If you want to see what has been going on in the local press in Idaho regarding snowmobiling and allocated use click on the links below.  If you have comments you can also log in to the Idaho Statesman's online message board which is linked to the page below.  If you don't like the trend in the media, send your thoughts or comments to the opinions and letters to the editor sections of your local paper. You can email letters to the Star News or  the Idaho Statesman or Idaho Outdoors.

Forum discussion on the question "Should Snowmobiles be banned in some public areas?"

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Features/IdahoOutdoors/story.asp?ID=59136

Story on Valley County Snowmobiling by Roger Phillips

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Features/IdahoOutdoors/story.asp?ID=60338

URGENT ALERT

Comments for the Payette Forest Travel Plan are needed by January 7th.  If you care about maintaining equal opportunities for ALL recreationists, please mail or email your comments right now.

CIRC needs your help!  Right now we are working on establishing a precedent for non-motorized recreation on the Payette National Forest.  If you are out in the backcountry near McCall skiing, snowshoeing, or cross country skiing drop us a line and let us know about it.  We are working on a winter user report form that we will be compiling at the end of the winter for our public land managers to let them know how important our recreation is to us.  You can help by emailing us a quick note about where you were,  where you are from, how many were in your party, what kind of recreation you were participating in, and any other pertinent information.  You can also click on our Incident report page to report any negative encounters that you have had while recreating or if you had to alter your travel plans because of other user groups.  Documentation by backcountry skiers, snowshoers and cross country skiers is essential to help facilitate the recreational planning process on the Payette National Forest.  If possible, if you have a negative encounter or see other users in closed areas, try to get the numbers off of the machines registration sticker.  These numbers can be used by enforcement personel to contact the offending parties.  

To find out more about CIRC's proposal for the travel plan and for a list of topics to include in your comments. To see a map of proposed use boundaries on the forest click on the map page or check out the the suggested comments page to help you with your comments.This is a very important new document that will likely have long term effects within the entire agency.  The Payette Forest Plan is going to address off road vehicle use both summer and winter.  This document will set the precedent for use and allocation of the Payette for the next 10-20 years.  Email CIRC at circ@email.com or click on our contact form.  For more information about recreational planning and equality for all users on our public lands you can also visit Winter Wildlands Alliance at www.winterwildlands.org.