Hello members this is a large parcel on which we have trails. Please take a moment to voice your opinion on the survey. If possible a showing at Crosset MS Brook would be terrific.
Cari Wilson
President MRRR
From: Sbmcvt@aol.com [mailto:Sbmcvt@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2011 1:38 PM
To: info@vermonttraditions.org
Subject: REMINDER--CAMEL'S HUMP PUBLIC MEETINGS TUES. & WED.
Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2011 1:38 PM
To: info@vermonttraditions.org
Subject: REMINDER--CAMEL'S HUMP PUBLIC MEETINGS TUES. & WED.
Hello Everyone,
This is a reminder about two important meetings on the sprawling 25,541 acre (40 square mile) Camel's Hump Area State Lands in Central Vermont next week. It is important that Vermont Traditions Coalition and our member organizations have a presence at these meetings to weigh in on the side of recreational opportunity and public access for all as well as an aggressive timber mangement schedule for the benefit of forest health, wildlife abundance, and our rural wood products economy. There is no way of knowing what the state may propose next week and no way of weighing in on it if we don't have a meaningful presence.
As you all know, there's a Vermont Traditions Coalition meeting with Fish & Wildlife Department Commissioner Pat Berry Tuesday night. Thus, many of us including VTC staff will be at the VTC meeting. Hopefully, some folks in this E-mail Network plan on attending the Tuesday Camel's Hump meeting so that VTC can be aware of what transpired. Please notify Frank Stanley or I about Tuesday night's happenings if you do attend. Frank and I will attend Wednesday's meeting in Duxbury. Hopefully, others will join us so as to provide the meaningful presence we are seeking.
PUBLIC MEETING DATES
TUESDAY BREWSTER PIERCE MEMORIAL SCHOOL IN HUNTINGTON CENTER
WEDNESDAY CROSSET BROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL IN DUXBURY
BOTH MEETINGS RUN FROM 7 PM--8:30 PM
DON'T FORGET: TAKE AGENCY OF NATURAL RESOURCES SURVEY
If you haven't already done so, please take the public survey available to provide input to the Camel’s Hump Management Unit long range planning effort. Members of your organization and anyone else out there are welcome to take the survey. Please help us spread the word! This survey is available until the end of June.
The link is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/
I have already taken the survey, but we need you, your organizations and your network of friends to also take it so our point of view is the clear majority. The same goes for the public meetings. We need to be in the majority at these meetings.
SOME TIPS RE: TAKING THE SURVEY & PUBLIC MEETING PARTICIPATION
--State in the survey that recreation and vegetative managementand wildlife habitat are very important. Resource protection and aesthetics management are not very important, in my opinion. These lands are classic, beautiful Vermont mountains, woodlands and varied terrain which, in and of itself, creates outstanding aesthetics and protects resources just by the fact that it is a vast woodland. Little or no management activity is needed for these values except maybe timber cutting to increase views.
--This area contains 15 miles of some of the most beautiful snowmobile trails in the state. Snowmobiling should be ranked very high. The logging road system would also lend itself to other motorized recreation at some point. Hunting and fishing (to the extent there are fishable waters within these lands) should be very high priority. Hiking Camel's Hump is very popular and always will be.
--This area should have been way, way more aggressively timber managed. There is an overwhelming amount of mature forest. Game and non-game species thrive on heavy cutting, and the cutting brings money to the state and sustainable Vermont wood product industries.
--Conflicts between different forms of recreation should require minimal to no management. The area is big enough for all forms of wooded recreation
--There should be no restricted "wilderness" style set asides. Back door posting of public lands is not what taxpayers bargained for when they bought the land.
--Public access by car or truck should be maintained or perhaps improved, depending on the specifics involving the land and access to it. There should be no road closures and perhaps some gate openings, again, depending on the specifics. For example, hunter disbursement during hunting season may be helped by opening some gates for the season.
--I'm sure many of you have important thoughts of your own to address.
If anyone wants to discuss any of this any further, I can be reached at the phone number below.
Steve McLeod, Executive Director
Vermont Tradions Coalition
