Crazy Mountains March Public Meeting Meeting Video & Documentation

Crazy Mountains March Public Meeting
Meeting Video, Trail Video Tours
and Documentation

Will the Historical Crazy Mountain Trail System Survive Another Generation?

More importantly, will Trail #267 survive the next year?

On March 13, 2018, Friends of the Crazy Mountains (FOCM) and
Enhancing Montana's Wildlife & Habitat (EMWH) hosted a public meeting to share
information with the public, which we feel has been missing in this process thus far. There were
about 80-90 people in attendance, some seated and some standing in the back
(Sign in sheets - some guests or spouses did not sign in).
Below is the meeting agenda and the links to the meeting video, Trail video tours, documentation and Public Comment Talking Points (large print below) provided at the meeting, for those who could not make it.

After reviewing, please take time to submit a public comment on this historic trail
obliteration and relocation proposal to the Forest Service. We need the proper and legal NEPA process, not this lacking categorical exclusion the FS has stated. This non- motorized proposal would give away not only motorized access, any historic prescriptive easement rights, but also ignores our deeded easements and right-of-ways.

Comment deadline is March 31, 2018

https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53388
Written comments must be submitted via mail, fax, or in person (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays) to: Mary Erickson Forest Supervisor, ATTN: Chad Benson, PO Box 130, Bozeman, MT 59771. Electronic comments including attachments can be submitted to:
https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=53388
Formats that will be accepted for electronically submitted comments are: Word, PDF, and/or Excel.

We would like to thank the Yellowstone Pioneer Lodge for hosting location,
Steve Palmer for video recording the meeting,
Skyline Sportsmen Association for printing 3 of our color documents,
and Susan Lanning for assisting with set up and the sign in table.

For more information contact:
Brad Wilson, FOCM, friendsofthecrazymountains@gmail.com
Kathryn QannaYahu, EMWH, kathryn@emwh.org 406-579-7748

Agenda

Public Meeting professionally video recorded
Introductions
Landowners Ned & Cindy Zimmerman
Brad Wilson (FOCM), A Century of Crazy Mountain use, Park County roads & Deputy Sheriff, Habitat Security.
Attorney Tim Callahan, Prescriptive Easements, FS Wonder Ranch Case and 1948 FS Big Timber Canyon Road Case.
Kathryn QannaYahu (EMWH), Crazy Mountain Historical Information & Forest Service Recorded Positions; Maps & 3D Video Map Tours of Trails #267, #195 & #268, Proposed FS/Zimmerman #267 Obliteration and Relocation Proposal;
US Forest Service NEPA Process; Retired US Army Corps of Engineers, John Daggett's Statement; Conservationist Phil Knight Crazy Mountain wildlife survey information; Categorical Exclusions; FS "Sensitive Species" Wolverines and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout; Ungulate Habitat Security; FS Public Comment Talking Points.
Where do we go from here? Crazy Mountain Officials Contact Information, MT Park County Fuel Tax Maps, Railroad Grant Public Access and Right-of-Ways Research, Montana Laws - Display of Unauthorized Signs, Crazy Mountain Survey.
Public Comments and Questions

March 13th Meeting Video
Video was recorded on 3 - 45 minute tapes. As the meeting ran longer, the video did not capture some of the ending public comments or questions, such as Crazy Mountains landowner Shaun Jones, who expressed concern over the Forest Service/Zimmerman trail relocation proposal not including motorized access (Shaun just posted his public comment on the FOIA reading room), while the current Trail #267 includes snowmobile, mountain bike and motorcycle. I only edited to stitch together the 9 video segments (3 per tape), as I received it and some of the attorney presentation for brevity, retaining the specifics of prescriptive easements.

Since the laptop video memory started degrading the visual at the end of the proposed trail video presentation, and the video tours were harder to see on film, I decided to additionally render each flyover trail segment, as their own videos, linked below. On the proposed trail video, I begin the video in a flat view, similar to the FS map of the proposed trail, so that you will see the comparison, before the video becomes 3D.

Crazy Mountains Trail #195 & #268 3D Video Tour 4:15 min
Crazy Mountains Trail #267 3D Video Tour 4:45 min
Crazy Mountains Proposed Trail 3D Video Tour 4:24 min

PDF Documents Presented at the Meeting

Crazy Mountains History & Key Points

Crazy Mountains 1937 Absaroka National Forest Map (Roads and trails on the 1925 map)

Motor Vehicle Use Map Custer Gallatin National Forest

FS Maps of Porcupine Lowline Trail #267, 1925-1991

3D Map of Porcupine Lowline Trail #267 Obliteration and Proposed Trail

FS Porcupine Ibex Trail Proposal Map (proposed trail in red)

Forest Service NEPA Process with Flowchart

John Daggett, Retired US Army Corp of Engineers letter

Environmental Assessment Middle Fork Sixteen Mile Road Relocation Project (.28 miles, 1500 ft) example of the same forest doing a proper NEPA EA process on a trail relocation

Does the Forest Service Need To Do An Environmental Impact Statement? (Yellowstone Cuts)

Phil Knight, Wildlife Surveys and Recreation on the Porcupine Lowline - wolverines

Elk responses to trail-based recreation on public forests (Forest Service lead paper 2018)
3 of the 6 authors are Forest Service, including the lead author

Porcupine Lowline Trail Obliteration & Relocation Public Comments Talking Points

Crazy Mountain Officials Contact Information (anyone with jurisdictional authority in the Crazies)

Park County Fuel Tax Map, "Open to public travel"

Montana Department of Transportation - Fuel Tax Requirements for "Open to Public Travel" routes

FS 1984 with 1991 Revisions Map page 5

MCA Recognition of Historic Right-of-Way State Lands

MCA State Lands Multiple-Use Management

Administrative Rules of Montana pertaining to Recreational Use of Trust Lands

Sample of Railroad Deeds with easement in the public for any public roads, 4N10E Secs. 15 & 23 involving Trail #195 and #267 (RR deeds for the roaded areas leading into the Crazies, as well )

1948 FS Big Timber Canyon Road law case & injunction based on Railroad Grant public access - Case and injunction was based on RR deed with easement in the public for roads/trails

Montana Laws - Display of unauthorized sign, signals, or markings - Question the signs you see

Friends of the Crazy Mountains citizen organization