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 Post subject: AAT 1-21-15 Meeting Minutes
PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:43 pm 
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Location: Orange County, CA
Notes from the January 21, 2105, meeting of Adopt-A-Trail.



Opening: Ranger Greg Hoffman opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led us all in the Pledge of Allegiance. Greg is the San Bernardino National Forest Off-Highway Vehicle Programs Manager. Approximately 120 people were in attendance.

Awards Bar-B-Que: Greg announced the 2015 Awards BBQ will be held September 19, 2015, at the Discovery Center. This date was selected because it currently does not conflict with other events in Big Bear that could cause road closures and parking issues.

New AAT member: The California Deer Association (CDA) was welcomed as a new member of AAT with responsibility for 1N04 (Front Line Road). The CDA website describes them as helping to “Increase the health and population of California’s deer herds and other wildlife by enhancing critical habitat, and furthering the development of programs to educate the public of the value of hunter oriented conservation.”

SBNF OHV Leadership Council meeting: The SBNF OHV Leadership Council will meet on Thursday January 29, 2015, from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Honda Rider Education Center located at 1301 E Vía Venita, Colton. Those in attendance will include members of SBNF supervisors and rangers, representatives from the State of California, Cal4Wheel, Corva, and others. All AAT members are encouraged to participate.

Roll-call: Angela Cook led roll call and said it is important that clubs email hours spent on trail maintenance to her. She may be reached on 760-505-3579. Information must include trail name, club name, and hours worked.

Club announcements: Greg called for club announcements and none were forthcoming.

Baldy Mesa project status: The status of the Baldy Mesa Off Highway Vehicle Use grant application was reported to be proceeding and as being very contested. A completion date was not reported.

Miller Canyon project status: The status of the Miller Canyon (2N37) Off Highway Vehicle staging area was reported. It will be moved from the current staging area to avoid an archeology site and creek to the same general area on the other side of the road. A completion date was not reported.

Summit Staging project status: The status of the Summit Staging area was reported as proceeding with plans for new restrooms, a cabana, and other amenities. A completion date was not reported.

Adventure passes: Greg reminded the group that Adventure Passes are now only required for areas that meet specific characteristics which include improvements such as restrooms, trash bins, information centers, tables, parking lots, and natural features that create an attraction such as a trail or view point.

Hours reporting: Changes to how clubs report hours were reviewed with the following highlights:

Administrative hours are now limited to a maximum of five hours per run for activities such as planning and organization.

Work credit will not be allowed for work performed by one club on a trail not assigned to that club without first receiving clearance from Greg Hoffman (9096150475) or Ted Kalil of SBNF Friends (7609856307 or tskalil@msn.com) to make sure the work is consistent with the Trail Maintenance Program and any subsequent developments.

Travel time will be limited to actual time with a maximum of 3 hours each way. Extensive travel will no longer be counted.

Work coordination: Greg reported there have been problems with the unsupervised use of equipment used for trail upkeep, citing an instance where an Indian archeological site was disturbed resulting in a $1.5 million fine imposed by the State of California upon the Forest Service. Any work involving equipment such as bulldozers, chain saws, augers, or other power equipment must be cleared by Greg in advance so a decision can be made if on-site monitoring by the State Historical Preservation Office is required. Greg reported If there are other incidents of this type then our entire Forest may be put on probation and access could be significantly restricted.

Project Activity Level (PAL) program: Greg reminded the group that there are rules regarding what work can be performed given various environmental conditions and that AAT maintenance activities must follow the Project Activity Level (PAL) program. The PAL program web site says it is designed “to help fire and timber resource managers establish the level of industrial precaution for the following day”. The following examples were given as to how PAL is to be observed: 1) if the Level is 1-5 then work can be done all day; 2) if Level 3, then work must stop at 1:00 pm, 3) if Level 4-5 then no power tools are allowed all day. It is not clear if these examples line up exactly with the PAL website as there are about 3 dozen different specific activities that are listed by this program by time-of-day under difference conditions. To obtain daily San Bernardino National Forest PAL Levels, call (909) 3822600 and press "8", then "5" and then "2". For more information the following link is useful:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/sbnf/ ... width=full

Personal Protective Equipment: We were reminded that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required anytime maintenance is performed in the Forest. PPE includes items such as gloves, hard hats, reflective vests, sound protection, eye protection, boots, long sleeve shirts, and possibly chaps. Signs indicating work being performed on the trails are also to be used.

