Sawmill Hiking Trail update...

[alien]

Read on & see the related map in the files section of this forum.

File Code: 1950/7720-3
Date: July 8, 2008

Dear Friends of the Angelina National Forest,

The Sawmill Hiking Trail, located on the Angelina National Forest
(ANF), follows the north side of the Neches River from Bouton Lake
Primitive Area to the Old Aldridge Mill Site. A spur trail runs from
the Sawmill Hiking Trail north to Boykin Springs Recreation Area. A
section of the trail, near Bouton Lake, crosses private land
(approximately 0.6 mile). See map below.


On April 8, 2005, a scoping letter was mailed out proposing to close
the west section of the trail, from Forest Service road 308D west to
Bouton Lake Primitive Area. We proposed to reroute the remaining one-
way trail into a loop trail system. Many of you responded asking us
to keep the entire trail open. I have decided to leave the entire
trail open. However, the section of trail that crosses private land
is no longer open to the public.
An agreement was in place with the previous landowners allowing the
trail to cross their land. New owners have acquired this land and are
not allowing public access on the section of trail that crosses their
land. Work is underway to obtain a new agreement to allow access but
the public will not be able to use this section of trail until
permission is acquired.

Since October 2005, fallen trees from Hurricane Rita have essentially
shut the entire trail down. We are currently working on clearing the
trail. While clearing the trail, we are finding sections of it
adjacent to streams that will have to be moved over a few feet. This
is occurring where streams are changing course and the trail is
collapsing into it. We are also inventorying the bridges and plan to
repair or rebuild those that are damaged. Some of the bridges may
also be relocated; at the most to within 15 feet of their current
locations. The swinging bridge that connects the trail from forest
service to private land will not be repaired until access is allowed
across the private land.

We plan to add new trail sections to the existing trail, which would
create loops. This would expand the existing trail by approximately
5.7 miles. The location of the loops would be similar to the previous
proposal you received in 2005 and are depicted on the map above. Most
of the proposed new trail sections follow old primitive roads. These
new sections would be accessible.

I would like your input on this proposal. Based on the responses we
received from the first scoping of this project, we have left the
trail in its original layout and will add the proposed loops to it.
This proposal is consistent with the 1996 Land and Resource Management
Plan for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas as amended.

Written responses may be submitted to me, Attn: Sawmill Hiking Trail
Project, Angelina National Forest, 111 Walnut Ridge, Zavalla, TX
75980. If you wish to submit oral comments, please call me at (936)
897-1068. Hand-delivered comments may be received within our normal
business hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding
holidays. Comments may be mailed electronically to our office in a
common digital format such as an email message, plain text (.txt),
rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc) at comments-southern-texas-
ange...@fs.fed.us with Subject: Sawmill Hiking Trail Project.

Names and addresses of those who respond will be considered part of
the public record on this proposed action, and will be available for
public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted
and considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not
have standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR Parts 215
or 217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27 (d), any person may
request the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by
showing how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such
confidentiality. Persons requesting such confidentiality should be
aware that, under FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very
limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest
Service will inform the requester of the agency’s decision regarding
the request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied; the
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within 10
days.
I appreciate your interest and participation in the process thus far.

Sincerely,

/s/ William E. Taylor, Jr.


WILLIAM E. TAYLOR
District Ranger, Angelina/Sabine National Forest