Take the survey. There is a good opportunity at the end to write your very honest comments and suggestions. Even if you are not a current frequent user of the Mt. Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest, you might be in the future. What happens in this National Forest may happen in other National Forests. Make sure your voice is heard.
Some comments you may want to reinforce when you take the survey:
Support alternative actions like:
Road maintenance rotation.
“Forest roads to trails” and related forest access efforts by one of our Congressional Representatives and others to keep our forests healthy, safe, and accessible.• Avoid road decommissioning and protect road beds for future use by converting roads slated for closure into trails.
• Close, stabilize and seed road beds; avoid decommissioning
• Ensure public safety by stabilizing and maintaining road beds that can be re-opened for rescues, firefighting, and emergency evacuation routes when necessary.
• Focus on creating and maintaining road loops to ensure ingress and egress for public safety.
• Reduce cost by enhancing partnerships with [Stewardship] groups that can assist with road and trail maintenance.
• Consider converting high maintenance level roads that are not major thoroughfares to lower maintenance levels.
• Ensure access under the Americans with Disabilities Act by designating roads and trails for off-road vehicle access.
Pursue/explore possible funding opportunities for road maintenance:• Timber sales, Stewardship dollars, Federal road tax
Access into our National Forests for many different recreational activities (i.e. hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, camping, etc.) and commercial activities (i.e. harvesting of timber) has positive economic impacts on our local communities. Closing and decommissioning National Forest roads will negatively impact our already struggling economy.
Closing or decommissioning National Forest roads denies access to all. Even ungulates (i.e. elk, deer) don't like to walk on decommissioned roads; they will walk on the smooth areas next to the old road paths. Decommissioning procedures like digging up the road bed and creating extremely uneven surfaces, covering the road bed with huge boulders, or crisscrossing tree trunks and branches along the road path create hazardous conditions to traverse for humans and large animals.
Make sure your voice is heard.Questionnaire: Select "Click here to go to the questionnaire!":
http://mbssustainableroads.com/questionnaire/
