Here is an action alert I recieved from the Blueribbon Coalition this morning, quick action is needed:

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

Late last night BRC received an urgent action alert from our Colorado partners, the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO http://www.cohvco.org ). It seems the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest has published a new management plan for the popular Lefhand Canyon area with input due on August 31st, 2005.

For those of you that are, as I have been in recent days, "calendar-challenged"... that's TODAY!

It's unclear at this time, but the staff and volunteers at COHVCO believe the FS may have intentionally avoided sending copies to motorized users in a timely manner. Incredibly, COHVCO first received the draft plan on August 15th, and Dennis Larrat, President of COHVCO, received his copy of the Environmental Assessment on August 17th!

Dennis is fortunate, in our opinion. BRC is still waiting for our copy! This type of... "unprofessionalism"... by a federal land management agency should not be tolerated!

Dennis informs us that the Lefhand Canyon area is one of the very few areas open to motorcycles, 4WD and ATVs near Front Range metro areas, and the alternatives offered by the USFS are absolutely unacceptable. Even the most "liberal" alternative would cut the available mileage on opportunity by about 50%.

Importantly, the Lefthand Canyon area is home to some of the best rockcrawling in Colorado. Let me say this clearly: if you enjoy high difficulty full sized 4x4 trails, our Colorado partners need your help!

This calls for one of our quick-and-easy 3-step action plan we're so fond of.

Step 1: Use our comment suggestions to send a quick email to the FS. The email address is below, as well as a URL for more information.

Step 2: Immediately forward this alert to anyone you know who values high difficulty 4x4 trails. We need their help!

Step 3: Support our Colorado partners!

COHVCO: http://cohvco.org

Colorado Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs: http://www.hightrails.org/index.shtml

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Send an email to the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho NF today! Use our comment suggestions below to help. More information is available on the FS's website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/projects/e ... ndex.shtml

Remember! Your comment will not count if you do not include your name and address. Your email return address will not suffice! Do not fail to include your name and address in your comments!

Send your email to:

Catherine Luna,

Recreation Planner, Boulder Ranger District - Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests,

cluna@fs.fed.us

Comment suggestions:

* IMPORTANT: Include a brief description of how much you and your family enjoy OHV recreation.

* IMPORTANT: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the short comment period.

Issue: The FS wants to impose a complicated two-tiered permit system.

Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the part of the proposal that limits the area to day-use only "without a special permit". This sets up a two-tiered permit system, one for day use and one for overnight use. Complicated permit systems are difficult for the public to understand and comply with. Any permit system must be easy to implement and easy for the public to comply with.

Issue: The FS wants to implement a permanent closure of all the routes around Fairview Peak.

Comment Suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to a permanent closure of the area around Fairview Peak. Remind the FS that the 4WD road that goes around Fairview Peak and connects to Road 87J had been open for many decades!

Issue: The FS has identified many routes as "new user-created routes" when they are, in fact, very well established routes that have existed for a very long time.

Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that their analysis is flawed! Tell the FS that many of the roads and trails in the area have existed for many years. Ask the FS to perform an extensive data search to identify the origin of every route before identifying it as "new user-created routes."

Issue: The FS wants to limit access to this area to a single access point

Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you strongly object to the part of the proposal that would close all entry points except the main one. Tell the FS that the two entrances at Castle Gulch should be open to the public. This is a major safety issue.

Issue: There is a need for more parking areas.

Comment suggestion: Tell the FS that you support converting two shooting areas into parking areas.

Issue: The FS is proposing to make the Lefthand Canyon area a "fee area."

Comment suggestion: Tell the FS how you feel about fee areas. Tell the FS that if they insist on a fee area then the funds must go directly back into the area itself.

Issue: The FS is proposing to install toilets.

Comment suggestion: This is an identified need for this area. Tell the FS you support this part of the plan.

Remember:

YOUR COMMENT WILL NOT COUNT IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOUR EMAIL RETURN ADDRESS WILL NOT SUFFICE! DO NOT FAIL TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENTS

if you are not from co you most likely dont know a lot about this. i know i didnt until i moved here.

to a lot of people this whole thing might seem a little over the edge. well it kind of is. left hand canyon is located near boulder, co. boulder is way left even for people on the left. dont get me wrong i'm all about saving the earth and being responsible in my outdoor ventures but you wont see me chaining my self any trees any time soon. people have been trying to close this area for years. 'activists' as they call them selves have put closed signs, construction barrels, moved downed trees over the trail, and done countless more things.

there are a lot of people (most around and in boulder) that believe the ONLY access to our back county should be on foot or horse. that would include not ATV, motorbikes, and god forbid a 4x4 jeep (or something like it). dont get me wrong i love strapping on the backpack and hiking into the back country. there is nothing that comes in second but thats not for everyone. a lot of older people have ATVs and use them on 4x4 roads to get places that they other wise would never see. about every 6 months there is a new story out here about how ATV and 4x4 clubs are still fighting to keep that trail open.

i think (my personal option) is that all most all of the people that use lefthand canyon use it with care and respect for nature. its that 10% the leave trash, go way off trail, and abuse the trail that give everyone a bad name. i also think it has to with location. its not hard to get to and rather close to boulder. people that hike (myself include) dont want to be passed by stream of AVTs and jeeps. people dont want to drive more then they have to enjoy the mountains and that is sad. i have no issue driving 2+ hours to go hiking where i know there will be only hikers. if lefthand canyon was harder to get to or not so close to boulder we would not even be talking about this.

the long and short is that i feel this way out of contoll. you have a small number of nature freaks (and i think they are freaks) that are trying to make a statement and the FS is just getting tired of dealing with them.

just my 2 cents as someone that loves co and EVERYTHING there is to do in this state.