FYI, the final Colorado Springs meeting for the Pike-San Isabel National
Forest Plan Revision is next Tuesday, March 6th. If you are interested in
getting involved in the public process and helping to dictate policy for
these Forests for the next 15 yrs, then attend the meeting and speak out.

* Colorado Springs, CO: 3/06/07; 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.;
Doubletree Hotel-World Arena, 1775 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.

Here's what others had to say about the first meeting and what to expect at
this one:

>For those of you who were not there, the basic premise was an
>explanation of the process and the time line for the plan ( expected
>completion sometime in 2009 ). Each person was given a yellow piece of
>paper and asked to write down things that you liked currently, and
>didn't like currently. Next, we were "shuffled" or remixed into groups
>of 6 or so per table, and asked to come up with a group list from our
>individual lists. Once that was complete, each table had a
>spokesperson stand up and list their group's two highest priorities
>from their group list. If one of your highest two points had already
>been given, you were to use your next highest. There were 26 tables,
>so there should have been 52 different points that people felt strongly
>about.

*****
Specifically, you will be asked to fill out a yellow sheet that wants your
thoughts on what management is working well and what needs to be changed on
the Pike-San Isabel. You will also be asked to justify your thoughts on
this, and to say where your points apply on the national forest. For the
latter, it is ok to say that it applies to the whole national forest or
only to specific locations.

It would be good for the Forest Service to hear from people on how the
national forest should be managed. Remember that the management plan
revision, once final, will be good for 15 years, which is the legal limit,
but the current plan has ben in force for a little more than 22
years.
*****

The form they ask you to fill out is attached. You may want to fill it out
ahead of time so you can think your answers through.

Finally, below is an email sent to me by a member of the Central Colorado
Wilderness Coalition. They are trying to get some Wilderness areas created
in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests (which would not allow bikes),
so please keep that in mind that the following text is unedited an you may
not want to support everything they are discussing. We probably share
common goals otherwise in managing/preserving the Forests. Anyway, they'd
like to see our involvement. Otherwise of interest because it contains the
details of the meeting. Here's the meeting flyer, which contains the
details as well -
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/projects/forest_revision/for_mtgs_flyer2.pdf

Hope you can get involved!

Cheers,

Jim Yount
jyount@...
719-540-1505
________________________________________
From: Michael Rogers [mailto:wilderness_heart@...]
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 5:46 PM
To: jyount@...
Subject: 2nd Colo Spgs Pike-San Isabel Meeting and Medicine Wheel Email
Alert???
Importance: Low

Hi Jim! I met you about a year ago when you came to a Central Colorado
Wilderness Coalition meeting. I spoke with several mountain bikers at the
first Colorado Springs forest plan revision open house, but didn't get a
chance to talk to you. I was hoping that you could send an email alert to
the Medicine Wheel lists, to encourage your group to turn out in force at
the second Colorado Springs, meeting, next Tuesday the 6th. Below is the
email alert that we have been sending to our other base groups, the Audubon
groups, Colorado Mountain Club etc. Feel free to revise or edit, as the
most important thing is to see a lot of mountain bikers - Thanks, and feel
free to call me before this meeting if you have questions. Further, i will
be on vacation almost all of March, but look forward to continuing to work
with you as this forest plan, and the Travel Management Planning process
unfold - cheers, Michael 719-328-9234

Please attend the Colorado Springs Pike-San Isabel Forest Plan Revision Open
House!

* SAVE THE DATE * SAVE THE DATE * SAVE THE DATE *

WHAT: The Pike-San Isabel National Forest has
held 7 of the 8 public open houses for the
Forest Plan Revision. There is one last
opportunity to comment in person during
this first round of public meetings!

WHY: The U.S. Forest Service wants to hear from
you regarding how the Pike-San Isabel National
Forest should be managed in the years to come.
The Forest Plan sets the management objectives for
the forest for the next 15 years, so it is important
that the plan sets the right direction to protect
the wildlands we all cherish.

WHEN: The U.S. Forest Service is hosting a
second Colorado Springs public open house, so
please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

* Colorado Springs, CO: 3/06/07; 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.;
Doubletree Hotel-World Arena, 1775 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.

Please plan to arrive at the meetings by 5:30
p.m. to discuss the meeting format, strategy
and suggestions for making effective comments
at the meeting. We will gather in a corner of the room
filled with Forest Service maps and posters prior
to the meeting. Look for the blue shirts!

ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING AND SPEAK UP!
You will get the most out of the meeting if you
come prepared to answer the questions that will
be presented to the small groups. Here are some
suggestions of what to say:
* Protect and expand opportunities for quiet
recreation. The vast majority of forest users
want to experience natural sights, sounds, and smells.
* Manage all forms of recreational use in the
forest in a balanced way so as to preserve the
recreational experience of all users, but with
the ultimate goal of achieving healthy and
fully functioning ecosystems for the indefinite future.
* Recommend that all citizen proposed wilderness
areas be included in the plan and managed
to protect wilderness values.
* Protect wildlife, including their seasonal and
migration habitat, from increased disturbances,
and work to decrease habitat fragmentation and
resource degradation.
* Protect 100% of the official Inventoried
Roadless Areas. Additionally, the official
inventory should be updated to
include citizen proposed roadless areas.

For more information about the Wild Connections
Conservation plan, additional talking points and
how you can help, please visit:
www.wildconnections.org

Or contact

Michael Rogers

Executive Director

Upper Arkansas South Platte Project
Email: wilderness_heart@...
Phone: 719-328-9234

Lisa Smith
Front Range Forest Organizer
Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance
Email: lisa@...
Phone: 303-405-6707

Send Written Comments by March 2, 2007 to:

Pike-San Isabel National Forests

Attn: Forest Plan Revision Team
2840 Kachina Drive,
Pueblo, CO 81008

Email Comments to: r2_psicc_webmail@...

Also check out the Pike-San Isabel website at
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/.

Michael Rogers
Upper Arkansas and South Platte Project
Board of Directors, President
Executive Director
Central Colorado Wilderness Coalition
Wilderness_Heart@...