USFS - Los Padres National Forest

Please fund this request the Los Padres provides many OHV trails to ride on. Joe Rose – 3/17/16


United Trail Maintainers of California supports the LPF grant but requests that changes be made to the funding for Mt. Pinos Ranger District. As a primarily wilderness volunteer organization on MPRD, we have watched the OHV volunteer program begin to grow during this past year. It is a long overdue effort on behalf of LPF to promote OHV volunteering and the Forest struggles to accept OHV volunteers as partners. Although the grant takes minor steps to improving the MPRD trail system through the use of CTUC and other volunteers, it is currently not progressive enough in moving from an "agency does all approach" to a system of "shared stewardship." Using the Porterville crew is not an effective solution to the trail problems on this district. Last year, that crew was not available and funding for this grant was returned. MPRD should look to other forests such as Sequoia for help in developing an effective OHV grant that uses funding to employ seasonal rec techs to work on trails and to assist volunteers. It needs to adequately supply and train its OHV volunteers. With the sudden growth of the volunteer program on this district, the forest needs to provide adequate funding for training and tools for these volunteers. I propose the following changes: -The addition of $2000 for communications devices for volunteers to use in order to check in and out of dispatch as required. - $5000 set aside for certification and training of volunteers. In order to meet the 2014 changes to Travel directives, at least one volunteer on the forest should be trained as an AMA certifier. Winching training is also available to jeep volunteers and by setting aside this money, volunteers can have this training made available to them Lastly, funding should be set aside to pay for miscellaneous expenses incurred in chainsaw certifying volunteers. -In public meeting at the SO, $11,000 was requested by volunteers to establish a tool cache and for consumables such as chains, bar oil and fuel. There are currently no tools available to volunteers or PPE on MPRD where the majority of OHV trails exist on the forest.. The forest chose to reduce that amount drastically to where it will not buy enough supplies to fund 6 OHV organizations. The amount of PPE funding is adequate. - Funding should also be set aside for the purchase of dirt bikes for FS employees to use on MPRD. They need to be able to interact more with the public and see the trail conditions themselves. The relationship and work with CCMA is excellent as SLRD fully supports those OHV partners as well as Ojai district, but since the majority of trails and trail problems exist on MPRD, far more attention needs to be given to creating a better system of management and use of CTUC and other partners. LPF needs only to look at the involvement of CTUC on other Forests and the way in which CTUC and forests work together in order to maintain public trails to appropriate standards. It is a partnership that works. I commend this forest for making improvements to OHV volunteering in 2016, but I encourage it to think outside of the box and to better train and supply its large OHV workforce that is ready and able to assist the agency. Use experienced partners to guide you in decision making. UTMC supports this grant with suggested changes to better provide for volunteers, and to include FS rec techs in field work, instead of relying on other Forest crews. That work is a drop in the bucket. Beth Pfeiler President, UTMC – 3/17/16


I hereby request that you would approve and fully fund this grant. As a frequent user of the Los Padres National Forest OHV areas and trails, I know first hand that the improvements, repairs and ongoing maintenance outlined in this grant application are very much needed and necessary in order to keep these facilities both safe and usable. Phil Pulley – 3/23/16


In my review of this preliminary grant application I seem to have found a mathematical error in one of the totals which should be corrected before final submission. In the project cost estimate section, page 12 of 20, line item #1, grant request total (fourth column) should be $6250.00 not $5750.00. USFS - Los Padres National Forest, Ground Operations #G15-02-09-G01. Phil Pulley – 3/28/16


The Forest Service has not described the damaged caused by Green/Red Sticker vehicles (M/C, ATV, Side-by-Side) vs. damaged caused by Off Road travel by other vehicles. Although I strongly support restoration efforts associated with damage caused by resisted OHV vehicles I do not think it appropriate that the OHV Grant Funds be spent restoring damage caused by "Joe Smuck" in his 4X4 Pickup or Jeep. I recommend that this Grand be rejected or reduced in proportion of the damaged attributable to OHV Registered Vehicles. Dion Salfen – 4/4/16


I support this Grant Request as written with one exception. The request in Item 1 Line Item 13 (request to use Sequoia National Forest Trail Crew) should be denied. The LPNF should develop their own Trail Maintenance Crews, such as using their own Hot Shot Crews during off season. Reliance on the Sequoia Trail Crews has not only proven unreliable but also has taken the Sequoia crews out of their own Forest resulting in Sequoia priorities and trail maintenance not being accomplished. The funds requested for rerouting of the trails in the Pozo/La Panza OHV Area is should be fully funded as requested. Dion Salfen – 4/4/16


The Los Padres Ground Operations grant represents a cooperative effort between the Forest and its partners the Central Coast Motorcycle Association and California Trail Users Coalition. In addition to much needed trail maintenance, this grant would fund rerouting of up to eleven trail segments that have been analyzed in Forest planning documents. The analysis indicates that rerouting these trail segments may reduce overall maintenance costs in the long term and reduce soil loss around the system. To accomplish this objective the CCMA is providing matching funds of up to $30,000, to be used to cover various project expenses. We are requesting changes in some of the cost allocations. Please see Project Cost Estimate item #2, Specialist support: The CCMA will be funding biological, soils, and archaeological monitoring for reroute construction up to $10,825.00. For past grants, the SLRD has requested approximately $5000 for specialist support, therefore this request should be for $15,825.00 for the District, with $10,825.00 as match from the CCMA. Please see item #6, Contracts, Item #2 CCC Crew to be provided by CCMA, $30,000. This cost should be revised to $20,000. The CCMA will provide up to 30,825.00 as match by covering various project costs, but the requested changes will more closely reflect the cost items we intend to provide. Thanks. Bruce Whitcher – 4/4/16