Mt. Shasta Sno-Mobilers, Inc.

Transcription

1 P.O. Box 341, Mt. Shasta, CA Snow Phone: (530) Home Page: President: Eileen K. Maier, Vice President: Phil Carey, Secretary: Dick Cowardin, Teasurer: Ann Whipple, Board Members: Ken Anderson, Russ Elgin, Dion Meadows, David Patrick, Daren Valdez Newsletter: Dick Cowardin Contents... Meeting Minutes Pages 1-4 Stats-Classifieds Page 3 New Year s B-Fast Safety Certificates Page 4 Cal-Pine Info Page 5 Wilderness Info Page 6-7 Schedules Page 8 Mt. Shasta Sno-Mobilers Mission Statement Next Club Meeting Changed to Friday, February 7th. At China Dragon in Yreka, order dinner at 7pm meeting starts at 7:30pm. Regular Club Meeting - 01/10/03 Meeting called to order by Dick Cowardin at Silva s in Weed at 7:15pm. Twenty-four attending. Minutes approved as mailed from 12/13/02 meeting. Current balance $ Nordic Bypass: Club ride is scheduled for March 1st. Warming Huts/Sheds/Snoparks: 1) Deer Mt./Chuck Best Park: Michele said there is a logging company that wants to plow down the road to get equipment out. We discussed this and no one attending the meeting had heard anything about it. 2) 4 Corners/Medicine Lake: Nothing new. 3) Door Knob: Someone took the 4 x 8 information board that was mounted on the wall inside the warming hut. If you see someone with a new dinning room table with a snowmobile map stapled to it, let Mike Kegg know. 4) Pilgrim Creek: Nothing new. USFS: 1) Klamath National Forest: Nothing new. 2) Shasta/Trinity Forest: Nothing new. Groomer Reports: Phil Carey has been operating the groomer. He said that they must have cut out over 100 trees between Pilgrim Creek and Deer Mt. Parks. He suggested that we get a group together and get out there and remove some of these trees. The groomers have been sending out two people on sleds with chain saws to cut up the logs, then the groomer comes and tries to move them out, with the blade or with chains. It would help out the grooming people if we (the users) put in a little effort and helped with cleaning up these trees. Also, there are trees down on trails we snowmobile on that don t get groomed. They need to be cleaned up too! 1) Klamath: They have been grooming regularly since 12/19, have had a lot of blowdown so it s been slow going. DoorKnob, Medicine Lake, Lost Springs Loop have all been groomed a couple of times. They are logging south of Tennant so the Stephans Pass Rd. Is plowed from the intersection of the Tennant Rd. to about milepost 2.2 or 2.5 miles south from the intersection. Doesn t interfere with the Antelope Crk, Xmas Tree Farm or Horse Pk trails. Geothermal folks have pulled out for the winter, so those areas that we discussed earlier

2 Regular Club Meeting - 01/10/03 - Continued are not getting plowed now. (But keep a watch out for the well heads and sump holes.). 2) Shasta/Trinity: Groomed around Ash Creek Butte, Cramer Springs back to Pilgrim Creek and to Military Pass Road. Had a report they have plowed down to dirt out of Pilgrim Creek Park, but this was the plowing to the snowmobile park there, not snowmobile trails. Phil said they made it to Chuck s Park today, and up to the top of Whale Back. 3) Modoc: Snow Report 1/10/03. There is approximately twelve inches of snow on the Cougar Butte Road and at the Doorknob Snowmobile Park. The parking lot is plowed and we have a supply of fire wood at the hut. The snow depth measures six feet at the Medicine Lake snowpole. County Road 97 is impassable to vehicles due to snow just south of the Cougar Butte Road (FS 44N01). The snow is wet and heavy. Riding is fair. Forest Order # closing Road 49 and FS Road 44N01 from the Pumice Pits west to the Klamath Forest Boundary to wheeled vehicles in excess of 1000 GVW is now in effect. The FS 44N01 road is groomed from the Four Corners Snowmobile Park to the Doorknob Snowmobile Park, but is patchy. Road 49 from Doorknob to Medicine Lake, the road 43N48 past Little Mt. Hoffman to Road 15, and Road 15 to Four Corners are groomed, also the Old Wagon Road from Medicine Lake Headquarters Campground north of Medicine Lake Glass Flow, and Deer Mt. Snowmobile Park to Pilgrim Creek Snowmobile Park. The Lost Spring Loop is groomed and the Tamarack Loop only to Tamarack Flat from the bottom. The trail from Road 49 across Arnica Sink, around Lyons Peak, and back to Road 49 on County Road 97 is groomed. Use caution near the geothermal area since you may encounter the geothermal workers Snow Cat. Also watch for blow-down and jack straw on trails! OHMVR: Nothing new. CNSA: Nothing new. Safety: Still need to pick a date to practice avalanche safety. Public Relations: Nothing new. Medicine Lake