Anyone heading to Uwharrie for the fourth? I'll be wheeling rain or shine.

Shout out to all the Troops "Thank You"

here is the latest. please call/write/email . we need everyone to chime in and give support on keeping tellico open. i copied this info from another forum:

Here is an email I recieved from a buddy in the forest service here in Ga.


United States
Department of
Agriculture
Forest
Service
National Forests in North Carolina
Nantahala National Forest
Tusquitee Ranger District
123 Woodland Dr.
Murphy, NC 28906-3145
828-837-5152
Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper
FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCES PROPOSED CHANGES FOR
UPPER TELLICO OHV TRAILS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2008
Steve Lohr, Tusquitee District Ranger, today announced proposed changes in the 39.5 mile
Upper Tellico OHV Trail System. The proposal calls for maintaining approximately 24 miles of
trails, upgrading five miles of Davis Creek Road for street-legal vehicle use, and closing and
restoring 11 miles of other trails. Lohr states, “Many of the trail segments that are popular for
high-challenge rock-crawler opportunities are heavily eroded, have high potential for
contributing sediment to nearby streams, and are therefore proposed for closure and
rehabilitation.”
The agency would construct about one mile of new OHV trail to preserve loop routes on existing
OHV trails and correct water quality problems. In addition, seasonal closure of the entire system
from January 1 to March 31 would be continued to prevent rutting and excessive sedimentation
during winter wet and freeze-thaw periods. Temporary closures would be implemented after
high rainfall events to prevent excessive erosion.
Lohr continues, “No decisions have been made at this point and the proposed action is just a
starting point for additional dialogue among all interested parties and a beginning of the formal
environmental analysis process.” For the next 30 days the Forest Service will be inviting public
comment on this proposal, which may be found on the following website:
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nepa/tusquitee/tellico.htm
Interested parties are also encouraged to attend a public open house scheduled for Saturday, June
28 from 1-4 PM at First Baptist Church in Murphy. Individuals may learn more about the
proposal and submit their own comments.
For more information, please contact:
Candace Wyman, Upper Tellico OHV Project Coordinator
Tusquitee Ranger District
123 Woodland Drive
Murphy NC 28906
(828) 837-5152
or
Terry Seyden, Public Affairs Officer
National Forests in North Carolina
(828) 257-4202






The only thing that will help is sending letters/emails with specific suggestions as alternatives to those listed in the proposal. That's all it is....a proposal. So they are receptive to new ideas at this point. We have until July 9 to submit.

Some suggestions to get the ball rolling:

1) Trail closures following rainstorms will not work. Too many people plan their trips to Tellico months in advance and travel from several hours and several states away.

Alternatively, trails that are "high risk for sedimentation" should be placed on a rotating closure schedule that would allow for stabilization and reasonable advanced planning for enthusiasts.

2) The full closure during the winter months was an experiment that should be considered the "control". In the coming winter months, a rotating schedule of closures should be implemented and studied in similar fashion. The trail system is simply not as busy in the winter months and should not necessitate a full closure.

3) Raise the user fees to assist in funding needed maintenance.

4) Continue to work with the off road community and volunteer groups toward the common goal of a sustainable trail system.

5) The heavily eroded trails should be repaired with rocks of varying sizes, not dirt. A period of one calendar year should be alotted to allow the off road community time to assist with procurement of appropriate stones that would significantly reduce runoff velocity and sedimentation while enhancing the off road experience at the same time.


These are just off the cuff. And I've never been to Tellico! Steal my ideas. Make your own. Yours will probably be better anyway. There needs to be a heavy volume of suggestions pouring in to make a change. This is realistically the LAST CHANCE to make your opinions count.
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