The Yuba Ranger District has proposed a new OHV trail in Downieville, your comments are needed now.

The proposal would include rerouting a segment of the PCT and changing the existing use from closed to motorized/mechanized use to Open. In addition, the constuction of a new single track trail open to motorized use.

If your willing to help by writing a short letter, email me at dwoodcre@aol.com
I will send my comments and the proposed project details including a map, to help you draft your own letter.

Your comments are needed by September 25, 2011.

Dave Wood

Holy Cow! A forest actually adding trails! We need to send a copy to the El Dorado forest! Thanks Dave.

Dear Forest Users and Neighbors,

The USDA Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, is proposing to implement recommendations made in the Pacific National Scenic Crest Trail Highway 49 to the A-Tree Optimal Location Review (PCTOLR) signed July 18, 2011. The name of the project is the Pacific Crest Trail Realignment Project. Implementing the PCTOLR recommendations would address issues associated with the current Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) alignment in the area of Packer Saddle, near the Sierra Buttes in Sierra County. These issues include potential safety concerns, lack of access to good water and camping opportunities, mountain bike trespass, and a degraded recreational experience. To a large extent these issues are associated with the PCT’s current use of a busy section of paved road, proximity to a commercial mountain bike drop-off point, and its closeness to a four-wheel drive trail, which it closely parallels on and off for about a mile. To address these concerns the Forest Service is proposing the following actions:

Relocate approximately six miles of the PCT in the Packer Saddle area.

Convert the abandoned section of PCT to a multiple use trail. Construct an approximately one-mile multiple-use single-track trail connection between the newly converted multiple-use trail to the Gold Valley four-wheel drive Trail, thus creating connections to a popular network of multiple-use single-track trails.

Enlarge the trailhead parking at Packsaddle Campground for PCT users and make enhancements to the campground for equestrian users.

In addition to addressing the above issues, the proposed alternate route would also improve overall visual quality and reduce the distance spent crossing private land. The proposed PCT realignment would begin at the intersection with the Sierra Buttes trail. The alternate route would descend to the northeast, passing by and weaving through the Tamarack Lakes, running parallel but out of sight and sound of the Tamarack Lakes OHV 4X4 trail, dropping a total of 1,300 feet in elevation to Packsaddle Campground. From the Packsaddle Campground the alternate route would climb back up to the ridge top, roughly following the existing Deer Lake trail, meeting back up with the current PCT alignment north of the junction with the Deer Lake OHV 4X4 trail, but south of Summit Lake. The six mile new alignment would use about 1.7 miles of existing non-motorized trail (portions of the Tamarack Connection Trail and most of the Deer Lake trail) and require approximately 4.3 miles of new trail construction. See the enclosed map.

If you would like to comment, please submit written comments to: District Ranger, Yuba River Ranger Station, 15924 Highway 49, Camptonville, CA 95922. If you would like more information, contact Joe Chavez, Public Service Officer, at (530) 478-6253. Submit your
comments, in writing, within 30 calendar days of the official notice appearing in Grass Valley’s The Union newspaper, on or about August 25, 2011. Your comments will be addressed in the environmental document that the Interdisciplinary Team will be developing over the next few months.

If you do not wish to comment but would like to follow the development of this project proposal, please let us know in writing by the above mentioned date. Submitted comments and/or addresses will be used to develop a list of interested persons for future mailings. If we do not hear from you, we will not be able to include you on the mailing list to be subsequently developed for this specific project.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your continued interest in the management of the Tahoe National Forest.

Sincerely,
/s/ Genice Froehlich
GENICE FROEHLICH
District Ranger

Only one rider wants to comment to support a new trail?

Thanks Sean for helping!

Dave, I tried to email you yesterday but the email bounced back to me today.  I am very interested in the project.  It would sure be great to be able to bypass a couple of the nasty, rocky and/or steep 4 wheel drive sections near Little Deer Lake and Snake Lake. - - - - Chas Moser

Gotta love new trails!

I'll be making a call to Joe Chavez on Monday morning supporting the new trail, letter to follow.

Letter sent.

Dave thanks for your hard work, camp fire diner is on me this fall,

Chas_M said:

You mean dumb down the trail?

What am I missing here......

SXP said:

I can't imagine anybody in their right mind actually enjoying riding the rocky 4 wheel drive out of Little Deer Lake!!  What I am suggesting is that it would be nice to have some of the PCT available to us in order to bypass these areas.

SXP said:

you ride the rockey jeep trail and ill ride the supper sweet single track:lol:

Is this new ohv trail going to be open for 2012 riding season?

Waiting for the EA?  I would think the end of June 2012 would be the earliest that we may see the EA, likely later.  
This is another public process and comments will be needed to support the new trail and the re-classification of the existing PCT trail segment.  

Hopefully the decision would be for the new OHV trail segment and the re-designation of a segment of the PCT to allow motorized multiple use.  This would be followed by an appeal period.

While it is possible that construction of the new trail could begin in 2013.  I think the summer of 2014 is more realistic when it may be open to motorized use?