As you may or may not be aware, there are now powers that be who want to take away the trail system in the Brighton/Nulhegan basin and Silvio Conte areas. This area composes an IMENSE percentage of OUR trails, as they are on state land, and WE pay taxes. If you sit on your duff, WE WILL NO LONGER BE USING THESE AREAS!!!! Below are some links, and a scary proposition that is being followed up on RIGH NOW! I dont think any of us can sit back and let this happen, once its done,..its done and we will not be riding on hundreds of miles of pristine trails. GET OFF YOUR DUFFS AND WRITE YOUR LETTERS!!!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (This is scary) Snowmobiling

Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge

Recently, the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Vermont completed its Comprehensive Conservation Plan. Staff for the US Fish and Wildlife Service completed a draft compatibility determination for snowmobiling that found the activity "not compatible". After the draft CCP and CD were completed the "appropriateness" policy was adopted by USFWS. The finding of appropriateness was completed and snowmobiling was found "not appropriate." The compatibility determination was never finalized because a "not appropriate" finding supercedes the need to complete a compatibility determination.

Nulhegan Basin Division

Staff from the Nulhegan Basin completed a compatibility determination for snowmobiling in 2002 and found the activity compatible. No appropriate use finding has been completed for snowmobiling on the Nulhegan Basin Division.



If you would like to learn more about the CCP process for Silvio O. Conte NFWR, please visit Planning Process.

Last Updated: Monday, January 7, 2008 8:40

NOW This in Todays Caledonian>>>> http://caledonianrecord.com/main.asp?Secti...amp;TM=14437.42 As you can see, we are being undermined by the same elitists that think no human should enter onto state land unless they are mushroom pickers. Better wake up folks!!!! AND ALSO heres a link to the management page... http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Conte/ccphome.html USE IT!!! ANy other links or important information to this important issue, please feel free to post!!

I have been telling everyone I know to fill out there form from last months VAST paper and send IT...

Today is February 7th, that article was posted on the Caledonian website on 2/4/2008 6:00:00 AM and at the bottom of the form they wanted responses back by the end of January 2008. Are they still accepting completed questioners back or was January 31st a hard deadline? I have left v-mails and sent e-mails requesting more information but have not heard from anyone. Also, does anyone know exactly how this form is to be filled out?

For those who think everything will be OK, you should read how snowmobiling was shutdown in the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, VT in 2006/2007:

Draft: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Cont...f/MSQSnowCD.pdf
Final Policy: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Miss.../APPENDIX_B.pdf

I spoke to “Marry” (413) 253-8371 then press 0 (413-253-8371 this is the direct number to a “Bill Perry” who has moved to a position in Hawaii) and she said they are still accepting responses. She could not assist in responses to the questioner. My brother-in-law is a biologist who worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the form and I will provide his feedback as soon as I have it.

For those who may not know what area this affects, it's the entire yellow "sensitive area" on the map below:

Serbie,

Were you at the special meeting last night? If so, it would have been cool to have met you.

Anyway,

This is a very important issue and at the meeting last night it was dicussed that these questionaires were still being accepted.
There is a strong group, out of Arizona, believe it or not that is working against us trying to help close the "Federal" lands down. They raise millions of dollars every year to take the pleasures away from us that we have worked so hard for. Granted, it is only about 35 miles of trails, but it is probably the widest, most beautiful section of trails in the VAST system. Although, every mile is important right down to the bunny feeder trails.

Believe it or not, the state IS standing behind us and has written a long letter to the Refuge office in Mass. They want us all to enjoy the rights that we used to have in that land. Vermont Traditions Coalition is standing behind us on this issue as well. Please fill out one, or two, or three questionaires and send them in... THEY DO COUNT! Send a letter from your club, business, or organization. This is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed.

Your vote counts.

Im on it!! Thanks for the info!!

Eventually what they want on most of these state and fed lands is foot trafic only in many areas. I have a camp in the core area of the West Mtn Wildlife mgmt area VT state Land and in years to come that will all be foot traffic only. If you know these areas at all then you are aware that the road system that was there 10 or so years ago is much smaller now. Every year a little bit is closed culverts pulled or just not maintained period. The reason for this is long term closure plan by both the state and fed lands. We will be told different but the truth is closure down the road. Hopefully I am wrong. We have only had our camp since 1988 but had we known the state was going to buy from Champion we would not be there today. I hope these hearings do something. Had I known about the one last night I would have gone.

I would have said something, but I was told to keep hush hush, so we dont get any tree hugging hooligans there.

Derek, A tree hugger??? Hooligan maybe!! LOL

Thanks GatorX,..some good news and good info. I was unaware of any meeting, but I am in Ct till tomorow anyways. I found it amazing that the caledonian waited till after the deadline to publish that letter, but it doesnt mean we should be quiet now that its after the deadline. We are talking about a quality of life issue here, I pay a lot of property taxes (and others) in VT to be able to do these things that we cannot do in most other places, its what makes this state special, without these privileges, (some would say 'rights and they may well be if we are on state/fed lands) it would not be worth owning property anymore in VT. Figures its an out of state entity sticking their collective noses into our business, what a bunch of elitist bafoons. I will continue to research this, as I hope all who enjoy these areas on sleds, foot, or hunt, or shoot will do as well, so we can pass it on to the next generation, (and keep it for ours as well). Thanks,.......don

Anyone know how to get this topic "pinned" so that its at the top of the forum?

haha, i wasnt refering to Derek, but he can be a hooligan sometime!?

No not me. Hooray for huh.

Meant to say hooray for this snow

where is this questionnaire?

It was in the VAST news.

It's in the last issue of VAST news. I filled mine out, but it's kind of non descript on who is supposed to fill out what. I filled out the yellow section in the lower right, and sent it in last week.

I believe that you have to contact a moderator or admin to get it "pinned"

Click on "my assistant" and PM someone

Gaderx how do I get a VAST news paper. do's it come with your TMA pass?

http://www.vtvast.org/VAST%20News/Subscription%20Form.pdf

You have to pay for a subscription. They mail it to you. Check out the link above.

If your address was printed clearly on the TMA, it will be sent to you. Anyone who gets a TMA will get the VAST NEWS. If this year was your first TMA, then you wont get it until next year... i believe.

I PM'd a moderator about pinning the topic.

I just completed the form that is in the January VAST News and will be mailing it in tomorrow.

http://www.vtvast.org/Hot_News/News_Alerts.php

same here tonyvt hopefully its not to late we keep telling everyone we know. I also mentioned how the wildlife
are using the vast trails for winter survival. the snow is really deep and since we got all of this snow this past
week its obvious from the sightings and tracks.

The form that was in the January VAST paper is a "cleaned up" and graphics added version of the .pdf form that is presented from the link on the VAST site:

( http://www.vtvast.org/Hot_News/SilvioConte001.pdf )

I don't think the 1/31/2008 deadline is a hard one. I would encourage everyone to still fill out and return ASAP!! I was completely unaware that they had deemed snowmobiling in the Missisquoi Refuge "not appropriate"until I was looking at some of the information online regarding the CCP. I don't ever remember seeing anything about a review for that management plan - from VAST or any of the other pubs I try to read.

Guess the message to all of us is the same: we have to be alert to land use changes (whether the land is Public or Private)