Changes Coming At Uwharrie?

J.C.

J.C.

Volunteer
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Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Location
Greensboro, NC
Went down today to give Great White it's first real test. The bridge is in at FS553 and Rocky Mount Loop





Bridge is going in on Dickey Bell, didn't look like they had any erosion/sediment control at either location! There has to be TONS of sediment entering the stream at both sites!



 
There were grade stakes EVERYWHERE on every trail we rode except Daniel! There were two HUGE boulders that have been put in the center line on Kodak. If you want to ride the rock you better do it soon. My thinking is that they are going to fill that in pretty quickly. There were lots of new marking on trees and coupled with all the grade stakes I'm sure the trails are in for a massive make over, maybe even before the winter closure!
 
The FS Supervisor for NC has pretty much said straight out that she intends to close all OHV trails in her district! It makes no difference that both the FS and it's managing agency, USDA, recognize OHV use as a legitimate use of FS lands, if the FS can find good enough reasons they can do pretty much as they please :(
 
JC said:
The FS Supervisor for NC has pretty much said straight out that she intends to close all OHV trails in her district! It makes no difference that both the FS and it's managing agency, USDA, recognize OHV use as a legitimate use of FS lands, if the FS can find good enough reasons they can do pretty much as they please :(
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Few questions.Would her District be the entire state of NC?Doesn't that paint a pretty dismal picture for those of us on this forum and people in general who enjoy going off road?Is her position an elected position or appointed?It seems if she is showing an obvious prejudice towards OHV people,isn't there someone above her that can be contacted? Sorry for all the questions,just curious.
 
Marisue Hilliard is a name that we are very familiar with from the Tellico fight. If she has her sights set on URE, well....it doesn't look good. She's an activist in a position of power (imho).
 
retroedaddy said:
Few questions.Would her District be the entire state of NC?Doesn't that paint a pretty dismal picture for those of us on this forum and people in general who enjoy going off road?Is her position an elected position or appointed?It seems if she is showing an obvious prejudice towards OHV people,isn't there someone above her that can be contacted? Sorry for all the questions,just curious.
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I just read through all the info I could find online about her and answered all my questions.Nothing I found looks very good including her facebook page which you can not view,but you can view a few of her friends pages.I didn't see any pro OHV types on there.Although there are quite a few Conservation Proponents.We may be heading into Garage territory with this thread.......
 
This doesn't sound good but maybe I'm just a bit paranoid. I understand that the district supervisor is a douche but i thought they were cool with the OHV stuff at Uwharrie? At least as far as forest management goes. they are just doing stuff that needs to be done.
 
Yeah, I probably shouldn't have said anything, I tend to be a little pessimistic at times. It's just that with all the grade stakes I think they are going to do some serious "grooming" this winter.
 
JC said:
The FS Supervisor for NC has pretty much said straight out that she intends to close all OHV trails in her district!
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OK, don't everyone panic! Hold the PMs :) I shouldn't have said that. She has not told me that in person, I am inferring that from some other things I have heard. I guess I'm just paranoid considering how things went with Tellico :(
 
JC said:
OK, don't everyone panic! Hold the PMs :) I shouldn't have said that. She has not told me that in person, I am inferring that from some other things I have heard. I guess I'm just paranoid considering how things went with Tellico :(
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That's understandable.
 
If someone were so inclined you can go to the district ranger office and ask for a copy of the plans for the grading and future of URE per the "freedom of information act" and they HAVE to give you the info. If not, contact SFWDA and get the ball rolling on making them.
I may be going out next weekend for a little wheeling and will look at grade stakes to see what they have in the works.
The bridge on RML looks too small to withstand the occasional flooding that occurs but we'll see.
 
And oh yeah MariSue Hilliard will look you right in the eyes and make you think she is on your side or at least neutral and will be open to all sides of the issues. BTDT with her.
 
You typically do not need an erosion control plan when disturbing under an acre.... however I'd have to look a little into it based on an intermittent/ephemeral stream (if that's even what those are)....

In any event it's obviously good work practice to at least put up a row of hog wire backed silt fence that close to a stream...

If those are actually classified as streams then that's just pathetic and an obvious violation that would warrant a NOV of fine...
 
What I'm seeing is a bridge over a small stream, sorta like the one they tried to build at Tellico for years! I look at this a positive thing, I don't think they would set aside the funds to build a bridge to close the trail down. Also goverment land is different than commercial land being developed. When I hauled Military (goverment properity)freight, I never had to plackard the load, as in explosives, radio active, or any other warnings. I did ask why I had to tarp torpedoes once!
 
their idea of trail and ours are very different....
 
I remember a very expensive bridge (like Biltmore expensive) being built @ Tellico the year before they closed it.
 
From what I understand and have seen The bridges and water crossings are being addressed to prevent sediment problems that led to tellicos closing. the work I have seen being done there seems to look like preventive measure to that end so I am hopeful they intend on URE staying open.
 
JC said:
There were two HUGE boulders that have been put in the center line on Kodak.
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got any pics of this????
 
John B. said:
I remember a very expensive bridge (like Biltmore expensive) being built @ Tellico the year before they closed it.
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I remember that as well. I thought, surely they wouldn't close this place, look at the quality and size of this bridge!

That bridge does nothing to lessen my fears on URE's future.
 
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