Land Management Plan Changes to the Los Padres National Forest

Action Alert! Forest Service Land Management Plan changes may affect Southern California National Forest mountain bike access.

The short story: the Southern California National Forests are updating their Land Management Plan due to lawsuits. The outcome could affect mountain bike access locally on the Buckhorn trail and Alamar/Mono trails and the Ortega Ridge, Chorro Grande, and Lion Canyon trails in Ojai.

SBMTV supports the “Alternative #2″ option for almost all areas in Southern California National Forests. Alternative #2 adds the designation “Backcountry Non-motorized” to many areas of the forest including the Buckhorn and Alamar watersheds. This designation includes mountain bikes (non-motorized recreation) while adding additional protections/development restrictions to the same area.
Alternative #1 keeps the status quo and does not add additional protection to the Forests
Alternative #3 designation “Recommended Wildernsss” eliminates mountain bike access from many trails (Buckhorn, Alamar, Ortega Ridge, Chorro Grandey, Lion Caynon) and severely limits the ability to maintain trails in that designated area and the current Wilderness areas beyond..

The Forest Service is currently taking public comment on these possible changes. Additional information on the project, maps, and the environmental impact statement can be found on the project webpage.

SBMTV has made it easy for you to comment! And please, pass this on to your friends too…

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To:socal_nf_lmp_amendment@fs.fed.us

ATTN: LMP Amendment
Dear National Forest Service Staff,
I support Alternative #2 of the Southern California National Forests Land Management Plan Amendment which includes the change of many acres of National Forest to the Back Country Non-Motorized (BCNM) designation.  I am a regular visitor to the Los Padres National Forest and recreate there in many ways, including as a mountain bicyclist.
I feel that Alternative #2 BCNM is the best balance between the LPNF’s management focus of providing world-class recreation opportunities and the focus of protecting it’s watersheds.  The Back Country Non-Motorized designation provides protection against extractive industries like timber, mining, and oil drilling.  And, the BCNM designation continues to offer our community non-motorized low-impact recreational activities like mountain bicycling, it allows efficient use of trail maintenance resources such as tools and volunteers, and it will continue to build stewardship and care for the Forest.
I do not believe Alternative #1 “No Change” is appropriate because it provides no additional protection for our Forest’s wildlands.  I do not support the Alternative #3 “Recommended Wilderness” land designations because it eliminates many non-motorized recreational opportunities like mountain bicycling, it more than doubles the cost of trail maintenance while severely limiting maintenance resources, and it breaks up a community of Forest care stewards.
Again, I support Alternative #2 in the LMP Amendment for the Los Padres National Forest and also the three other Southern California National Forests including the Angeles, Cleveland, and San Bernardino Forests.

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Land Management Plan Changes to the Los Padres National Forest

Action Alert! Forest Service Land Management Plan changes may affect Southern California National Forest mountain bike access.

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