Urgent Update From Francisco

[AZrockbum]

Dear Public land Partner,
Recently the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tucson Field Office Manager
announced plans to establish in 2007 the travel management plan for public
lands administered by the BLM in the Middle Gila Canyons area northeast of
the Town of Florence, and invited your help in developing the plan.

Thank you all for your responses of interest in helping define the travel
management plan, and in participating in the stakeholder meetings in
February and March. At this point, three meetings are planned, with dates
to be determined based on your availability.

We would like to schedule the meetings next week, and ask that you identify
the dates that you are available in February and March. The meetings will
likely run a full 8 hour day, and may be scheduled during the week or
weekend days depending on your availability.

Please let me know as soon as possible the dates you are available for the
meetings by this Friday (Feb 2) if at all possible. We'll be reviewing the
dates early next week to identify those that everyone can attend, and will
send out a note on the meeting dates.

Thank you all for your continued interest, and your help so far.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call.

Francisco J. Mendoza
Outdoor Recreation Planner
12661 E. Broadway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85748
PH(520) 258-7226
FAX(520) 258-7238

[TBob]

ok so what does this mean?

Dear Public land Partner,
Recently the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tucson Field Office Manager
announced plans to establish in 2007 the travel management plan for public
lands administered by the BLM in the Middle Gila Canyons area northeast of
the Town of Florence, and invited your help in developing the plan.

Thank you all for your responses of interest in helping define the travel
management plan, and in participating in the stakeholder meetings in
February and March. At this point, three meetings are planned, with dates
to be determined based on your availability.

We would like to schedule the meetings next week, and ask that you identify
the dates that you are available in February and March. The meetings will
likely run a full 8 hour day, and may be scheduled during the week or
weekend days depending on your availability.

Please let me know as soon as possible the dates you are available for the
meetings by this Friday (Feb 2) if at all possible. We'll be reviewing the
dates early next week to identify those that everyone can attend, and will
send out a note on the meeting dates.

Thank you all for your continued interest, and your help so far.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call.

Francisco J. Mendoza
Outdoor Recreation Planner
12661 E. Broadway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85748
PH(520) 258-7226
FAX(520) 258-7238

[AZrockbum]

That we need to submit what days that we can attend meetings over the next month. Which means we need to all submit the same days so that we can attend in greater numbers.

[TBob]

Mike is this the same issue we met with Sandee on?


That we need to submit what days that we can attend meetings over the next month. Which means we need to all submit the same days so that we can attend in greater numbers.

[AZrockbum]

Did we already tell the BLM what dates we would like to meet with them?

[TBob]

not with them but with the HOV community - I think this is the same issue Sandie has been working with us
http://www.virtualjeepclub.com/showthread.php?t=19427

Did we already tell the BLM what dates we would like to meet with them?

[Heatstroke]

Mike is this the same issue we met with Sandee on?


It appears that Francisco is trying to get the dates set where we can all get together (OHV'ers/other land users/greenies/BLM) and discuss the situation. I posted the letter over on AZVJC to see if Sandee or others has seen it. If we're supposed to blast them with good meeting dates we'll only have Wed/Thu/Fri. Lets see what Sandee has to say as I'm not entirely sure if we're all supposed to respond. This ought to be interesting.

[Heatstroke]

Mike is this the same issue we met with Sandee on?


Below is part of what Sandee posted on AzVJC when I posted over there about this. I told her we'd wait to send the mass emails regarding the dates until she checked with the BLM to see what they were up to. Stand by to send email assaults with preferred dates so we can make a stand at these meetings.

I truly don't know what Tucson BLM is doing or expecting at this time. In early Oct. the plans were:
1) Have the map and letter explaining the procedure out by the 1st week of OCTOBER.
2) Were to have 45 days to do a PLAN
3) Next 20 days were for BLM to review what they received.
4) Next 60 days were to be dedicated to working with a task team to develop a Preferred Alternative.
This team was to be picked from those that submitted their name and short bio re their knowledge of the area and/or trail planning.

I would most certainly support you, and others, to spectate the working group. It will help others understand what is really happening.

Push for it............

I'll be talking to Francisco and Patrick later this morning so will ask your question. More info later!
__________________
Sandee

[TBob]

http://www.virtualjeepclub.com/showthread.php?p=150585#post150585

[AZrockbum]

Sandess conversation post ripped from azvjc:

I'm on the phone with Francisco as I write......... have been for over an hour but for those of you that know Francisco it takes him 20 minutes to say what we can say in 2.

Re the Transportation Plan: We're ok. I'll have the Transportation Plan done by the second week of Feb. and that was actually the timeline anyway. He's looking at the Task Team getting together late Feb. into March and maybe April to work towards the Preferred Alternative. Want the alternatives to go to the public by the end of the summer.

I've submitted 4 names (Mike B, Chris R, Bill M, Rob F.) to be part of the Task Team but EVERYONE is welcome to submit their name if they are interested. Members of the Task Team must be able to dedicate anywhere from 4 to as many as 8 Saturdays (8 hr days) to this project. If you can only schedule a couple it would be best if you join in as a stakeholder in lieu of a member of the Task Team.

I asked about "spectators" to enable a wider understanding of the process and they are open to allowing anyone interested in sitting in on the meetings but this will depend somewhat on the rooms we can get.

Bottom line............ we're ok. The "tone" of the conversation changed substantially when I told him we were presenting a complete OHV Transportation Plan with documented data and history. He was told straight out OHV are not going to stand still for the enviro "personal agenda" methods............. not G&F's either.

I will be working on the Plan but if you're interested send in your name and contact info as well as identify available dates. Personally I have the 17th available in Feb and then we're into March.

PLEASE DO NOT enter into this with trying to show force. We are truly trying to build a trust factor here AND show we know what we're doing. "Overwhelming" them with RED SHIRTS will only make our data or input look unprofessional.

#2 Conversation: The OHV Gas Tax dollars are no longer going out through grants......... we are getting the money to the ground quickly through agreements instead. Each agency field office or district can apply for two $10,000.00 "grants" for small projects. Francisco asked if the OHV would be willing to work on the road across/thru the riparian area of Martinez Canyon along with interpretative signing around the cabin itself. They can do it within staff but it will be out of the picture for a year or more without our help. I asked if we could have a "guarantee" to not close the canyon to OHV access the minute we do all the work. I also reminded him I was on the advisory board to approve the $10,000.00 or $20,000.00 funding for this project and would vote against it if OHV didn't have some guarantee. He agreed.
Do we want to look at putting together a plan for this?