Report on the Mendocino National Forest’s Roadless NOI Meeting
Place: BLM Office, Ukiah, CA
Date: Dec. 8, 1999

This meeting’s format followed the script of a short introduction by FS staff and a welcome by the Forest Supervisor. In his opening remarks, he noted that many folks were wearing “Access for ALL” labels when he said, “I see a lot of you are interested in access because I see you wearing your ‘access’ labels.”

The FS staff treated everyone fairly and I think that most people in the room realized that this roadless directive was not the brainchild of local FS staff but that it came straight from Algore’s desk. About 60 people were in the audience.

The FS staff showed a brief 10 min. video of the roadless directive then broke up into about 5-6 groups for roundtable discussions.

Thanks to the hard work of many multiple-use groups -- AMA. Dist 36, Mendo-Lake Houndsmen, CA Outdoor Enthusiast Coalition, Public Lands Sportsmen’s Assn., Mendocino Dirt Riders Assn., and the Resource Education Network -- those supporting continued access to public lands outnumbered the antis by 8 to 1.

Many folks are concerned about this directive’s potential to close roads and deny access. Protecting the existing recreational infrastructure was also noted as an important issue and allowing maintenance and trail repair once an area is deemed “roadless/unroaded.”

This meeting was largely a waste of people’s time because many Forests in the Pacific Northwest are exempted from road definitions in the Interim Road Policy - including the Mendocino NF.

Because these new roadless areas are going to be identified by new “road definitions” that are contained in the yet to be released finial road policy -- the fact remains the public cannot make valid comments on these many exempted Forests because we do not have the needed information.

The 120 day extension -as well as being able to review the Final Road Policy - is critically important for both greens, multiple-use folks, Congress, and even FS staff to make valid comments.

Again, many thanks to the multiple-use community who took time out of their busy schedules to come to this event.

--- Don Amador, BRC