Dear Mrs. Fullman:
Thank you for the phone call yesterday morning. As a Saratoga resident and Snowy Range Forest user since 1936 when my father hauled logs to the R.R. Crow & Co. sawmill for many years, I must express my immediate hurry-up concerns to your proposal to close and reduce use on many Snowy Range Forest roads.The most immediate problem I have is that you dropped this road closure bomb on our area in the third month of the 10th and final year that Congress declared that the U.S. Forest Service administrators and employees prepare and submit minimum road closure proposals on all U.S. Forest lands. As our Snowy Range District Ranger, you dictated a 30 day window to submit “West Snowy Range Travel Management Comments” by April 17, 2015.Since this bomb dropped a month ago, our entire community has expressed outrage for such unreasonably short expected citizen participation in such a profound reduction of the use and enjoyment of this “Public Forest”. I do commend you however for attempting to mellow the citizens’ ire by then agreeing to hold three public meetings and extend the deadline 5 days more from the 17th to next Tuesday, the 22nd. That still is a guillotine on our necks! I personally have scrambled as fast as possible to be able to learn the scope, content, and possible effects of this initial “Environmental Assessment” proposal, which is just the first of your planned proposal actions, with very short deadlines for public input.
Your office has provided a multitude of documents and maps that solicit specific comments on 7 major paragraph items plus comments on all other aspects of your proposal.
Do you learn this method of rushing deadlines for public comments at your Forest Service Conventions and “Work Sessions” that you all regularly attend at our great tax dollar expense? This may be an unfair sarcastic comment as I do hold Forest service personnel in high respect but I am one of many in our community that are angry with these rush to decision proposals and short unfair deadlines.
I have diligently studied as much and as fast as possible these documents and maps, called and talked to you, attended the Elk Mountain public meeting, talked to several knowledgeable Forest Service employees and local citizens, read newspaper articles and intend to attend your last Public meeting next Tuesday and stay involved in the future as much as possible.
I seriously have only touched the tip of this iceberg of what your proposals are all about and feel that a real extension of time for citizen’s comments must be granted by you for at least 6 months but preferably one year.
You have had 10 years since Congress passed their proclamation in 2005 to do these comprehensive forest road assessments and have, according to your public hearing statement last night, only been diligently working on this proposal for 18 months due to your prior Rawlins public meeting excuse of “Scheduling Conflicts”, whatever that means, for the prior years.
So, 6 months to one year seems reasonable for all the rest of us concerned local citizens to play catch up with what your proposal really means. Democrat House Majority leader Nancy Pelosi’s philosophy of the Obama Care massive Health Care statute “you got to pass legislation to know what is in it” really amounts to getting the cart before the horse, shaft the people, and then let them scream to no avail. Does this also apply to your hurry-up deadlines? Just let us scream later to no avail when our roads are closed?
The gist of your reasons for wanting to close something like half of the Snowy Range roads and reduce vehicle traffic to smaller ATV’s than larger 4 wheel drive units that many use to recreate by “Jeeping” all over the forest roads and trails is because of annual reduced financial Congressional budget money to build, repair, and maintain these vehicle passage ways in a reasonably safe condition for the historic Forest use of agriculture grazing, logging, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, picnicking, photography of birds and enjoying the forest wildlife, and just cooking hot dogs and marshmallows with our families, grandkids and friends.
Your stated minimum annual shortfall this year is about $300,000.00 to keep these established roads and trails. That is a pittance to Washington D.C. Not even the slightest pocket change. We drop a penny and pick it up. They drop $300,000 and don’t blink an eye on thousands of Pork Barrel budget “gimmies”, fraud and waste and more than that just warming up Airforce One seconds before it flies to fundraisers, vacations and real public business.
So, my request is to allow every concerned Snowy Range forest user a reasonable time period to contact our esteemed Senior Wyoming U.S. Senator, Mike Enzi, who is the Chairman of the U.S. Budget Committee, currently working day and night to try to get a balanced budget and convince our other elected representatives we send to protect us and our assets.
Mr. Enzi and our Wyoming Senator John Barrrasso and Wyoming Representative, Cynthia Lummis have the horsepower to convince their fellow elected politicians that funding the entire U.S. Forest Service should have almost one of the highest of priorities over all the other paid Lobbyist’s requests and their funding categories. Our Snowy Range is our most important public asset. Only the squeaky wheel gets the grease!! It is time for us to squeal.
I personally need at least this summer and fall to inspect with your maps as many of the most important proposed road closures and reductions as possible and then answer the 7 paragraphs of questions you asked for comments on before your “Environmental Assessment” Draft is prepared for further public comment.
You have stated to me that you personally have the authority, as the District Ranger, to allow the time extensions that I and others need and want to photograph, if necessary, and explore all alternatives to your funding problems and other stated road closure concerns. Please forthwith approve and pronounce this time extension request so we can all be allowed a significant ability to determine such a serious future Forest use decision that you are apparently under pressure to make for your superiors.
I also request to be notified and allowed to reasonable attend and speak at all future meetings and give sworn testimony to anyone or any agency at any time or place regarding this entire Forest service road closure proposal and process and submit additional comments as this matter goes forth. You have had a 10 year window to comply with the Congressional request. I think we should have at least 6 to 12 months before you compile your first Draft proposal for further public review.
Sincerely submitted,
Ruth Beryl Hetherington, (RN Ret.)
Leon Roy Hetherington, (Judge, Atty. Ret)
Saratoga
Reader Comments(0)