Meeting Minutes March 19, 2013
I. General Announcements· Mammoth M/C Welcomes it newest Member, Mr. Rotten. A long time dirtbike enthusiast and local 2-stroke expert, Member Rotten enjoys WFO on his KX500, Nachos, and Fish Lake Valley singletrack. He’s looking forward to a summer of interesting rides in the Mammoth Lakes and surrounding areas. You can Contact Member Rotten at: outdooractionman@csnbc.com. For an immediate response, please put “4strokes suck” in the subject line. · President Abe was happy to announce that the NEW club tee-shirts (logo pictured above) will be in production soon, and sticker design is also on its way. The tee-shirts will be for sale at $5 above cost. All proceeds to be kicked back into the treasury. Artwork design is hand drawn, courtesy of the original “Jo-Jo.” Not the Joe Joe (Co-Co) seen speeding around town in my old truck. Buy the shirt and support your local dirtbike rider. FYI: The meaning behind the artwork isn’t as subjective as you may think; a full interpretation will be explained at our next meeting.
· The MMC 2-day “Death Valley Conservation ride” is scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd and 24th. We’ve got 5 riders so far. The ride leader will be using his trusty MVUM map for accurate trail navigation though the national park, so it’s guaranteed to be an exciting time. Sorry, all GPS tracks and ride location info are for members only. If the Weather stays nice, Member Russ might join us as well! If the weather is too nice, however, Member Russ is going surfing. Or maybe down south to visit friends. · Please note that the Mammoth Motorcycle Club has changed their membership procedure. In the past, we’ve been open to all individuals, families, etc., who’ve expressed an interest and who’ve simply donated (via PayPal or check). This system has worked fine, and we’re happy to have the membership base that we currently have. From now on however, individuals interested in joining the club must either show up to a meeting, or have a current MMC member vouch for their identity and character (or lack thereof). Approval will be decided on by the Current club officers and members that at are present at the time. We feel that this change will be better for our club down the line. The website has reflected this change. II. PR Officer’s Roundtable Report· This roundtable meeting was by far, one of the most productive on record. Happy hour drink specials were flowing all night. Make no mistake; this special treatment from the management was well appreciated. Many thanks to the well-connected club member who made this happen. Live music after the meeting was great. MMC gives the Snow creek Bistro 2 thumbs up!Members in attendance are anxious to start the riding season (many already have!); ride ideas were discussed at length, as well as repair/maintenance suggestions for some of our favorite trails. We all know how busy the “Friends” of the Inyo have been…Closing roads, and collecting green sticker funds and taxes (unchecked).If there’s anything we’ve learned from this style of mis-management, is that in order to keep trails open they must be ridden – and often. Remember, these individuals and groups responsible for closures and wanton trail destruction, have not and DO NOT ride. The more they close the less they need to manage, so they target our riding areas, our trails, and our wallets.As an offroad club, we’ve decided that riding off-road motorcycles is much more important than attending pointless meetings. We may have been fooled in 2011, but in 2013 we plan on using our rights hands for less glad-handing and more throttle. I won’t go into too much detail about what rides and events were discussed (you must attend for all the juicy details), but ideas ranged from Mammoth’s “Best-of,” to Fish Lake Valley sand washes, to Sweetwater singletrack and various other dualsport trips.Mammoth M/C members are encouraged to run with any project or idea/event they can dream up. We will take our queue from FOI and roll them out… all summer long!3 different ride reports were given during the meeting.· Fines: Although not in attendance due to a business trip overseas, member Joe picked up a fine for abusing the email list (his second one). Please remember that the Google group email list is for motorcycle related OHV news and or club related communication (information). Keep it that way, and leave all the other BS out. Thanks! · Website News: some updates, check it out at www.mammothmc.com.
III. John’s Land Manager Update·
And I'm not looking to paint Paul or Jon K. in a bad light.
