[ndcf] Action Alert! Trail Support Letters Needed!

Mon Mar 12 08:15:44 EST 2007

Ron,

In the letter the phrase "The trail will be within the Charleston Unit of the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands."  The town in that area is "Charlson".  So, is it the "Charleston" or "Charlson" unit?

Bennet Kubischta

________________________________

From: ndcf-bounces at ndcycling.com [mailto:ndcf-bounces at ndcycling.com] On Behalf Of Ron Luethe
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 11:52 AM
To: NDCF
Cc: Hanson, Jesse M.; Curt Glasoe
Subject: [ndcf] Action Alert! Trail Support Letters Needed!
Importance: High

Fellow Trail Users:

The Forest Service needs our support for a proposed trail from Tobacco Gardens to New Town  It will be a very scenic 45 mile single track that surfs along the badland bluffs on the south shore of Lake Sakakewea.  

The Forest Service would like letters of support for this  multi-use trail that would benefit bikers, horseback riders, and hikers.

Your letters of support for bikes on the Maah Daah Hey Trail Extension (south of Medora) made a huge difference and the Forest Service has agreed to accommodate bikes along the entire length of the trail.  Thank you all!

I encourage all of you to make a difference again and write a letter of support for this new proposed trail.  I have provided some talking points in the email below and attached word document.

Thanks you in advance for your support!

Ron

Questions?  Please call or email:

Ron Luethe
1918 Houston Drive
Bismarck, ND  58504-7207
(701) 255-7822 (H)
(701) 530-2032 (W)
(701) 220-6966 (CELL)
ron.luethe at bis.midco.net <mailto:ron.luethe at bis.midco.net> 

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Send Comments to:

Dave Pieper, Supervisor

Dakota Prairie Grasslands

240 W. Century Ave.

Bismarck, ND  58503

Opening/Background

I am writing this letter in support of the recreation trail from Tobacco Gardens to New Town.  The proposed 45-mile single-track will have a scenic view of Lake Sakakawea.  There will be no other experience like it in the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands.  The trail will be within the Charleston Unit of the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands.  This trail will be a very welcome and overdue improvement to the Charleston Unit, which does not have any non-motorized trails within it.  In contrast, other units of similar size managed by the Forest Service, there would be 1500 to 2000 miles of non-motorized trails.  Thus, the 45 miles of additional trail development would enhance, and not burden, the natural resources within the area. 

"Talking points" to consider including in your letter:   

·        This trail will be a "draw" to active tourists and eco-tourists, and will attract mountain bikers, birders, hikers and horseback riders.  As visitors come, they will need places to stay and eat and purchase supplies.  Thus, I feel this project would have strong potential for economic benefit for residents of the area, including local ranchers and rural residents who might wish to develop supplemental income businesses (such as ranch vacations or housing) as well as members of the Three Affiliated Tribes.  This has occurred, for example, with the Maah Daah Hey Trail.  

·        The public lands across which the trail would pass are by law to be multi-use, and a single track trail of the type proposed is well within one of these intended purposes  -- outdoor recreation.   This is explicitly stated in by Congress.  See, Congressional declaration of policy, 43 U.S.C. §1701(a)(8):  "The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States that .   (8) the public lands be managed in a manner that will ... provide for outdoor recreation and human occupancy and use, ..."  As noted above, recreation trails similar to the proposed trail are in common use on other parts of public lands managed by the Forest Service, thus indicating that this type of trail is an appropriate use of these public lands on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands.  

·        I understand there is some opposition to the project.  There are some that simply do not want to share the public lands with prospective recreational users of the proposed trail.  We do not believe that that opposition is well founded or based on legitimate reasons.  The local ranchers have permitted authority to utilize the lands for grazing purposes, only.  The ranchers do not have exclusive use of this public land.  Obviously, the recreational users do not compete with the cattle for grazing or for forage.  The grazing usage simply could not be appreciably affected by a single track trail that meanders along one border of the 70,000 acre unit.  But, in any event, we are simply not aware of any reason to believe that the ranchers' ability to graze the cattle they are authorized to put on this land, their usage of the forage, or the fees that they pay would be in any way affected by the single track recreational trail that we support. 

I urge the US Forest Service to approve and construct this trail as soon as possible. 

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