Tellico CLOSED Until Further Notice

Link doesn't work for me, but it's nothing new. The FS supervisor made that clear in her letter announcing the EA results. She said then that she was extending the winter closure to a temporary permanent closure :(
 
John what can we do now, or is it too late?
 
Nothing has changed, this is just a part of the FS plan. From the start of the process they said that they were going to continue the closure through the comment process. The thing is, we made a LOT of comments. They have to read, compile and respond to all of those comments. It is going to take a long time to do this and IMO the FS could stretch the EA comment response procedure through the end of the year :( I think their (Forest Service Supervisor Marisue Hilliard) agenda is that once closed will equal always closed and that the whole thing will go away if they ignore it. But, I repeat, this is not anything new, is what we expected and we are still involved and working through the "process" that we must exhaust before re-instituting the suit.
 
Weird is that I just got fwd'd the upper tellico proposal from last summer? Sent to me this morning at 735am from Ruth Berner on behalf of comments, etc.
 
Yeah, I got the same thing on all of my email addys that I sent comments with.
 
To be clear, Tellico was slated to reopen on April 1 following the Winter closure (Jan-March). When the EA was released, Marisue also presented a proposal to keep the trail system closed "temporarily" beyond the scheduled Winter closure.

The FS is currently reviewing all submitted comments and hopefully reviewing the Caliber report as well. The future of Tellico still hangs in the balance and there are still important things we can do. #1 would be to call/email/write your elected officials. Richard Burr's office actually called me in response to an email I sent. They ARE listening, but the problem is that the SELC and TU are also calling them. :shaking:

No matter where you live, you need to contact Heath Shuler's office to let him know the reasons why you visited his end of the state before, and why you will never be back if the Tellico closure is final.

http://shuler.house.gov/content/contact/
 
She didn't present a proposal, she instituted an order as USDA N.C. Supervisor Of Forests, which is unappealable and not subject to legal recourse!

While the Temporary Winter Closure was due to expire April 1, 2009, the trails were never slated to open under the current FS agenda. A draft of the very same 2 year closure letter was posted back in January 2009 on the FS web site.

Agreed, CALLING your elected officials, especially NC Senators Burr and Hagan and your Congressman as well as Congressman Shuler, who represents the Murphy area, is probably the most effective thing we can do right now. However, as it stands right now, IMO, no amount of political pressure is going to change anything. The ONLY thing that is going to open the trails at tellico now is a legal ruling from a judge. And, no matter the ruling, both side will take this as far as the legal process will allow. The FS is backed by the U.S. Department Of Justice! We're going to have to have some $ and smarts to win this thing!
 
I find it odd that their website is having issues! Too much traffic maybe, or another FS ploy to prohibit information disemination?
 
E-mail sent.
 
Just got the revised email with the correct 2009 attachments! Guess we're not dealing with the most technologically literate FS employees :)
 
I just got another email with the 03/31/09 order closing the trails thru 2011.

Essentially citing that yes they are mandated to provide ORV access "unless" there is damage to the forest / other resources.

One thing I am thinking of suggesting to congress members is the salaries of all the FS staff that were supervising this trail system can easily be cut!! This will save the gov't LOTS of cash over the next two years... Obama is looking to cut out wasteful spending...

Certainly does not make sense to pay them to supervise an empty park?? Maybe they could get a job at the local...oh wait they just put a knife in the local economy too... There is always welfare for them I guess? Or maybe TU could put them officially on their staff as "advisors"
 
JC said:
She didn't present a proposal, she instituted an order as USDA N.C. Supervisor Of Forests, which is unappealable and not subject to legal recourse!
While the Temporary Winter Closure was due to expire April 1, 2009, the trails were never slated to open under the current FS agenda. A draft of the very same 2 year closure letter was posted back in January 2009 on the FS web site.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I think we're saying the same thing. She proposed the "temporary closure to start April 1" back when the EA was released. It went from a proposal to an "Order" yesterday, per the links posted.

Regarding elected officials, Burr and Dole successfully intervened in the legal proceedings at the Outer Banks. I am hopeful they could do the same for our end of the state. The key is pressure from slews of voters. But we definitely need $ for the legal battle too.
 
I dont really understand what they expect by closing the park?

The damage has already been done, closing it is just stupid.
 
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