Mammoth Lakes OHV Trail Riders Call to ACTION

This Artice was taken from Mammoth Times - February 4-10, 2011. Page 6, entitled:

Snowmobilers, Skiers get chance to do make-over at Shady Rest

Mammoth Times Staff Report

Mammoth's highly used Shady Rest area has a long history of sometimes conflicting uses.

This is especially true in the winter when snowmobilers and skiers, dog walkers and snowshoers vie for space on the trail system.

And with Geothermal development in the area already in full sweinf, with more to come, the pressure on the area has only increased.

Although the conflicts died down somewhat over the years, due to mostly hard work by both motorized and non-motorized user groups in educating their members (and a new shady rest park trailhead), the need for a final solution for winter use in the area still remains.

The Inyo National Forest recently recieved an off-highway vehicle grant from the State of California to fund recreation planning efforts for Shady Rest Park.

The planning process is designed to address year-round motorized use while considering the needs of non motorized users in the immediate and surrounding area and the potential impact of proposed geothermal development.

The desired outcome of the planning process is to design, review, and approve the development of a new motorized staging area, according to the projects lead, John Kazmierski of the Inyo National Forest.

The planning process will begin with a series of public meetings to discuss current and future recreation uses and review site development options.

Information from the public meetings will be used to develop a proposed action released to the public and subject to the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act.

A series of three public meetings will be held to discuss the future recreation management of Shady Rest area (Park).

All meetings will be held at the Mammoth Lakes Ranger Station auditorium and begin at 5:30pm

Feb. 10 on exsiting condition, current uses and needs assessment.

Feb. 17 on multiple uses, recreation development options.

March 3 on presentation and review of recreation alternatives.