Projects (Dick Cowardin & Eileen Maier): We have Frank Tallerico and another man here to give us an overview and update. They are out for the winter now, so we don t have to worry about them plowing the roads. They do have a snowcat out there and possible snowmobiles, so keep an eye out for them. Mercy Air Ambulance (Barbara McPherson): Barbara was here to remind everyone about what Mercy Air Ambulance will provide and hand out paperwork. Call Barbara at 530/ Adopt-A-Highway (Dick Holcomb & Bill Willison): Nothing scheduled. Memorial Plaque for Chuck: We have $ donated to the plaque. This includes $5.00 from the Fun Factory collected from Chuck s Park users. Eileen put an ad in SnowTracks explaining what we are doing for Chuck s Plaque and inviting donations. Have an in to Jim and Jeff at Goosenest asking if the Big Rock is all right to do. Haven t heard back from them as of yet, but will call and talk to them about it. I guess we could order the plaque at any time now. Should be about a month or two to get the plaque, and Siskiyou Memorials said they would work out something with us as for payment. We need something down for ordering of course. Wilderness Intrusions: Please be aware of the wilderness and stay out. Xmas Tree Farm: Might be quite awhile until we worry about getting the groomer through here. Sled Dog Race: They have not turned in any paperwork to the FS as of yet. Time is running out. We have not heard from them either. I would say at this point the race is not happening. Club Snowmobile Kids Ride: We need to pick a date when we can do this. Dion has Friday s and Saturday s off, as long as it s not storming. IN: a. BlueRibbon, Oregon State Snowmobile Asso., SnowTracks, SCSA, and Klamath Basin Snowdrifters Newsletters. b. BlueRibbon Membership notice, $ reminder. OUT: None New Memberships: Brian Leetch from Camas, WA, & Marvin & Krista Tolbert from Mt. Shasta. Renewed Memberships: Central Equipment, Lelan Hogan, Dave & Sheryl Holleman, John Poultney. Dealer Giveaway Memberships: None. Membership Status: Last years numbers: 75 Memberships with 170 Members. So far this year we have: 45 memberships with 91 members, and 5 new memberships. Snowmobiler Rescue: Friday, January 4th, Dick VanBaren and his Granddaughter did not return to Chuck s Park by the time Michele from the Fun Factory was going to leave. Michele called Eileen, who called Phil Carey and a rescue party was on it s way. Dick Anderson, Phil & Bobbie Carey, Bill McKnight, Kale Riccomini, Tony Spada, Daren Valdez, and Bill Willison made up the rescue party. Eileen had the Elgin men and Phil Newton on standby, while Michele kept track of the rescue party members and where they were looking. The Sheriff s were called in and our snowmobilers were out looking before they even showed up. Tony and Kale found Dick and his Granddaughter at the bottom of Cheek s Blvd. They were set in for the night. All was well with them and their

3 Month 10, Date 10, Year 03 Minutes - 01/10/03 - continued... Family were sure glad to see them. From this happening, we need to get a network together for search and rescue, names numbers, who calls who, who wants to be on the list? Also, how do we get the attention of snowmobilers looking for us if we need help? Flashlights, flares, and lights can get a snowmobilers attention. What we really need to do when looking for someone in the night is ride a little, shut off your sled, look and listen. Maybe even yell for someone. The hardest thing is finding them in the dark. Dick said he saw the snowmobile lights all around him, was flashing his lights and what not, just couldn t get any one s attention. Eileen said that she would work on this list. Membership News: New Sheriff - Rick Riggins: Dick Holcomb talked to our new Sheriff, Rick Riggins. Asked him if the Club could get more involved with the Sheriff s Office with snow rescues. Rick was very receptive to the idea, Dick invited Rick to our meeting. Rick said since this was his first week in office, and since his snow guy was out this week on vacation, Rick would like to talk to him and have him get together with the Club. We look foreword to the meeting. Sheriff s and Our Rescue Team: When we were looking for Dick back on January 4th, we did not have a good relationship with the Sheriff s that were there. Michele was in the Newsletter Label: Your address label shows your current membership status. The (Sept. 03) next to or below your name means your membership is current. If there is a (Comp) there, the newsletter is a complimentary copy for nonmembers. Copies go to every member, to local Chambers of Commerce, local Visitors