PNMTA, Pinenuts Nevada, Nevada Trails PNMTA, Pinenuts Nevada, Nevada Trails

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Last Updated 02/23/2010

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 Pine Nut Mountain Trails Association Meetings 

The Pine Nut Mountains Trails Association meets the first Tuesday of every month @ 7pm at the Round Table Pizza in the Topsy Lane shopping center 1 mile south of the intersection of US Highways 395 &50. This is just over the border from Carson City in north Douglas County.

Take US 395 to Topsy Lane light and turn west (to your left if you are traveling north and to your right if you are traveling south). As you turn onto Topsy Lane you'll see the Walmart on your right, but at the next light you turn left. As you head uphill you will see the Round Table Pizza on your left. We have the group meeting room reserved from 6:30 on so come early and take advantage of the $6.49 All you can eat Pizza Buffett.

 Past PNMTA Meeting Minutes 
 Minutes of Meeting on November 3rd 

Next Meeting Tuesday December 1st.

In Attendence: 19 members and 1 guest - Wade Harlan from Coalition for Public Access (CPA)
Officers:

  • President – Pat Schmid
  • Vice President – Oz Cheek
  • Treasurer – Chris McMillen
  • Secretary - Doug Holcomb
  • Directors - Trona Holcomb, Nate Littrell

Douglas Co. Lands Bill
 Last month Pat had a meeting with Douglas Co. about their desired Lands Bill. The County has also talked with CPA and The Stompers. It seems that Douglas Co., is attempting some wheeling and dealing to trade outlying land for BLM land that can be developed. They are also trying to weasel in the changing of a Wilderness Study Area to wilderness. The area is the Burbank Canyon area in the south east portion of the Pinenuts. This is an area that BLM has previously determined that does not qualify as wilderness. Who in the Co. that proposed and is pushing this has yet to be determined.

The Washoe tribe wants their hand in the pie for some BLM land, but what land they are willing to trade, if any, hasn't been determined.

Doug, Pat and the CPA will be meeting with Commissioner Johnson and a representative from Dean Heller's office to discuss the wilderness proposal. We will report out on this meeting at our next PNMTA Meetiung Dec 1st.

Our website will have info on contacting the Douglas CO. Commissioners and Heller about this.
ONCE THIS INFO IS UP, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTACT THEM WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL AND CLUB DESIRE OF NO WILDERNESS !!!!!!!!! There will be a public comment meeting. Don't know when or where yet. We will need lots of speakers at the meeting. Lets pack the room!

Bridgeport Ranger District Motorized Travel Plan
The “Plan” public comment period has been extended, as a result of our previous letters, thru NOVEMBER 20th. Comments can be made to comments-intermtn-humboldt-toiyabe-bridgeport@fs.fed.us. Please include “Travel Management Comments” somewhere in the subject line. The Draft Plan as well as a new map with more trails is here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/htnf/projects/bridgeport/tm_bp_index.shtml. AGAIN IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BOMBARD THEM WITH EMAILS AND /OR LETTERS ABOUT THE PLAN ASAP. If you use prewritten form letters, be sure to change the wording to some of your own words or at least change the title. Form letters don't work well. Cheryl Probert is the District Ranger. Email – cherylprobert@fs.fed.us. Phone # 760-932-7070. She is listed as the contact. Not sure of a lead project manager yet. More to come.

Several members provided feedback that indicated our elected Representatives do read our letters and emails. Gov. Gibbons, Representative Heller and even Harry Reid phoned or sent emails indicating they had read the email. Doug had called Cheryl, who told him that several Nevada and California representatives had contacted her to discuss the comment period.

Grant with Great Basin Institute
The Great Basin Institute is working on grants to assist BLM in putting together the 2010 travel plan. They want our help to identify roads (main arteries initially). They also want to add 3 kiosks, gateway signs, and make maps using their grant money. There is $$$ in for us for our assistance.

An intial meeting was held with Arthur Calan of the BLM, the GBI and several stakeholders: Muscle Power of Carson City, Back Country Horseman of Carson Valley, Alta Alpina, the Pinenut Preservation League, The Carson Valley Trail Association and us. We toured El Dorado Canyon, The Silver Saddle Staging Area, Johnson Lane and Fish Springs. The Pine Nut Preservation League is concerned with maintaining hiking and equestrian access to public lands - current development is eliminating many easements they once enjoyed. A follow up meeting is planned for Nov 13th. The meeting will include Arthur Callan, Dave Mensing from GBI and Doug Holcomb. Arthiur wants to show Dave the eastern side of the Pine Nuts. Doug will provide a report at our next meeting.

These meetings are also in preperation to develop the Pine Nuts Travel Plan in 2010. Dave Mensing has suggested to Arthur that we start by saying all existing trails are open unless marked closed. Sounds like a win for us. To prepare for the plan we are looking to develop our own expertise on various issues so we can try to proactively drive the plan. To start we are looking for people with knowledge (experts?) of, or a willingness to become an expert on, Riparian areas and specifically OHV use in and around them so BLM doesn't run roughshod and blindly close trails in and around riparian areas. Illinois Canyon is one area Arthur says is tagged as vital Raparian habitat. Please help if you can.

The Carson Valley Trail Assoc, is working to get a walking trail around the entire Carson Valley. Initially using existing trails and roads but eventually all trail. As a group they support keeping the Pinenuts open to OHV use. They have received a grant from the National Park Service to help them gain the easements needed for this trail as well as a grant to build out the Genoa area trails. We should support them to continue adding groups for a unified public access voice and to build an alliance with this group.

Oz is still working with Settelmeyer and the DMV on the Dual Sport issue. There may be some light at the end of the tunnel. Settlemeyer is working with the DMV to change their stance. He has mentioned a change to the state statutes would be best. Settlemeyer is going to run for Mark Amodei's State Senate seat so this is something we need to keep on his radar. Thanks Oz.

Treasurer report – no change – we still have about 3k in the bank. Terry McT has collected some donations for the cleanup, but they have not been deposited yet.