Advocacy Alert: Kettle Crest Needs Letters of Support

The Draft Colville Forest Plan has been released and public comments to the Forest Service are due Tuesday, July 5th.  Why does the Forest Plan matter to you?  Because it affects mountain bike access! 

In late May, Will Stone (President of Evergreen East) and I completed a tour of the Colville Forest. We met with local representatives, elected officials, and the Forest Service, and explored trails to help inform Evergreen’s comments on the Forest Plan.

What we experienced were passionate locals, breathtaking views, and epic riding destinations that must be protected for long-term mountain bike access.

The Forest Plan Revision is the final step in a multi-year planning and environmental review effort to govern this amazing 1.1 million-acre National Forest for the next 15 years or more.  If we don’t voice our support for mountain bike access now, we risk permanently losing many of these trails!  Please read our blog and submit comments to the Forest Service NOW.

Here are the primary points we’d like you to convey to the Forest Service:  

• You support the proposed Recreation Special Interest Area (SIA) designation for the Kettle Crest. The SIA is a balanced solution to protect natural resources and maintain recreational access.

• You request that the proposed Bald/Snow/White wilderness designation is changed to SIA, to preserve the unique contiguous Crest riding experience and maintain connection to Thirteen Mile Trail.

• You request that the Abercrombie Mountain and Silver Creek trails be removed from recommended wilderness designation. As the second highest mountain in Eastern Washington , the unique trail loop at Abercrombie and Silver Creek should be preserved for mountain bikers as it is unlike any other trails in WA State.

• You appreciate the Forest Service team’s hard work in developing a preferred alternative that balances ecological, recreational, and economic development needs, and will fully support Alternative P if the above modifications are included.

We have provided a sample letter at the bottom of our blog to help guide your comments, but please take a moment to personalize it.

If you have ridden trails in the Colville National Forest, let the Forest Service know what your experience was like. Express how this unique riding region cannot be replaced elsewhere if mountain bike access is lost.  Customizing your letter will maximize your impact. 

The comment period ends Tuesday, July 5th so please Take Action NOW!  And please ask your friends to comment too!

NOTE: Please be aware that all comment letters and contact information are included in the project record, and will be posted to the Forest Service Reading Room for public viewing.

Thank you for supporting Evergreen, and for helping to maintain mountain bike access to trails statewide.