Bureaus, to local FS reps, and to State snowmobile organizations. This mailing we sent out 55 newsletters (this includes possible ones in the future.) and ed 70 newsletters. Campaign: Eileen purchased Adobe Acrobat 5.0 software. This will allow us to convert the newsletter to a.pdf file which you can read with Adobe Reader 5.0 software. Adobe Reader is free and can be downloaded off the Internet. If you do not all ready have it, just log onto and download. If you provided an address on your application you will be receiving your newsletter via an now instead of through the normal post office. You will be able to print out the newsletter and share it with your family. This will allow the Club to save funds on photo copying and postage. With your address, you will also be receiving any and all information that has to do with snowmobiling and/or land and personal rights issues. We don t expect you to read all of it, but some of it is very interesting. You will also receive current snow conditions, groomer reports, upcoming events and hotlines. We d like to thank everyone for renewing and welcome our new members. It is important that we keep our total Club numbers high. We are having to fight harder and harder to keep our riding areas open, and with all of your help, we will make a difference. Eileen - President R emember to list your snowmobile related classifieds: FOR SALE: 2000 Polaris 800 RMK 136", exhaust, cover, 320 miles, $5500. Contact Wade at (650) FOR SALE: Polaris Indy, 1 1/2 CLASSIFIEDS: inch track, skid plate, grab bar, pack rack, plastic ski covers, (plus original track) - $ Call Vern evenings at FOR SALE: Polaris RMK, 2 inch track, skid plate, rab bar, simmions skis, suspention update and more, (plus original skis) - $ Call Vern evenings at S O L D CLUB STATS: CITY: MEMBERS: Bend, OR 1 Camas, WA 1 Dunsmuir 5 Fairfield 1 Fremont 1 Gazelle 1 Gerber 1 Klamath Falls, OR 1 Lake Shastina 1 Macdoel 2 Magilen 1 Medford, OR 2 Montague 5 Mt. Shasta 10 Oroville 1 Phoenix, OR 1 Red Bluff 2 Redding 4 San Mateo 1 S. San Franisco 1 Shasta Lake 1 Turner, OR 1 Weed 2 Woodland 1 Yreka Total Memberships=58 Total Members= 121 Childeren= 22 New Members= 9 Dealer= 0 Numbers as of 01/13/03

4 warming hut keeping track on our snowmobilers when the Sheriff s showed up, Michele invited them in to see who was looking where. They just got in their snowcat and left. Then come to find out, Eileen heard over the scanner that the two people were found 45 minutes before they let Dick s family and Michele know. Also, when Dick s wife showed up at the Park, the Sheriff s asked her who their dentist was first off. Then they sent out the Sheriff s Chaplain. Dick s wife thought this was very unnerving! Minutes - 01/10/03 - continued... Your Riding Areas: Chuck s Park, 4-Corners Park, Etna Mts., Whale Back, Medicine Lake area, Willow Creek Mt, Ball Mt, Pilgrim Creek, The Eddies, Goosenest, Doorknob. Duck Award: Where is the dang Duck? Classifieds: See page 3. 1) Sunday, January 12th - Club s New Year s Breakfast at Chuck s Park, starts around 9:30am. Funds will go towards Chuck s Plaque. Board Meeting: None scheduled. Regular Meeting: February 7th, Friday. China Dragon in Yreka. Order dinner at 7pm, meeting starts at 7:30pm. Elections: Dick almost forgot about elections until Eileen reminded him. Our nominees were: President=Eileen Maier, Vice President=Phil Carey, Treasurer=Ann Whipple, and Secretary=Dick Cowardin. Dick tried to get someone else to be the Secretary, but no on would stand up. So, the members attending the meeting voted to elect officers as per above.pages 4 & 5 for more Avalanche information. Meeting adjourned at 8:23pm. New Year s Breakfast: We had a pretty good turn out for the New Year s Breakfast on January 12th. We served around 45 people which was wonderful considering the raining weather. Of course it wasn t raining at Chuck s Park, or out on the trails until later in the day, but we ll forgive you for not showing up. Eileen chaired the breakfast and had some wonderful cooks, thank you Donna Patrick and Bill Willison. (Hope I didn t miss anyone!) Funds from the Breakfast were to go to Chuck s Plaque. Kenny and Eileen donated all the Breakfast food. Molly and Doc Elgin donated some pancake mix that Eileen forgot (thank you Molly!). Tony and Eileen Congi from Tony s Meats in Dunsmuir donated a ham for the raffle. Door prizes were donated by Kenny and Eileen and were two safety whistles, two space blankets, two packages of water proof matches, and two packages of fire starter sticks. Door prize winners were; Dion Meadows, David Meadows, Dave Holleman, Molly Elgin, Margaret Wheeler, Dick