ALERT: Help Needed To Re-Open Oroville Trails, Letters Needed By March 31

IMBA and the Lake Oroville Bicyclist Organization (LOBO) need your help to re-open shared use trails at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA). Please take action today by sending a message to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), asking them to keep trails at Lake Oroville open to mountain bikes.

BACKGROUND: The FERC will soon decide whether or not to approve a trails plan submitted by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). IMBA and LOBO support this bike-friendly plan. See more information below.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Comments must be received by March 31, 2006! You can submit comments here at this website. Please reference P-2100, subdocket 000 . More information about filing.

You can also comment via postal mail. Send comments to:

Magalie R. Salas, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426.

If sending comments by postal mail, please provide your name, address, and telephone number. Please add the following to your heading:

"California Department of Water Resources
FERC Project 2100
COMMENTS"

SAMPLE LETTER (please revise as needed):

I am writing to express my support for shared-use trails at FERC Project 2100 and the included Lake Oroville State Recreation Area.

Shared-use trails provide the best use of our limited natural resources, and ensure the maximum opportunity for trail usage by hikers, cyclist, and equestrians alike.

Decisions regarding trail uses must be made by local land managing agencies. FERC'S expertise lies elsewhere.

The License, California Department of Water Resources, followed FERC's directive to formulate a trails plan, within the re-licensing negotiation process. The result is a compromise plan that, while not unanimous, is supported by the majority of participants involved, including equestrians, cyclist, hikers, and the land management agencies. This plan sets aside a significant amount of trail as equestrian/hiker only designations, while also recognizing that most of the projects trails are suitable for shared-use status.

I ask that FERC accept the DWR trails plan, as negotiated during the DWR Trails Focus Group Meetings.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME GOES HERE

MORE INFORMATION: Opponents of bicycle access have launched a letter writing campaign to FERC, asking FERC to deny or alter proposed shared-use trails and limit bike traffic. Currently, despite the restricted designation of some trails, bikes, hikers and equestrians use the trails, and user conflicts are minimal.

Lake Oroville is part of the California State Water Project and is owned and operated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licenses the project, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) manage recreation at state water projects.

More information is available on the CA DWR website January 2005 License Application, Draft RMP (11 mb, pdf) Comprehensive Non-Motorized Trails Program.

For additional information about Lake Oroville riding, please contact:

Lyle Wright
Lake Oroville Bicyclist Organization
PO Box 619
Oroville, Ca. 95965
(530) 589-4322

Ridewright at gmail dot com

STEPS TO FOLLOW BEFORE YOU BEGIN EFILING:

Have your comments ready on a “WORD” or “PDF” format. Log on to FERC at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp

Create a user account. Be sure that you have a validated eRegistration account. Validation consists of clicking on a link in an email you receive after entering and submitting your eRegistration information.

Step 1: Log on

Step 2: Filing Type Selection

  • Select the single filing type (Comment on Filing) that characterizes what you are filing.

Step 3: Select Docket

  • Enter the root docket number (no subdocket) for your filing in the "Enter Docket Number" field. Click on Search.
  • Select the applicable docket and root (000) or subdocket number for the document you are submitting.

Step 4: File Upload

  • Browse, locate and select the file you are submitting. Be sure that the file name does not exceed 25 characters and does not contain spaces or special characters (an underscore is the only special character allowed). If you need to rename a file, you must do so BEFORE you select it. Do not make changes once the path and file name are in the Select File box.
  • Click on Attach; the file name will appear in a table at the bottom of the screen.
  • Repeat the process for any additional files in the submission - up to a maximum of 10 files. For multiple files, make sure the files are in the logical order - use the Up/ Down icons to change the sequence.
  • Click on Upload Files.
  • You will see an onscreen message that FERC has received your file(s). Click on OK. You have established the "time of filing" for your submission. However, you MUST complete additional screens and "checkout" in order for your submission to be "filed."

Step 5: Specify the Filing Party/Parties

If you are filing on behalf of another party (and not as an Individual):

  • Enter a character string that the name of the filing party "begins with" or "contains" (depending on the radio button you select) and click on Search.
  • Select the appropriate name of the filing party from the search results.
  • Use Add New Organization if you do not see the appropriate name in the search results.
  • Repeat the process for any additional parties.
  • The party or parties (and group designation, if applicable) you select will appear in a table at the bottom of the screen.

If you are filing on your own behalf as an Individual:

  • Enter "Individual" in the text box and click on Search.
  • Select the entry for Individual.

 
[If there are multiple entries for the same entity in the search results, it makes no difference which one you select as long as it is an appropriate form of the name]

 
Step 6: Specify the Primary Person/Counsel of Record to be Served

(This is you, the person filing)

  • You must enter the eRegistered email address of at least one primary person/counsel of record for the party selected on the previous screen. 
  • If you selected "Individual" as the party, enter the email address for the "Individual."

 
Step 7: (Optional) Specify Other Contacts to be Served (this screen is only applicable for interventions, and the few "applications" eligible for eFiling)

This is an optional screen for specifying contacts other than those who legally represent the party(ies) making the filing. Any "Other Contacts" you select should reflect those that are listed in the document you are submitting.

 
Step 8: Submission Description (Who, What, Why)

The description that appears in the text box will be added to the eLibrary index to describe your submission. Please amend the default description to more fully describe your submission. For example, if you do include comments, a protest, or other motion should amend the description to fully describe the content.

 
Step 9: Summary (the Checkout Process - very important)

This screen summarizes all of the information about your submission. You MUST click on Submit Filing to complete the submission process. Otherwise, we will not receive your filing.

 
Step 10: Confirmation of Receipt email

  • When you click on Submit Filing, the system automatically sends a Confirmation of receipt email to the logon account email address. Be sure that you receive this email. If you do not receive it within a couple of minutes, contact FERC Online (see Contact Information to the right)
  • The Confirmation of Receipt email has a link to a page with information about the filing.

 
Step 11: Acceptance for Filing email

We review each filing prior to acceptance, and in some cases it's necessary to assign a docket or subdocket number. If you file late in the day, and we have received many filings, it may be the following day before you receive the Acceptance for Filing email.