With deep frustration, CSERC appealed a decision by Stanislaus Forest supervisor Jason Kuiken that would change management direction for the Pacific Valley and the Eagle roadless areas. Under the existing Stanislaus Forest Plan, the two roadless areas and other “Near Natural” lands are explicitly designated as non-motorized. Now, under a long-delayed Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) plan, Supervisor Kuiken’s decision would appease snowmobilers and local politicians who have advocated for eliminating the “non-motorized” mandate that keeps the roadless areas wild.
Why would snowmobile use matter?
At this time, both the Eagle (top right) and Pacific Valley roadless areas are highly eligible for possible future designation by Congress to become official Wilderness areas. If the Forest Service OSV plan changes their management direction to allow snowmobile use, that would make it far less likely for Congress to view either roadless area as currently “wild.” Worse, in order to make those roadless areas official Wilderness, Congress would need to eliminate the on-going motorized use that the OSV plan would allow. It is relatively rare for Congress to agree to add any new California roadless areas as Wilderness, but it is far rarer for Congress to ever remove an existing motorized use in the process.
CSERC filed an Objection to the OSV plan for another important reason. If snowmobile use is allowed high in the crest zone habitat, whining snowmobiles would be legally approved to zip across the alpine terrain, causing noise and disturbance for the rare Sierra Nevada red fox and American marten. The OSV plan even proposes to create a snowmobile snow-play area high in the Sonora Pass right in the heart of critical habitat where the rare Sierra Nevada red fox has been proven to survive.
For the past 28 years, Stanislaus Forest officials have intentionally chosen not to enforce Forest Plan regulations and not to penalize snowmobilers who knowingly trespass into the wild roadless areas. Now the new OSV plan would reward the trespassers by making motorized use legal in these wild areas. A final agency decision on CSERC’s Objection to the OSV plan will come sometime this summer.