Cowardin, Dick Anderson and Matt Garayalde. The ham went to Barbara McPherson. The total of the 50/50 Raffle was $116.00, which half to the Club and half to the winner. Eileen won the 50/50 Raffle and donated the $58.00 back to the Club for Chuck s Plaque. All in all, those attending the Breakfast were very generous, the Club made $ that morning. Ernie & Joan Bowen also donated another $50.00 to Chuck s Plaque. Thank you all who attended the Breakfast and made it such a wonderful morning! After the Breakfast, we currently have $ donated towards Chuck s Plaque.,,,Eileen Safety Certificates for Kids: We ve had some questions about Safety Certificates for kids. Currently CA does not require any type of formal training for youngsters on snowmobiles. However, they are looking into the idea. The State of OR does require such a certificate from the ages of 8 to 16, after 16 you must have a valid drivers license. The certificates are good for life. If you are planning on taking your kids to OR to ride, there is a good chance that you will not be able to let your kids ride without a certificate. Heavily traveled areas are know to have officers checking snowmobile riders for Certificates, Drivers Licenses, and Titles to their machines. It is a good idea to carry these things in your snowmobile anyway. CNSA does have a safety course, and we are looking to see if the State of OR will accept a certificate from CNSA. Eileen has been working with Ed and Carmen from the FS along with Scott from CNSA. If you are interested in having your children take the CNSA Safety Course, please or call Eileen and let her know. We d like to have a class this season and at this time there are only 4 children signed up. This is also a great class for adults, so if you are interested, let Eileen know. We need to get enough interested in the class to have Scott and his group come over and give it. We will be looking at the Pilgrim Creek area because the last class was out of Chuck s Park....Eileen

5 CALPINE: Glass Mountain Projects Update December 3, Subject: Telephone Flat Compromise a Success and 2003 Outlook. In late November, Calpine received notification that the Telephone Flat project would be allowed to proceed under specific mitigation measures designed to address the needs of the area s multiple uses. The project approval reflects a compromise among project stakeholders that attempts to resolve some of the controversy surrounding the Telephone Flat project. Evaluation of the mitigation requirements is ongoing, but Calpine views the decision as a major milestone in establishing geothermal power production within the Glass Mountain Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA). Background: The Telephone Flat project was initially proposed by another company active within the Glass Mountain KGRA. Despite an Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Study (EIR/ EIS) indicating the proposed project would be consistent with existing regulations, the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture turned down the facility in a negative Record of Decision (ROD) effectively halting the development. The project proponent, having paid millions of dollars over several decades of lease payment with the understanding the Federal Government had deemed the Glass Mountain KGRA appropriate for geothermal development, filed a takings claim against the government siting the contradictory position the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture had assumed with respect to the environmental compatibility of the Telephone Flat facility. The lawsuit was filed in Federal court and sought financial reparation for the lease payments previously paid to the government and damages related to the lost development opportunity. In October 2001, Calpine acquired the development rights to the Telephone Flat project. With the development rights, Calpine assumed the role of plaintiff in the takings claim. Rather than continuing the litigation, Calpine sought a compromise with the federal agencies and the parties entered into a settlement whereby a reevaluation of the Telephone Flat project would occur and either the project would be denied a second time or the parameters by which the project could proceed would be identified. Outcome: The Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture determined that the increased national and state focus on renewable energy, along with the further mitigation measures required, justified approval of the project. Additionally, Production of electricity from the geothermal resource will help the nation take steps toward increasing domestic energy