Advocacy Alert! On 9/27/24 the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) issued their final draft of the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project (BWTAP). This BWTAP is a multi-year project that began in 2021. Some of the approved actions in the “Draft Decision Notice” are to:
- Construct over 46 miles of new trail,
- Approve Class 1 eBike access to 112 miles of trail with a new trail designation,
- Develop 3 new and improve existing trailheads,
- And improve signage on all trails!
We created a map showing the trails and approved actions here
Read our summary of the full process here.
The Draft Decision Notice for the EA is 19 pages! Our goal here is to summarize key points, point to focus areas, and encourage action from those eligible to participate.
DRAFTDecisionNotice_BasinWideTrailsAnalysis_September2024
TAMBA supports the Forest Service’s decision and detailed response to the community’s feedback forAlternative 1. The technology for eBikes has rapidly outpaced the policy, and the LTBMU is looking to update their rules to reflect evolving preferences for how people access our lands.
Where are we in the process?
During the 2023 public comment period The Forest Service received over 600 comments. Over the last year, they’ve reviewed the comments, and in this final draft they summarized what they heard via these comments and explained the USFS response. (pg. 176) “No significant changes to the Proposed Action or Alternative 1 were made after comments were received, however, there were some errors identified that were clarified and some of the segment alignments were cleaned up” (pg. 17) We are now in a 45-day objection period. The objection period will close on November 7, 2024.
What does the “objection period” mean?
The objection period is an opportunity for any person or organization who previously made comments to post any objections to the proposed plan. You cannot object to the final plan if you have not commented previously. If you did make comments, here are the Instructions & form to participate in the objection period.
The objection period is open until November 7, 2024.
Throughout this process, TAMBA has been in support of The LTBMU’s plan, has made comments as an org, and appreciates all the participation from the community to advance trail recreation opportunities. TAMBA did not get everything we asked for and will raise objections to the specifics of the plan, following on from previous comments.
A few notable items to acknowledge:
- Chimney Rock Trail will not be decommissioned. (Win!)
- Emerald Bay to Meeks Trail is still in the proposal. (Win!)
- Cookhouse Meadow to Warr Trail is approved for shuttle access. (Win!)
- A new class of a defined Micro-Mobility device (e.g. Onewheels, etc) will be allowed on Trails open to Class 1 eBikes. (Win for Onewheels, adds clarity)
