Proposed Revised Forest Plan

[Steve]

Not a bad idea, if I head that way this weekend I'll bring my extra copy. Every climber should read, or at least thumb through, the thing, but in all actuallity most people would rather read hot flashes in old Climbing mags.

Check out the article in the HL here
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/5820425.htm

[captain static]

I returned home yesterday evening to find my present from the USFS had arrived! I have both a hard copy and a CD of it (that is the Draft Forest Plan & Environmental Impact Statement) in Adobe. I would be glad to lend out the CD to anyone here in Cincy but it would probably be just as easy to get your own copy.

After skimming through the documents, my first impression is that the Draft Plan represents the best we could possibly expect in relation to the future of climbing. If the plan is finalized from it's current draft it would appear to present some outstanding opportunities for securing the future of climbing.

I am going to try to find some time today to post a synopsis of what the Plan says about climbing.

[captain static]

This, in a nutshell, is what the "Proposed Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the Daniel Boone National Forest" has to say about climbing -

FORESTWIDE DESIRED FUTURE CONDITIONS
THE FOREST IN THE SHORT TERM
“Opportunities for camping, motorized and non-motorized trail use, hunting rock climbing, fishing, boating, and other recreation activities in undeveloped areas are provided in a manner that protects the ecosystem and heritage resources.”

Prescription Area Descriptions, Resource Areas
1.C. CLIFFLINE COMMUNITY
Desired Future Condition
“Dispersed recreation (e.g., hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, bouldering, and camping) is generally allowed unless adverse impacts to PETS species, habitat for Conservation species, or heritage resources listed or potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, cannot be mitigated.”
Standards, Recreation
“1.C-REC-2 Prior to development, the Forest Service must authorize climbing, bouldering, or rapelling routes if any of the following route development activities occur:
a) Installation of fixed anchors
b) Construction of an access trail
c) Removal of vegetation
d) Climbing routes are located within 100 feet of a known archeological site”

Wilderness
2.A. CLIFTY WILDERNESS
Standards, Recreation
“2.A-REC-5 No new rock climbing routes with fixed anchors are allowed. However, maintenance or replacement of existing approved fixed anchors is allowed.”

Recreation Areas
Federally Designated Wild and Scenic River Segments
3.C.1. RED RIVER NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER SEGMENT: WILD RIVER SEGMENT
Setting
“This 9.1 mile segment of the Red River, located mainly within the Clifty Wilderness Prescription Area, is managed as an integral part of this wilderness to maintain the primitive, wild condition where natural ecological conditions and processes prevail.”
Desired Future Condition, Desired Facility and Human Activities:
“Hiking, primitive camping, rock climbing, fishing, hunting, canoeing, kayaking, and rafting are allowed where they do not adversely impact the wilderness resource.”
3.C.3. RED RIVER NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER SEGMENT: RECREATIONAL RIVER SEGMENT
Setting
“This river segment is located within the non-wilderness portion of the Red River Gorge Geological Area.”
Goals and Objectives
“3.C.3-Goal 4. Maintain and enhance the recreational opportunities associated with the area, particularly dispersed recreational activities such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking, scenic viewing, hiking, camping, backpacking, and rock climbing.”

Special Areas
3.E. RED RIVER GORGE GEOLOGIC AREA
“3.E-Goal 2. Maintain and enhance the recreational opportunities associated with the area, particularly dispersed recreational activities such as scenic viewing, hiking, camping, backpacking, and rock climbing.”

[tomdarch]

How has this worked in the past? How much is C-1 pretty much THE thing to focus on when I'm attempting to read this thing? What are the odds that there will be much divergence from C-1?

[Kwas]

...

[Guest]

deleted angry judgemental criticism of climbers who ordered printed copies of this FS document

The FS made the decision to print a certain number of copies and budgeted accordingly. So whether or not your or I order a copy has no effect on the amount of paper they use or their expenditures. They are not printing these to order. I suppose the expense of the bandwidth it would take to host the thing in a viewable form would have been greater than the printing costs. I dunno. I would hope they looked at that cost.

Also, Kwas, I recycle all my paper. I'm guessing most people here do the same. Personally I will sit down and read it and mark it up with my feedback for the meeting - and not all of it will be related to climbing. Keep in mind that many of us are also backpackers, paddlers, environmentalists, hunters, streakers, etc, and reading the entire document is in our best interests, as well as a great cure for insomnia.

I think your criticism is misdirected.

[andy_lemon]

lynne, is there a flyer for this? If you have a flyer or know where I can download one please let me know. I would like to hang a few around my gym and local gear shops.

Andy

[Guest]

Hey Andy, I put together a flier for Derby Fest I can email you for printing. The FS plan is a different issue. Which did you mean here?

[Kwas]

Hey I deleted that criticism before anyone commented on it so don't tell me about any missed erection sweetie. It was only up for a few minutes. You should have jumped on it sooner.

[Steve]

There is a discussion going on over at kywilderness.com too.

http://www.kywilderness.com/cgi/yabb/Ya ... 1052413468