supplies, particularly from renewable sources, said Assistant Secretary of the Interior Rebecca W. Watson. The power plant will also help California meet its legislative mandate of producing 20 percent of energy supplies from renewable energy sources by A copy of the decision, including the required mitigation, can be found at pdfs/ medlake/telephoneflatrod_1. pdf. KGRA Activities: On December 2, Calpine concluded this year s testing of Well 88A-28, Fourmile Hill s first production well. Currently, equipment at the site is being either winterized to withstand the weather until the spring or removed from the site for the season. Over the next several months, data collected from the production well will be further analyzed to evaluate the geothermal resource and establish next year s drilling program. Calpine expects to resume drilling in the Fourmile Hill project area in the spring and testing would commence during the summer. Additionally, the recent regulatory approval provides for future resource testing in the Telephone Flat area. This spring, the three existing wells will be tested and potential locations for a new exploration well will be evaluated. San Jose based Calpine is dedicated to providing customers with reliable and competitively priced electricity. Focused on clean, efficient, natural gas-fired generation, Calpine is also the world s largest producer of renewable geothermal energy. Taken as a whole, the Calpine power portfolio is among the cleanest in the country, as ranked in a recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council. For more information about Calpine, please visit Media inquiries should be directed to Kent Robertson at

6 Bush Opens Way for Counties and States to Claim Wilderness Roads Bush Opens Way for Counties and States to Claim Wilderness Roads Policy could allow vehicles into vast areas of wilderness, some in national parks. Critics fear harm by miners, off-roaders and others. By Julie Cart - Times Staff Writer January MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE -- From most perspectives, this windblown landscape is the definition of off the beaten path. Sandy hummocks give way to flinty mountain ranges and a seemingly impassable expanse that is home to herds of bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and a universe of heat-loving plants. But others see the preserve's 1.6 million acres of creosote bushes and ribbed desert washes and envision thousands of miles of roads. Ditto for Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks, along with wilderness areas in the Sierra Nevada and along California's rugged northern coast. That vision -- of unfettered motorized access to remote country that has for decades been the province of wild animals and a few hardy backpacking humans -- is a lot closer to reality thanks to a Bush administration policy quietly adopted earlier this month. Bowing to long-standing pressure from several Western states and counties, the Interior Department's new policy gives local decision-makers the opportunity to lay claim to tens of thousands of miles of rights of way across federal land. Ultimately, it will be up to the Interior Department to determine the validity of the claims. Enacted through a rules change, the new policy has the potential to open millions of acres of land in national parks and federally designated wilderness areas to motorized transportation. By providing access to isolated holdings, it could also open remote country to drilling for oil and gas and other commercial development. The policy does not automatically convey rights of way to local jurisdictions. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management must rule on the validity of each claim. The agency is virtually certain to face legal challenges to any rights of way granted through parks or wilderness areas where motorized transportation is now prohibited. Nonetheless, wilderness advocates have cause for alarm. The Bush administration has made its preference clear for granting state and local authorities increasing say in the way federal lands are used. Deputy Interior Secretary Steve Griles recently told a group of Alaska mining and energy executives that the administration would soon approve rights-of-way claims from that state. Alaska, Utah and other states, as well as a handful of Southern California counties, are asserting the rights-of-way claims under a little-known 1866 law titled RS 2477, which was designed to encourage the development of the rural West. The law was repealed in 1976, but states and counties were still able to make claims if the roads existed before Wagon Trails