Yea FL Nelson, Bill [D]
Nay FL Rubio, Marco [R]

Georgia
Yea GA Chambliss, Saxby [R]
Yea GA Isakson, John [R]

Hawaii
Yea HI Akaka, Daniel [D]
Yea HI Inouye, Daniel [D]

Idaho
Yea ID Crapo, Michael [R]
Nay ID Risch, James [R]

Illinois
Yea IL Durbin, Richard [D]
Not Voting IL Kirk, Mark [R]

Indiana
Nay IN Coats, Daniel [R]
Nay IN Lugar, Richard [R]

Iowa
Nay IA Grassley, Charles [R]
Yea IA Harkin, Thomas [D]

Kansas
Yea KS Moran, Jerry [R]
Yea KS Roberts, Pat [R]

Kentucky
Nay KY McConnell, Mitch [R]
Nay KY Paul, Rand [R]

Louisiana
Yea LA Landrieu, Mary [D]
Yea LA Vitter, David [R]

Maine
Yea ME Collins, Susan [R]
Yea ME Snowe, Olympia [R]

Maryland
Yea MD Cardin, Benjamin [D]
Yea MD Mikulski, Barbara [D]

Massachusetts
Yea MA Brown, Scott [R]
Yea MA Kerry, John [D]

Michigan
Yea MI Levin, Carl [D]
Yea MI Stabenow, Debbie Ann [D]
Minnesota
Yea MN Franken, Al [D]
Yea MN Klobuchar, Amy [D]

Mississippi
Yea MS Cochran, Thad [R]
Yea MS Wicker, Roger [R]

Missouri
Yea MO Blunt, Roy [R]
Yea MO McCaskill, Claire [D]

Montana
Yea MT Baucus, Max [D]
Yea MT Tester, Jon [D]

Nebraska
Nay NE Johanns, Mike [R]
Yea NE Nelson, Ben [D]

Nevada
Nay NV Heller, Dean [R]
Yea NV Reid, Harry [D]

New Hampshire
Yea NH Ayotte, Kelly [R]
Yea NH Shaheen, Jeanne [D]

New Jersey
Yea NJ Lautenberg, Frank [D]
Yea NJ Menendez, Robert [D]

New Mexico
Yea NM Bingaman, Jeff [D]
Yea NM Udall, Tom [D]

New York
Yea NY Gillibrand, Kirsten [D]
Yea NY Schumer, Charles [D]

North Carolina
Nay NC Burr, Richard [R]
Yea NC Hagan, Kay [D]

North Dakota
Yea ND Conrad, Kent [D]
Yea ND Hoeven, John [R]

Ohio
Yea OH Brown, Sherrod [D]
Yea OH Portman, Robert [R]

Oklahoma
Nay OK Coburn, Thomas [R]
Yea OK Inhofe, James [R]

Oregon
Yea OR Merkley, Jeff [D]
Yea OR Wyden, Ron [D]

Pennsylvania
Yea PA Casey, Robert [D]
Nay PA Toomey, Patrick [R]

Rhode Island
Yea RI Reed, John [D]
Yea RI Whitehouse, Sheldon [D]

South Carolina
Nay SC DeMint, Jim [R]
Nay SC Graham, Lindsey [R]

South Dakota
Yea SD Johnson, Tim [D]
Not Voting SD Thune, John [R]

Tennessee
Yea TN Alexander, Lamar [R]
Nay TN Corker, Bob [R]

Texas
Yea TX Cornyn, John [R]
Yea TX Hutchison, Kay [R]

Utah
Nay UT Hatch, Orrin [R]
Nay UT Lee, Mike [R]

Vermont
Yea VT Leahy, Patrick [D]
Yea VT Sanders, Bernard [I]

Virginia
Yea VA Warner, Mark [D]
Yea VA Webb, Jim [D]

Washington
Yea WA Cantwell, Maria [D]
Yea WA Murray, Patty [D]

West Virginia
Yea WV Manchin, Joe [D]
Yea WV Rockefeller, John [D]

Wisconsin
Nay WI Johnson, Ron [R]
Yea WI Kohl, Herbert [D]

Wyoming
Nay WY Barrasso, John [R]
Nay WY Enzi, Michael [R]

—–Please forward this message as widely as possible.  The more allies
ALRA is able gather the better to help save Rural America and landowners
from massive land acquisition.

Chuck Cushman
Executive Director
American Land Rights Association
(360) 687-3087
ccushman@pacifier.com

Look Chuck Cushman and American Land Rights up on Google by typing in the
following search terms:  Chuck Cushman, Charles Cushman, Charles S. Cushman,
American Land Rights Association, National Inholders Association and League
of Private Property Voters.  Go to www.landrights.com for more information.

Social Networking Update:  The American Land Rights Association has a Page
on Facebook.  Please be sure to hit the Like button.  Also Executive
Director Chuck Cushman is on Facebook.com.

You can also find American Land Rights Association and Chuck Cushman on
LinkedIn.com.  We are especially active on LinkedIn.com so send an
invitation to connect and join up.

American Land Rights is on Twitter as AmLandrights.
Chuck Cushman is also on Twitter under ccushman98604

H 542 prohibits the Idaho Fish and Game from closing trails opened on federal lands to those hunting big game or upland birds.  The bill will be heard on the House Floor this Thursday.  The environmental community and many hunters don’t want this bill to pass.  Please contact your legislator and every legislator you know and ask them to support H 542.

The attached document explains the bill and why it is needed.  Keep the message short and polite–but send it.  Don’t allow Fish and Game to solve their problem on the backs of the motorized community.  They do not have the authority to close these trails the federal land managers left open for OHV use.

Your message should say something like, “Please support H 542.  Idaho Fish and Game does not have the authority to restrict, by rule, the use of trails on federal land that are designated as open by federal land managers.  Thank you”

http://legislature.idaho.gov/house/membership.cfm

IRC, out of respect for our Governor, has pulled the legislation for this year.  We will reintroduce it next year with his support.  The reason has nothing to do with the goal of our bill but rather to allow IDPR’s bill that will create a Passport Program for parks to pass and get established.

Fortunately, RTP has a greater chance of being funded for another year than it did three months or even three weeks ago.  I joined with a number of national groups in a meeting in DC two weeks ago with the expressed purpose of hitting the hill one more time to drum up support for funding.  Thanks to the hard work of recreationists from around the country, great progress was made.  The House Transportation Bill includes 85 million for RPT (current level) and now the Senate has an amendment co-sponsored by  - Senators Klobuchar (D.MN), Burr (R-NC),Shaheen (D.NH) and Risch (R-ID) that would do the same.   It isn’t over but it looks a whole lot more like it could happen.

Thanks for all your help on this issue!