Mt St Helens recreation groups meeting

Mount St Helens NVMVolunteer Coordination MeetingApril 10, 20086:30- 8:30 PM @ the Ward Fire Hall  In attendance: Carl Schmalenberger, Gary Collins, Jim Anderson, Norm Welsh, Jeanne Bennett, Hailey Heath, Mike Hayden, Dave Anderson, Jerry DeRuyter, Jerry Sauer, Dan Coughlin, Eric Kangas, Ron Katzen, Linda DeLuca, Jerry Deluca, Gary Enger,  Bill Manbeck, Tom Savage, Tom Mulder, Gary Walker, Randy Peterson, Bill Uyesugi, Welcome and Introductions Forest Service UpdatesBill Uyesugi provided a briefing on the Forest Service Funding Outlook, Recreation Facilities Analysis, Travel Management Plan: Review ProjectsAll groups provided a quick summary of projects planned for the upcoming 2008 field season. o   Forest Service – §  Gary Walker presented a schedule of trails work he has planned for 2008 including a list of anticipated partners and volunteers working on these trails.  §  Randy Peterson identified the work the FS will be doing on the recreation facilities including coordination with the Backcountry Horsemen on Kalama HC, Track Riders on Marble Mt SP, a RAC project at Kalama HC, Trail of Two Forests and Ape Caveo   BCH (St Helens Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen)  - Gary Collins, Jim Anderson, Norm Welsh§  Spring work starts with clean up Kalama HC§  Toutle Trail, Fossil Trail, Cinnamon Trail§  Already working with DNR in Rock Cr Area§  July- at Lewis River HC and Trail§  Quartz Creek Trail§  Need some rails, sand and other materials for Kalamao   CATS (Cougar Area Trail Seekers) – Mike Hayden, Ron Katzer, Jerry & Linda DeLuca, Jerry Sauer (CATS and SCAT)§  CATS is a growing organization still looking for roads and trails we can legally ride with ORVs.§  They put in for grant money for planning and developing multipurpose motorized trails.§  CATS would like to get permission to explore into possibilities for developing motorized trails.§  Concerned about businesses in Cougar and recreation levels being limited.  Would like to increase recreation use in the area.§  Want to work with FS to establish§  Need to look at level 1 and level 2 roads for ORV use.§  Using the older roads- can be maintained easily.  Could have volunteer maintenance.§  Tom concerned about expanding illegal use.   Jerry indicated that they (illegal OHV users) are going to be there anyway and thinks we can confine them better if we designate areas.§  Mike indicates that we are having success in controlling use on State Land.§  CATS can be part of the solution. o   Trackriders - Carl Schmalenberger§  Reseal Marble cabin.§  Need sealer to apply to warming shelter.  FS will provide  o   Jerry DeRyter and Dave Anderson – PUMP §  Siouxon Trails are a priority area for PUMP.§  PUMP doesn’t  plan out year formally.  It is nice to have flexibility (to go out when weather is good and volunteers available)§  Would like to have a restroom at the Siouxon trailhead.§  Ape Canyon and Smith Creek Trail and Loowit are other priority areas. o   Bill Manvick – Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association§  Looking for places to drive§  Strong in education and law enforcement§  Against “mudders”§  Working with Natches RD§  Would like to get trails open, and help provide a presents in the woods to provide some enforcement.o   MSHI§  Goal to work with all user groups to make the Forest accessible to everyone.§  Has list of Signature Weekend Work parties§  Will be planning other work parties throughout the summer.§  Can help other groups with their projects.§  Willing to be “Educated” to make partnerships work better§  Jeanne has lots of experience in working with grants and is willing to help other groups on their grantso   Jones Creek§  Talked to the Forest about the Travel Management Plan to see what can be done§  Would like to propose areas for mixed use, making loop opportunities, 29 road.§  Would like to partner with the FS and any other group (on identifying mixed use areas)§  Interest in trails off of Lewis River.  Summit Prairie, Wright Meadows, Craggy Peak.§  Flexibility to have work parties has been very beneficial to JCTR§  Would like Tom M to consider identifying mixed use areas.  If you have legal areas to ride it tends to keep people in those areas. o   Tom Savage§  Annual Pick Up the Pinchot (East Fork getting cleaned up)§  Jones Creek is part of an MSH RCO Grant as a match.§  Jones Creek also has projects in CVRD§  Would like to get at least one person from each group Saw Certified.  Safety if very important in trail work. o   Forest Service needs to set up chain saw certification.  We will schedule some dates and send out emails to the different groups. NEPA Needs and Priorities (National Environmental Policy Act compliance) -               The Forest service has five trail projects we are working on at this time.  Loowit Trail, Lewis River Trail, Smith Creek Trail, Blue Horse Trail, and Whittier Trail-               Need a new bridge at Siouxon Trail (first Bridge).  Replacement of the bridge will require NEPA if the old bridge was put in before we started doing NEPA-               How much does NEPA Cost ?  o   A small project in a very small area may cost $4,000 to $6,000 if there are no issues and no consultation needed.o   Costs go up if there are Threatened and Endangered species, consultation with Fish and Wildlife or National Marine Fisheries, surveys are needed, or cultural resources are found.  Timber sales can cost in well over $50,000-               What is a Cat Ex o   A categorical exclusion is a term for projects that typically have so little environmental impacts, they do not require documentation in an Environmental Analysis or Environmental Impact Statement.  They are usually documented with a short document called a “Decision Memo” or in a “Letter to the Files.” -               How long does it take?o   For some small projects, it only takes a day or two of field time, another day to for writing up the specialist reports, and a couple days to compile the reports and write a Decision Memo.o   Bigger projects can take a year or two.o   The smaller projects often take a long time because §  FS planning teams are over scheduled and the project may be low on the priority list. §  Some required surveys have a small window of time in which they can be performed, maybe just in the spring or as little as just a few weeks.  If the window is missed, you have to wait until the next year.    -               SEPA require every day for projects Jerry Sauer works on.  Can FS use SEPA?  SEPA is the State’s version of NEPA.  It covers basically the same elements of SEPA.  It can be used for FS projects.  Need to get concurrence with the line officer (Tom Mulder).  Grant Opportunities -               CATS  and GPOHVA (Gifford Pinchot Off Highway Vehicle Association) are  working on RCO grant for engineering and maintenance.  Need to see what roads we can use for OHV/mixed use.  Already talking to FS, Lynn, Robin and Ron.  Want to get a program started before damage gets done.  Partnership with FS needs to be established by 8/1.   Need support from Forest Service.-               Clark county library system has a list of grant opportunities.  Foundations and organizations who are interested in funding recreation-               Don’t have to make every project a project for all users to get other user groups to partner on grant applications.-               Calling Congressmen to tell them the need for funding for FS projects really helps-               With grant applications, you have to get support from land manager first.-               BCH is considering using a portion of their RCO grant on a bridge on the Fossil Trail.  An old bridge site on an old road.  Need support from FS and needs NEPA.-               MSHI is a 501 C3 (non-profit) organization who can apply for xxxx grants for some of our other partners. Discuss how the different groups can help each other            Meeting got cut off due to time. Other Comments -               BCH is having a VIP ride on July 19th and will have politicians there who can influence budgets.  Norm invited everyone to join the event.-               If you feel this has been productive and would like to meet again, please contact us.-               Jim Anderson indicated that it was good to see what the FS has to do to get their work done. Adjourn