Posted by John Eickhof on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 11:21AM :
In Reply to: sump suck posted by mannyc on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 10:18AM :
What we are involved in is a battle between the US Forest Service, and the State of Nevada / County of Elko. In regards to accessing a county road that was washed out in 1995. This road leads to a trailhead at the Jarbidge Wilderness Area. The USFS claims
the public has no right to use the county raod as access and thus were able to stop
repairs to this raod several years back, however, since then, it was deemed by Federal Court that the road is protected under the RS-2477 'Right of way' legislation of 1866.
Thus the road was officially opened July 3 & 4th of 2000. The catch is in the interim, the EPA filed endangered species protection for the so-called 'Bull Trout' that are apparently occupying the Jarbidge River (that was nextto the road, so, at this point, according to the USFS, no mechanized equipment can be used to rebuild the road...
So, The 'Shovel Brigade' was formed ain 1998
and they reopened the first stretch of the road BY HAND' in 2000! At this year's Idaho Trail Ride, We made it to the end of the road! We had a Unimog, and three M-37s.
It took about 4 hours to go 1.5 miles. At the end of the road, stands a USFS cast concrete outhouse (which has been closed since 1995) The tank under it is now full with ground water.. The Shovel Brigade has voluteered to go in and pump out several hundred gallons of the waste as opposed to the USFS plan of flying a helecopter in to do it at a cost of $10,000!! Here's where we come in...since we are the only full sized vehicles to make it to the end of the road, the Shovel Brigade has asked for us to haul in a 200 gallon tank, so they can pump out the waste.. We have accepted the challenge!!
Go down to the earlier posts to see the text of serveral articles in varoius newspapers that will enlighten you further! This event is scheduled for Saturday Oct. 18th in Jarbidge, Nevada.
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