[pct-l] Letter from the PCTA asking for your comments.

[Brick Robbins]

This is the text of a letter from the PCTA asking you to comment on
the Inyo, Sierra, and Sequoia National Forests Land Management Plans.

I found it a bit confusing to find the comments form, so I'm including
a direct link to it here

https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=3375

============== begin text from PCTA =====================

Dear Friends of the PCT,

As you probably know the lion’s share of the PCT lies on public land
managed by the U.S. Forest Service. You also know that the PCT is much
more than the 36 inch dirt trail tread, but rather it is the sum total
of the landscapes, flora and fauna, and the experiences that this
makes possible for a traveler on the Trail. In 2012 the Forest Service
adopted new rules regarding how forest plans, the plans that provide
overall direction for management of a single national forest, are
formulated. In those rules it refers to national scenic trails like
the PCT as congressionally designated areas. Region 5 (California) of
the Forest Service is in the process of formulating the first three
forest plans under the new rule for the Inyo, Sierra and Sequoia
National Forests – each containing significant sections of the PCT. As
the first forest plans under the new rules it will set the stage for
all 26 national forests that the PCT traverses.

Recently the agency published documents alerting the public that they
intend to undertake this planning process, as well as broad indication
of what they think they need to do to bring the current forest plans
up to snuff. It says that, "there is a need to: ...include a
management area for the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail corridor
and associated management direction". Since PCTA had been pressing the
agency to do just this, we were ecstatic! But this isn’t the end of
the process, but rather just the beginning.

To have this proposal come to fruition in three final forest plans, we
need to show significant public support for a PCT Management Area in
the final documents. That is why we are contacting you. We need you to
weigh in on behalf of the Pacific Crest Trail.

The process is pretty simple. There is a link below that will take you
to a Forest Service comment site. We would ask you first of all to
tell the agency why you care about the PCT. Whether you are a day or
weekend user, a through hiker, an equestrian or hiker, or a steward or
crew worker on the trail, or an armchair admirer of the PCT, briefly
tell them about your connection to the PCT. Below you will find a few
bulleted points that we would want you to make in your own words. An
out pouring of support will help assure that the Forest Service stays
on course to provide appropriate management of the lands that make the
PCT experience something very special to us all. If you would like to,
please copy what you write before you hit the send button and e-mail
it to PCTA. We will let you know the outcome of our efforts.

These are the points that we hope you will make:

* I/we are happy to see a management area and direction for the PCT
included in the proposal and support its inclusion in these forest
plans
* The trail is more than the trail tread, but rather the landscapes
through which it travels
* I/we support the management plan components for the PCT management
area in the detailed proposed action and hope that you will work with
PCTA to strengthen and clarify them. The Forest Service is on the
right track here.
* Express enthusiasm for the direction that the agency is headed
regarding the Pacific Crest Trail

To make comments on line:

Go to http://tinyurl.com/r5earlyadopters
On the right under "Get Connected" click on "Comment on Project" At
the top of the page it should say:

Inyo, Sierra, and Sequoia National Forests Land Management Plans
Revision #3375

Commenting on This Project

Fill in the form, if you would send a copy of the text to PCTA by
e-mail at PCTforestplans at pcta.org , type  the security code at the
bottom of the form and hit "submit"