Anyone else notice the lack of hunting information on the USFS websites? As in not a dang thing. I did. So last month I sent an email to the chief of the USFS. Well I haven't heard back from the chief yet, but I did get a response from his assistant within 24 hours of sending the email. She assured me that Tom would read my email and that it would also be sent to staff at the USFS regional office in Portland. I left it at that and sort of forgot about the whole bit until I received a call last week from the Portland office.
All of the NF websites are being transferred to a 'web portal' type system and hunting information will be listed accordingly with other recreation activity information. Some of the NF sites are on the new system. ex:
http://fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=110102&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Beaverhead-Deerlodge
Hey its somethin', an improvement non the less
The USFS officials' reasoning for the lack of even the word 'hunting' or 'hunter' being on the NF sites, something along the lines of....... 'Since all states have a game department we didn't see the necessity in having hunting information on the various NF websites'.
What are your opinions?
Mine.....
I did ask if the avoidance of hunting had anything to do with social politics......the answer was no.
We also discussed habitat projects and access. He said the USFS will be conducting habitat projects in alpine area's where conifers are invading meadows. Primarily to reduce the amount of fuel incase of fire and also to improve meadow habitat. +1 for migrating ungulate populations and all other wildlife that thrive in alpine meadows.
Access; since it was the hot topic at the America's Great Outdoors Initiative meeting. He said "Travel Management" is a term that we'll start to hear with greater consistency around the subject of access on NF land. News to me, but its been on the table for awhile now, ORV groups are familiar. Check it out, Travel Management Directives
http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/
