Friday, June 21, 2019

Moving the Goalposts - Again





You know me, I am ever curious. Yesterday, I became curious if the Forest Service had issued a Solicitation request for vendor bids on trail relocation work in the Crazy Mountains - they have to make that stuff public. 

They posted the pre-Solicitation on May 1, 2019 (after we sent our Notice of Intent to Sue in Feb.), at 1:03 PM. About an hour later, 2:04 PM, they change the status to "Solicitation". The PDF properties confirm the changes.

Take a look at the PDF, on page 53 you see a map. During the Scoping process for this trail relocation, the map shows a different proposed route. While that one is steeper and higher than the current route, the new one in the solicitation pdf is steeper and higher than the previous one - without any public process or notification - they moved the goalposts again. As you can see, on the two map inserts picture above, the routes are different.

Don't forget that in the Scoping Process, about a week after the public comment deadline, the FS removed the whole public comment reading room link. Thankfully, I had downloaded the zipfile for all the comments a couple days after closing - another moving of the goalposts.

After FS Supervisor Mary Erickson replied to Sen. Steve Daines on the Crazy Mountains, many goalposts have been moved:
  • They removed the Yellowstone District Ranger for doing his job, following FS policy June 2017. After public outcry, he was restored Oct. 2017.
  • During the March 2018 scoping process, the FS didn't hold any public meetings. Friends of the Crazy Mountains and Enhancing Montana's Wildlife & Habitat had to hold a public meeting in Livingston, at our own cost, inviting the FS and landowner to speak - a meeting the FS should have held. We video recorded it, made that and all the PDF documents on a variety of subjects, available online.
  • The Forest Service did not allow their line officers to attend the public meeting to answer the public's questions.
  • The Forest Service changed the category to a CE, then stated this was part of the 2006 Record of Decision Travel Plan.
  • About a week, after the scoping deadline, the FS removed the public comments from the online reading room.(BTW mine was surprisingly missing from the zip file, but I took a screenshot of the submission window for proof, if needed).
  • The FS had the Proposed Porcupine Ibex Trail Project on the SOPA (Schedule of Proposed Actions) quarterly PDF's for 2018: 2nd, 3rd & 4th. Then in 2019, it is gone.
  • The FS is charging ahead, issuing a Solicitation for construction. Trail #267 Phase 1 will obliterate 1300ft of current trail #267 on 4N10E Sec. 10 and another 1200ft of Trail #195 on Sec. 15 (don't forget, we have a Railroad grant deed with "easement in the public language on Sec. 15 for those 2 trails) , which they previously stated the proposed relocation would piggyback- again moving the goalposts, with a Solicitation map different than previously presented to the public: a steeper and higher route, limiting children, impaired and older users. The contract was awarded today.
To add insult to our Crazy Mountains public access injury, contrary to the 2006 Travel Plan, this relocation cuts over a third, out of the middle, of a currently existing motorcycle route from the public's use (other uses such as hiking, mountain bikes, horses and winter snowmobile will also be lost at the lower, more even elevation) - again moving the goalposts.

The public should be outraged over the Forest Service CGNF's actions disregarding the public, FS policy, lack of defending our public access to our public lands, and habitat security. We have a lot at stake here for our public trust and for future generations.





ADDITIONALLY, if you have any Crazy Mountains history, records or trail use you would like to share, please email me at:



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Thank you,
Kathryn QannaYahu
406-579-7748
www.EMWH.org
Helena, MT

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