Whenever a meeting reminder is sent out, different folks get interested in
piping in, this round was no different. The
bottom line is that the USFS is rolling out many projects, too many in my
opinion, but life moves on with or without my participation. At first I
was going to tackle one, then another is announced, and yet another. Meetings
are held to discuss these projects but the scope is very large and makes me
think that the average person (meaning unpaid public) doesn't have the time or
resources to become fully involved. I call it getting buried by the
process, that's what it feels like. (3/13/13
- from Paul, FOI)
(3/15/13 - from Jon, USFS)
I just wanted to drop a quick note and remind you and the club of the many projects the Inyo has going right now and the opportunity for your club and members to comment:
1. Shady Rest Staging Area – Scoping comment deadline passed, but we will still consider comments in the analysis. The “official” comment period on the EA will take place later in the spring. 2. Scenic Loop Staging Areas – Same as above, comment any time. In both projects, I’m curious what the club thinks about the off-loading ramps we have proposed. A few motorized users who participated in the Sherwins Working Group recommended these structures, but I have since heard from a few OHV and OSV users that they are not really necessary. What do you all think? 3. Restoration Projects – I know you are aware of these. 4. OHV Grants – The Inyo has 5 grants, including our law enforcement grant. It would be great if MMC could comment on these projects. You can do so through the State OHV Division website. Pay particular attention to the “Travel Management Improvement” grant that we have asked for. At our open house last night, folks were excited about this grant.
Hope you all have a good meeting. The Bistro ribs are pretty incredible.
(3/15/13 - response from John, MMC)
(3/15/13 back from Jon,
USFS)
I know that trying to keep up with all of our projects – to read all the documents, to study all the maps and to take time to comment – is a challenge for the public. This problem has been mentioned many times and I will continue to advocate that we do all we can to simplify our documents, maps and the access to this information. Public input on these processes is extremely helpful and we have a responsibility to make the process as minimally onerous as possible while still following the laws and policies that govern our planning and decision making.
The “Restoration, Monitoring and Repairs” grant application does include a request to fund a FOI restoration crew. The crew would cost about $100k per year and 1/3 of the cost is paid for by FOI, over three years. As with any organization that has the capacity, skills and ability to perform work that the Forest has identified as a priority, the INF will continue to partner with FOI to accomplish our program of work in a way that engages the public in the management of their lands. The most attractive part of the FOI relationship for the INF is that organization’s interest and ability to facilitate volunteer efforts and get the public out on the ground to help manage the national forest. The US Forest will work with any organization that shares this interest and can help the forest implement its management objectives. If MMC or any other organization would like to assist with the maintenance of the motorized system, I would be glad to help facilitate that partnership. Please note that ALL work performed by FOI or any other partner organization is directed by and overseen by the US Forest Service. The “Travel Management Improvement” grant, if we receive it, will be an opportunity for groups, like yours, to work with the USFS to identify and prioritize ways that we can enhance the motorized system. I believe that this management objective would be in line with your club’s interests, so hopefully we can work together on this. If your club, or members of the club, has interest, please submit a comment to the OHV division stating how the club or members want to be involved.
As for Mammoth Creek, existing bare soil on some of the routes that are not part of the motorized system is leading to erosion into Mammoth Creek. Sedimentation into streams is a water quality issue and the US Forest Service has a responsibility to mitigate these resource impacts. Improving water quality is not only in the interest of the downstream water consumer (LA), but also of interest to anglers who want healthy fish populations along Mammoth Creek and the Owens River. Fish rely on cold oxygenated water and sedimentation leads to increased water temperatures. Especially in these drought years, it’s important to keep these streams running as cold and clear as possible.
Thanks again John for taking the time engage. Please keep it up and encourage your club to ask questions and submit comments.
(3/15/13 forth from John, MMC)
(3/15/13 final from Jon,
USFS)
IV. SummaryIf you’ve managed to make it this far and still understand what's going on, you are doing very well indeed. See ya next time!
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