Messages

I am not a member but I can't answer that. If I knew maybe a little more about ONFA maybe I could answer that question. If I knew a little more about their goals and objectives I might be in a better position to answer that question Lisa.

Your right

I have done some research and I have pulled up the last meeting minutes, notice the USFS people in attendance, people on the board.

Minutes Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway CAG Meeting
10:00 AM, December 7th, 2006
Marion County Library, Ocala, Florida

In attendance: Rick Lint, Carl Petrick, Monso Tatum, Glenn Burns, Cathy Lowenstein, Laureen Kornel, Garry Balogh, Joan Carter, Jessi Smith, Guy Marwick, August Mazyck, Sandra Friend, Cindy Marihugh, Criss Specht, Lucy Tobias

1.  Introductions   Rick Lint introduced Carl Petrick, Ecosystems Staff Officer representing USFS Forest Supervisor. All others present introduced themselves.

Above taken directly from the December meeting.

Below taken from Scenic byways innocent sounding land management.

These byways require something called a "Corridor Management Plan." The federal ISTEA law set up a 17-member "Scenic Byway Advisory Committee" to "develop standards for design review" in these corridor plans. This Advisory Committee consists of federal agencies, including the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, plus appointees from various interests, including environmental, recreational and historic organizations. The only overt commercial interest represented is the "outdoor advertising industry." I have the handbooks produced for the "Corridor Management Planning" purposes, telling how to organize Byway advocates and how to keep control of the public information process. Listed as contributors to these manuals are organizations like Scenic America and National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In the preliminary thesis to the state CAG used the term "viewshed" , viewshed can mean anything within 5 miles or greater on either side of the corridor will be protected.

I think Mr. Thompson you missed the point.

[The Ocala National Forest Association is a non-profit corporation committed to the success of the Ocala National Forest as it works to fulfill its mission. The Association will complement and add to the skills and resources of the Forest, involve other partners - individuals, community groups, corporations, foundations, other government agencies, and non-profits - and foster citizen involvement in Forest planning and decision making.]

Hi Everyone:

I am not really new to the forum, but new to replying on here. I am not a resident of Florida, but do have parents and friends in Ocala, and ride the Ocala National Forest maybe twice a year, when vacation time allows it.

I have been following the discussion and it sounds like the ONFA doesn't want to be part of this so called Black Bear Corridor, (wildlaw project), but yet taken from ONFA website:

         The Ocala National Forest Association is a non-profit corporation committed to     the success of the Ocala National Forest as it works to fulfill its mission. The Association will complement and add to the skills and resources of the Forest, involve other partners - individuals, community groups, corporations, foundations, other government agencies, and non-profits - and foster citizen involvement in Forest planning and decision making.

By the above statement if the ONFA is committed to the success of the Ocala National Forest and will involve partners etc.. and forster citizen involvement in Forest Planning and decision making, I have to ask isn't that the Black Bear Corridor. Wouldn't you want to be part of this group (Other government agencies), this is going to involve Forest Planning and decision making. Looking at the documentation and looking at the map, it is going through the middle of the forest. But yet you don't want to take part in it, then your mission statement is not true.

Your three primary goals:

Attract new resources of all kinds to the Forest. (Black Bear Corridor) Isn't that a new resource.

Encourage and promote broad based investment in the Forest as a way of supporting local community development and obtaining the involvement of members of these communities to determine their own destinies. Won't the black bear corridor support local community development? Isn't this a way to bring business and individuals together to enhance the community and let them know what the forest is all about?

I have read some of the documentation on this subject matter, and have from personal experiences seen what has happened to trails in other states, it is not a good site.

No where on the front page of the website do you state anything about OHV trails, or any OHV at all.

The entire program is made up of volunteers whose only purpose is to preserve the forest for the enjoyment of visitors who come to visit its unique environment. Your only purpose is to preseve the forest, that sounds like your against OHV's. Is that why the ONFA doesn't want to get involved.

This is a confusing issue for sure, but what seems to be more confusing is the above statements about the ONFA.