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LEARN@learn-usa.org
- LEARN
- Michael Coffman
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- Bangor, ME 04401
- (207) 947-7931
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- 38 Maine Street, Suite 11
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1. In the mid-90's the Fish and Wildlife Service consulted with the Modoc National Forest on grazing management on allotments that had streams containing the threatened and endangered Lost River, Short-Nose and Modoc suckers (fish). A grazing strategy was devised and for the next three years both the MNF and the F&WS carefully monitored the results. The data clearly showed an upward trend toward desired condition and increased recruitment of juvenile fish. However, the F&WS wanted to increase the restrictions, particularly on stream bank alteration, going from twenty percent to ten percent. Ten percent would render the allotments economically unviable for grazing 2000 cattle and 6000 sheep. Modoc County, using the section in the Endangered Species Actthat allows for adoption of a local recovery plan, adopted the MNF Biological Assessment (the document that allowed 20 %) as its local recovery plan and then filed a notice of intent to sue F&WS. The ESAsays F&WS should not develop their recovery plan without showing that any local plan is not working (the MNF monitoring showed that the current plan was successful). Three days after the filing, the Department of Justice called the county and suggested this could be worked out on the ground. A subsequent meeting that included the Regional Forester and Regional Director of F&WS determined that the current standards were adequate for protecting the fish.
2. In l995 the Lava Bed National Monument reworked their management plan and called for the closing of the south entrance, a modest road across the Modoc National Forest. This road, for which the Monument had a special-use permit, was responsible for funneling 50000 vehicles a year through the small, unincorporated community of Tionesta. Tionesta lays 2 miles off the main highway on the county road where the south entrance road dead ends. Closing the road that the Monument said they could no longer maintain would have destroyed thirty residences and three tourist-dependent businesses. The existing land-planning forum was able to broker a deal in which the Monument would continue to plow snow, the MNF would provide material and the county road crew would do the maintenance work.
3. The Big Valley Wildlife Area was purchased by the California Department of Fish and Game in the l980's. Through several additions it had grown to over 12000 acres by l995. In l996 the department proposed another addition of over 2000 acres. Using the local land-planning forum, the county was able to reduce the acquisition to 700 acres and get agreement to return to private ownership 400 acres from previous acquisitions that occurred prior to the implementation of the planning process. This was a nice savings for the tax role. This effort has lead to a MOU being signed between the county and CA Fish and Game. Among other things the MOU requires the department to consult with the county whenever a potential acquisition is in the works.
4. When the Forest Servicebegan their planning for the regional (11 forest) Sierra Nevada Framework, Modoc Countywas quite concerned. In addition to the normal things wrong with a one-size-fits-all approach to regional planning, this document was going to impose strict standards and guidelines on a landscape (Modoc National Forest) that was different from the actual Sierra Nevada (MNF is in a separate bio-region) in ecology, climate, geology and economy. It would have ended many of the MNF’s award-winning programs. Engaging the Forest Service through the land planning process, the county developed their own alternative (we are unaware of any county having done this before at the regional planning level) to be displayed in the DEIS. It emphasized local decision-making in a way we hoped would allow many of the cutting-edge programs taking place on the MNF to continue. This involvement lead to the county being offered a seat on the interagency team made up of government agencies(F&WS, EPA, CA Fish and Game, Water Quality Control Board, etc.) whose role is to offer advice and feedback to the FS during the drafting of the document (another first for a county, we believe). Although our influence failed to affect the selection of our preferred alternative when the Record of Decision was published, seven of the nine programs exempt from the Sierra Nevada Framework standards and guidelines are located on the MNF.
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Last Updated 05/30/2007