|
Minutes January 17, 2006 Attendees: John Bragg, Don Lochman (dllochman@verizon.com) - Coos County Mounted Posse, Roxene Lockhart (eckhampay@msn.com) - Coos County Mounted Posse, Terrence Graves (terrencegraves@charter.net) - Coos County Mounted Posse, Mike Smith, Bob Laport, Martin Callery, Lisa Readel (rubygo@charter.net) - OET, Lee and Polly Hollenbock – OET, Donna Bishop, George Miller – taxpayer, John Earl (johnjerl@cs.com) - OET, Maureen Earl – OET (fishing, crabbing, equestrian), Jenny Webster, Sandra Cardwell (sandra@north-pt.com) - Coos County Sheriffs Posse, Dan Devereux (dand2@earthlink.net), Bill Danforth (chiefdanforth@iglide.net - OET, Susan F. Danforth (chiefdanforth@iglide.net) - OET, Jennifer Wade, Don Luce, Janna Dosdall (JanaD@rfpco.com) – mountain biker, Dan Grijalva (dan@chaswaldrop.com) - mountain biker, Miranda Shapiro, Reg Pullen, John Griffith, Nancy Zepf. Welcome and Introductions Old Business1. Approve November Minutes – A motion to approve minutes with no changes was made by Reg Pullen and seconded by Mike Smith.
2. Election of CRTP Board Members
New Business 3. North Spit land transfer; questions and discussion (Elaine Raper. Umpqua Field Manager, BLM; Martin Callery, Oregon International Port of Coos Bay) Elaine Raper discussed proposed land sale on map. One person asked how BLM goes about putting up a parcel and Elaine responded that it has to have been identified as available for disposal under certain conditions. A decision hasn’t been made at this time if the land is available. A 1995 Resource Management Plan/North Spit management Plan discussed the possibility of an exchange, lease or sale of this land. The Coos Bay District BLM had requests from the Port of Coos Bay to consider the sale, the BLM was not seeking out a sale of all zoned industrial lands. The information is sensitive in working with the Port of Coos Bay and the BLM was not at liberty to bring out information without the Port’s agreement. There are 188 acres of land that are potentially available for sale (maximum). The process of determining if the land can be sold includes: Planning and clearance – environmental assessment (EA). Includes public comments. The EA looks at economics, wildlife, wetlands to determine the effects of sale on resources. The timeline for the EA is 4-6 months with a draft complete at the end of February. Until the EA is complete the BLM doesn’t know how much land can be included in the sale. Scoping – November – January Public Comment Decision (which can be appealed) Mineral potential – concurrently Appraisal – takes 4 months – cannot sell at less than appraisal value. Until the appraisal is done the BLM doesn’t know the value of the land. Notice of sale – federal register notice, has to go for competitive bid unless there are special circumstances. 45 day comment period Process patent – one month Land survey – only federal industrial land surveyors can do survey. There are 220 acres of industrial land. The Federal Land Facilitation Act is used for purchasing land within special areas e.g. Steens. There is a competition to apply for funds. Elaine said the BLM wouldn’t sell the land without retention of land to maintain public access e.g. easement. The BLM will continue recreational uses and have met with folks to look at issue of protecting recreation/equestrian trails. A potential access has been found on a five acre parcel that could maintain access and could be not part of the sale and kept as an access point which is located on the west side of the transpacific highway. This still has to be looked at further. Another possibility is an old route on road that could be re-made. It was a route in 1994 and would have to be looked at further. A 100 foot – 150 foot right of way could attach equestrian trail to it to separate use for motorized vehicles. Donna Bishop mentioned that by minimizing the amount of acreage and moving boundaries one could still maintain parking and trails and day use area. She said that one doesn’t need a new system just some adjustments (feet not miles). Dave Wash said the there are options for funding including a challenge cost share, NW Youth Corps, recreation pipeline funds (internal), grant opportunities (Oregon State Parks ATV grant program). Wash said that the Corps of Engineers have an easement on BLM lands that would go with sale and could ensure right of way. One meeting participant mentioned that the emergency patch on jetty needs fixing. Martin Callery from the Port of Coos Bay said that the availability of industrial lands is at issue. Callery said there are a lot of industrial lands not being used for industrial uses. Callery said the Port of Coos Bay wants to maintain maritime infrastructure and needs the 188 acre parcel which is across from 78 acres that could be combined for a better potential to draw industrial users to help maintain maritime infrastructure. He said they had a potential user that decided against it because they needed more land. Callery said he doesn’t know what actual footprint would be and that the Port will continue to look at maintaining public access to recreation. Public access can be settled he said. No problem with anyone using parking area. The Port is working on a fix for the Jetty. Elaine said the BLM has been speaking with the public and that there has to be a balance between economic development with public use and recreation and hopes to find a happy medium. 4. Assign hike leaders for upcoming healthy hikes – It was agreed that the group would email people about this instead of discussing it at the meeting due to time constraints. 5. Siuslaw National Forest Updates on Oregon Dunes NRA – Jennifer Wade ODNRA has finally finished the NEPA requirements for staging area at Horsefall. Going to ATV allocation committee for Phase I match. Using Northwest Forest Pass and New Carissa settlement money. Jennifer requests a letter of support from CRTP for this staging area needed by next week. Mike Smith said he had a couple of questions before he was ready to agree to a letter of support including carrying capacity of area. Phase I will be 40 sites, host site, access road with a sand access road. Riley Ranch budget is too high and ODNRA is negotiating price with contractors that would be an ATV campground, parking and staging area. One meeting participant commented that the Wild Mare Horse Camp is unusable for a travel trailer and horse trailer. Wade said the roads engineer just retired but the person to contact would be Marty Moeller at 541.750.7000, who is the acting head roads engineer and Wayne Gale supervises the campground. 6. OCEAN update on trail opportunities – John Bragg talked with Mike Graybill and there is a potential trail opportunity at Coos Head which is now owned by the Confederated Tribes. There is a donut of BLM lands around area and OCEAN made an application to develop a trail in that undeveloped area. There is no timeline on this project. Blossom Gulch trail is in need of revitalization. Adjourn |