Club Trail Status Report: Each club present reported on the general status of their trails. Approximately 20 reports were delivered.

John Bull Rumor: Greg reported there were concerns that John Bull could be affected by the death of a nearby property owner. Greg explained the owner of private property nearby 3N10 (John Bull West End) recently died and the heirs want to sell it for $25 million due to a gold mine that is either on the property or providing access to the mine (not clear). The position of the heirs is that the John Bull trail should be made passable to show the property. Greg indicated there was no threat of closure.

Corva: Don Alexander reported that U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has made an overture suggesting she might be willing to provide support for some projects of interest to Corva in exchange for support for various “wind and solar” projects. Nothing more was mentioned.

Black Diamond training: Don Alexander reported that training can be arranged on a club-by-club basis for black diamond training by contacting either Don or Greg.

AAT Membership Agreements: Kim Harlow reminded everyone that volunteer agreements must be kept up to date and on file for this new Fiscal Year starting October of 2014.

Award: Ryan Primposch of MyJeepRocks.com received an award and recognition for his work with Junior Rangers and Safety Programs.

Fire near the Rubicon: Ryan also reported there had been a major fire close to the Rubicon, that the fire was contained, and the trail is intact. He had been sent there as a fireman.

SBNF Friends: Ted Kalil gave a short recap of this organization’s status, and again thanked the contributors. Financial info will be posted to the sub-page of this site.

Trail maintenance topic: Greg discussed drainage for the topic of this meeting and emphasized when we see erosion on a trail we should not just repair the damaged area but locate the source (typically above the road) and correct that as well.

Rapid Response Teams: Approximately 25 people have indicated possible interest in this program, the purpose of which is to identify individuals willing to respond to major events such as significant rains to inspect and recommend correction of problems caused by weather and other conditions. More information is to follow on this emerging program.

Winter travel: It was suggested that winter travel in Big Bear and other mountain areas is best accompanied by supplies and gear including items such as water, chains, hats, PPE, jacks, food, clothing in layers, shovels, two road flares (as markers and for starting controlled fires) and blankets. We were reminded that thousands of Big Bear visitors found themselves unprepared recently in winter storm conditions.

Free Group Camp sites: The SBNF has funding for private group camp sites for AAT member organizations. Lake Arrowhead and San Jacinto were mentioned as two of several locations and Kathy Howard was cited as being in charge of the program. Her email address: runsprlvr@aol.com .

Road and Trail maintenance plans: Greg and Ted Kalil (Friends) remain available to work with each club to make sure maintenance plans are properly prepared and updated.

New Equipment: Greg asked for suggestions of new equipment that would be useful for acquisition this year. There was discussion of current equipment and a suggestion for a plow blade.

Trail etiquette during snow season: We were reminded that one of the most pleasant parts of snow shoeing and equestrian activities during snowy times is for those activities to be done on trails where new snow is not yet disturbed by off road vehicles. It was suggested that off-roaders try to remember this as new snows fall and to be mindful of sharing the winter trails with non-motorized users.

Insurance questions: If questions come up during off-roading regarding insurance then we should call Greg on 909-615-0475 for information.

Law Enforcement help: If we need help with law enforcement matters then call Dispatch on 909-383-5654

AAT work vests: There was a mention about two reflective vests being supplied to each AAT club to be used during maintenance work. The vests will have the AAT logo on the back. No further information was provided.

Butler Peak: Butler Peak (2N13D) is reported by Greg to be closed with a planned reopening date of Memorial Day 2015.

Fatalities: Greg reported that fatalities in the Forest are up this year and cited the recent roll-over death of a driver in a Cherokee XJ traveling alone on Devore (2N40). Greg reminded us that our activities in the Forest have inherent risk and to be ever vigilant.

Compass & GPS training: There will be a class conducted on map, compass, and GPS training at a time to be determined.

Conclusion: The meeting concluded promptly at 9:00 PM.

The next meeting date is yet to be announced and expected to be in approximately three months.

Phillip Beidelman

Waywegos

_________________
You Have To Risk It To Get The Biscuit!


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