In many cases, what authorities are claiming as roads amount to little more than wagon tracks, livestock paths and even dogsled routes in Alaska. But with muscular, four-wheel-drive vehicles, even the most primitive routes can allow access to untrammeled places. The issue heated up during the 1990s as off-road vehicle enthusiasts, hunters, ranchers and mining and energy interests became increasingly concerned about the Clinton administration's efforts to curtail road building in national forests, restrict mining near national parks and create parks and monuments. The new policy does not take effect until Feb. 5, but already its implications are being felt across the West. In California, San Bernardino County has indicated its intent to claim nearly 5,000 miles of rights of way -- more than twice the total mileage of maintained roads in the entire county. The county is pressing claims to 2,567 miles of roads within the Mojave National Preserve, acting at the behest of off-road enthusiasts, ranchers and mining interests. Riverside and other counties have documented claims to rights of way in Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks and 21 wilderness areas in the Southern California desert. Counties such as San Bernardino say they are simply securing legitimate claims that they may or may not intend to exercise. "These are blanket assertions," said Brad Mitzelfelt, chief of staff for San Bernardino County Supervisor Bill Postmus. "It's a matter of defending local prerogatives and local rights. If you have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to protect rights that you may lose forever, you've got to take it." Park and wilderness advocates fear it will disrupt wildlife habitat, turning 19th century wagon ruts into paved roadways, allowing cars and their pollution into unspoiled places. "We're concerned about highways, but in a way that's just the tip of the iceberg," said Heidi McIntosh, conservation director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which has been monitoring RS 2477 claims for more than a decade. McIntosh said one of the right-of-way claims in Utah leads down a waterfall and another through a 4-foot-wide slot canyon. "With roads comes pollution, wildlife fragmentation, off-road vehicles, the loss of solitude and quiet. Multiply that by 10,000, the number of claims here in Utah, and you have a mess. I can't think of an issue the Bush administration is working on that can have a longer or

7 Bush Opens Way for Counties and States to Claim Wilderness Roads cont... more serious impact on public lands." Impact Assessed Ten years ago, the National Park Service evaluated potential RS 2477 claims and found that if the roads were allowed, the impact would be devastating. The report noted that the claims could cross many miles of undisturbed fish and wildlife habitat, historical and archeological resources, and sensitive wetlands. "If a court were to decide that the law says the right-of-way roads have precedence over legally designated wilderness, that would have a catastrophic effect on wilderness," said David Graber, senior science advisor at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and a member of the park service's wilderness steering committee. The Clinton administration proposed a rule that would have prevented footpaths, dogsled tracks and other primitive routes from being turned into roadways but met resistance from Congress, and the issue went unresolved. Today, Interior officials say the change is needed to streamline timeconsuming disputes and lengthy legal proceedings. The new rule removes public comment and judicial review from the process and gives the Bureau of Land Management sole authority to validate right-of-way claims. Nationally, some of the most celebrated public landscape could be affected. Alaska has asserted claims over 22,000 waterways and 2,700 miles of roads in 13 national parks and preserves, including Denali National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. In Utah, many of the rights of way crisscross southern Utah's spectacular red rock country -- where local officials contend that the cluster of half a dozen national parks and proposed wilderness areas stand in the way of access to cattle grazing, minerals, and oil and gas deposits. There and elsewhere, off-road enthusiasts as well as cattle, mining and ranching groups and hunters have lobbied hard for the rights of way, in some cases filing claims themselves. "It's been a long and arduous fight because the previous administration wasn't cooperating. Now, we've found willing ears," said Clark Collins, executive director of