I spoke with Acting District Ranger Rachel Bauer, Beckwourth Office Plumas National Forest yesterday 9/15 for a half hour discussing various issues related to the ongoing closures at Davis Lake, Jenkins/Cow Creek etc.
This is what I learned....
First off, they are rotating District Rangers on a monthly basis and will be doing so for the next 6 months plus until they decide on an individual hire. This is irrelevant to our cause. The effort and your voice emails/calls need to be directed to the USFS FOREST SUPERVISOR Plumas National Forest Christopher Carlton
Christopher.Carlton@usda.gov p:530-283-7810 c:530-927-7713 as he is the big cheese and ultimately the one who signs off on everything as far as I have gathered although there is definitely input from a variety of individuals. This is a federal government bureaucracy of the worst kind and they can screw over users with any excuse and bull reason as they choose but it is done by committee and there is input from the individuals I have listed on this thread and others I am unaware of.
Second, It appears this individual Kaitlyn McGlamery
Public Services Staff
Plumas National Forest
p:530-836-7120
kaitlyn.mcglamery@usda.gov is entrusted and responsible for pushing forward on the closure of Jenkins Point to car topping and closing off the parking and access and launching. She is following USFS policy and decisions as to what the Plumas County USFS wants done with the lake. From what Rachel Bauer told me this Kaitlyn is the one planning where the boulders will go and how much area there will be for parking so I strongly suggest you email and call her and leave messages and let her know that we as car toppers need launching on the end and all around Jenkins point and plenty of parking as Jenkins has historically seen a dozen-30 plus cars on any given weekend when the fishing is good.
Third, They can claim any BS as to why they are closing off access. I have heard all kinds of excuses and bull reasons such as it isn't a "designated USFS road" meaning the area around a point such as Camp 5 northside or Jenkins isn't a designated access road so therefore we can close it off by throwing logs and boulders. But of course the rest of the point they can do as they see fit and put in a paved parking lot and boat ramp etc. They can also BS claim they are doing it in the interest of "environmental protection". This is laughable and I have challenged them on this and both Keli Ward and Rachel Bauer have acknowledge the lunacy of their position but once again it is done as a bureaucracy. For instance they have closed off Camp 5 northside for "non designated road" and then tried to claim it was in the interest of environmental protection. I showed them pictures of the cattle trampling the shoreline a hundred yards away from Camp 5 in the cove(pictures on this thread) but the hard packed dirt we park on is in their bs claim environmentally sensitive. What about the entire shoreline the cattle are free to roam and trample?. So basically they can lie right to your face and make up any claim and lie and do as they see fit.
One thing I have learned dealing with this bloated federal bureaucracy is that everyone at the USFS tries to pass the buck to someone else and not take responsibility. BUT,,,,Ultimately the Forest Supervisor Christopher Carlton is responsible for what takes place in Plumas County so I strongly recommend directing your #1 focus and voice to him as he can't shuck responsibility. Email/call everyone I have listed include them in your email address for any letters you send and forward your emails to all of them.
It's crunch time.
They are hell bent on closing off access all around the lake and don't give much of a damn but your voice does count and does have an impact. The problem has been we as flyfisherman/car toppers have been silent for too long and they have been chipping away and chipping away at access because we haven't spoken up and made our voices heard. Now is the time to put the pressure on them otherwise they are going to boulder off Jenkins Point and Cow creek to car topping and once that happens it is game over and impossible to get things reversed.
GOOD LUCK! Keep fighting the good fight!
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