the Blue Ribbon Coalition, a Pocatello, Idaho-based organization representing motorized recreation interests. "In rural areas, people are very interested in this issue, it means so much to all of us," said Ron Schiller, who heads a recreation group in Ridgecrest, Calif., that supports rights-of-way claims. "Up here in the high desert, this is what we have to recreate. We don't have a lot of miniature golf courses or big theaters or theme parks." In the Mojave Preserve, hunters drive abandoned mining roads and hike to get closer to their quarry: bighorn sheep and deer. For much of the preserve, the old routes weave through low brush and serve to keep visitors from more sensitive desert areas. The Blue Ribbon Coalition's California chapter has made three rights-of-way claims, pushing for motorized access across hundreds of miles of wilderness in Sequoia National Forest, through the King Range National Conservation Area on the north coast and in non-wilderness tracts in the Six Rivers National Forest. "We don't want to undo vast sections of wilderness, that's not our intent. We do intend to protect our access," said Don Amador, the group's Western states representative. But access carries implications for altering landscapes. Roads through wilderness create traffic corridors and make adjacent areas more accessible. Miners or others who own land within federal preserves may decide that new roads will make it economically feasible to develop their land commercially, or explore for oil and gas. "Once Interior opens the door, it's a free-for-all," said Keith Hammond of the California Wilderness Coalition, whose volunteers are walking thousands of miles of RS 2477 claims in the state to inventory the condition of the routes. Mitzelfelt said San Bernardino County doesn't know which of its current claims would be pressed. With a budget of $30 million for maintaining the county's existing roads, Mitzelfelt said, he was unsure what the cost would be for new roads or how to pay for them. Across the country there is no indication how many claims will be validated, and critics acknowledge their concern, at this point, is based on the potential for damage. So far the Interior Department has offered no clear direction on the rule's most potentially explosive aspect -- what to do about rights of way that cross the borders of wilderness. Under a federal law, motorized travel is not allowed in wilderness areas. "We're wondering how this is going to work out," said BLM spokesman Jeff Holdren. He said the nitty-gritty details of implementation of the rule change have not been worked out, including how to deal with right-of-way claims in wilderness areas. "We didn't expect anyone to want roads in wilderness, but technically it can be done. I suspect we will be in court pretty soon over such a situation. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there pulling their hair out."

8 Mt. Shasta Sno-Mobilers: ---CBMP=Chuck Best Memorial Park (Deer Mountain Park) ---TBA=To Be Announced NEW ~February 7, Friday = Regular Meeting - China Dragon in Yreka. Dinner at 7pm, meeting at 7:30pm. ~March 1, Saturday = Club Ride through the Nordic Center. TBA Chairperson: Dick Cowardin 530/ ~March 14, Friday = Regular Meeting - Silva s in Weed. Dinner at 7pm, meeting at 7:30pm. ~April 11, Friday = Regular Meeting - China Dragon in Yreka. Dinner at 7pm, meeting at 7:30pm. ~May 9, Friday = Regular Meeting - Silva s in Weed. Dinner at 7pm, meeting at 7:30pm. ~May 10, Saturday = Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup, meet at A12 and 97 at 10am. Chairpersons: Dick Holcomb 530/ and Bill Willison 530/ ~June 14, Saturday = Work Day/Regular Meeting - Clean around the hut, CBMP at CLUB SCHEDULES FOR SEASON: Sno-Riders: *All events are subject to change due to whether etc. Chiloquin Ridge Riders APRIL ~TBA = Regular Club Meeting MAY ~TBA = Regular Club Meeting-Election of Officers/Banquet Month 10, Date 10, Year 03 Rogue Snowmobilers: Pres: Dave Elder 541/ TBA=To Be Announced ~Jan 30, Thursday = Board Meeting ~Feb 4, Tuesday = General Meeting 7pm - Roosevelt School ~Feb 8, Saturday = Candlelighters Ride Springs ~Feb 22-23, Weekend = Club Ride - Hamaker ~Feb 27, Thursday = Board Meeting ~Mar 1, Saturday = Radar run/steak feed potluck - Lake of the Woods Klamath Basin Snowmobilers: ---TBA=To Be Announced ~February 8, 10am = Diamond Lake Ride (TBA) ~February 11, 6:30pm = General Fairgrounds ~February 22 = Lakeview - Safeway Parking 9am ~February 25, 6:30pm = Chile Fairgrounds ~March 2, 10am = Club Dead Indian Mt. Shasta Sno-Mobilers, Inc. P.O. Box 341 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067