UPDATE: Jason has some updated information and links available at SailingKarma.com, please check them out and submit your comments to the Forest Service. We only have until the end of March to give feedback on the Fremont Lake development.
Jason Essington from our sister club, the Pinedale Boat Club, has put together a message to request public comment on the Fremont Lake Recreation Enhancement project proposed by the Forest Service. Many members of the Utah Sailing Association have enjoyed sailing and racing on Fremont Lake every year for over a decade, so as the Forrest Service looks into developing the lake it is important that we provide our feedback and concerns over the development to ensure we retain or improve the access we have enjoyed over the years.
Please continue reading for more information on how you can help with this process.
–Message from Jason–
Hi All,
This email is to request public comment on the Fremont Lake Recreation Enhancement project (in Pinedale Wyoming) proposed by the Forest Service. Those of you who have sailed in the Little America’s Cup (Pinedale Regatta), or would like to in the future, please read on!
The Forest Service (Bridger Teton National Forest) has finally released their EA for the Fremont Lake area. This is a provisional plan for what they plan to do in the coming years. Anyone who has used the Fremont Lake facilities (or plans to in the future) should read this EA and submit comments to the Forest Service.
In the past, the Public Comment periods for Forest service policy on Fremont Lake has been dominated by a few residents (who live right on Fremont Lake) that would prefer that the lake be turned into their own private fish pond. To prevent such one sided policy making, we need to be sure that our input is provided, otherwise it is very likely that facilities that we are used to having could very well be limited or even eliminated.
The documents can be found at the Bridger Teton National Forest project web site.
The documents that are of primary importance are:
The scoping letter claims that comments should be submitted in RTF or DOC form to:
These documents were posted March 1st, so the thirty day comment period would end March 30th. Be sure to get your comments in (the earlier the better).
The things that we as sailors need to point out in our comments are:
1) The area between the Lakeside lodge boat ramp and the existing sandy beach area (previously part of lakeside) has been used since the 60’s as a launching place for beach-able sailboats (catamaran and butterfly type boats). There is no provision in this EA to preserve that area of shore for such a purpose, and the Forest Service needs to be made aware that this particular facility is the only one of its kind in sublette county, it is also used regularly by community sailors.
We would like at the very least to have that area preserved as a launch / day use site for beach sailors. the site is ideal due to its proximity to a boat ramp (the lakeside ramp), and most of the sailors that use it are familiar with the facility and it’s submerged hazards, Ideally we would like the area to be improved somewhat. There are some rocks that pose a bit of a threat to the fiberglass finish on boats particularly during low water. it would also be nice if the grassy area (the area between the now closed access road and the shore line) were developed a bit to promote grass growth while discouraging weed growth (the kind that stick into our bare feet).
2) The lower boat dock is going to be improved (and lengthened). This is a good thing, however, we need to be sure that the additional 50′ of concrete ramp they intend to pour is made deep enough that we can float the partial and fixed keel boats that are launched there.
3) The forest service plans to close the entire area around the lake (well at least the area accessible by automobile) to camp fires and overnight camping, except for in their Pay campground. This means that they will close the “unimproved” camping area near the outlet, and not allow any kind of camping anywhere else around the south and east parts of the lake.
I understand the need for a 200′ rule, but closing the entire area to camping is completely uncalled for. Their reasoning is that some people have been placing their motor homes in these areas in the summer and overstaying the camping limit. We need to suggest that rather than close the area completely to reduce the dispersed camping limit from 16 days to maybe something like 3 or 4 days, and then perform some enforcement.
4) In addition the plans are to close and reclaim the dirt road between the dam and the lower boat ramp parking lot. Their reasoning here seems to be that when the road is wet, users of that unimproved campground drive around the car eating puddles to access the camp sites thus widening the area impacted by vehicle travel. The solution again is to not close the facility to the public, but rather to improve the facility (the road) so that motorists are actually able to use them as intended. It would be nice to see an improved road (in addition to the proposed trail) along with a vault toilet or two, and continue to allow dispersed camping in that area (200′ away from the lake, with a shorter maximum stay)
One additional thing to note that is related to winter recreation:
The forrest service wants to pretty much close off the campground road (741) to human presence in the winter time. this policy would prevent the connection of the fremont lake ski trails with the ones located farther up the hill at halfmoon lake. This is a horrible policy decision as the grooming and use by skiers are incredibly low impact, and unlikely to seriously disturb any wildlife as the use would be best described as intermittent (there wouldn’t be trains of noisy snowmobiles going by, but rather the occasional cross country skier).
Other things that might be nice to mention would be :
- The need for ongoing maintenance of existing / improved facilities.
- Removal of the swim buoys at sandy beach every fall (they have been left in for the last couple of years and are getting pretty much destroyed)
- Removal of seasonal flotsam from sandy beach.
- Enforcement of existing rules rather than removal of facilities due to non-compliance and lack of enforcement
So, please read the linked documents, consider how you have, and would like to continue to use the Fremont Lake facilities and surrounding area, and comment to the forrest service before the end of the month. Without public feedback, the policy tends to end up being driven towards less public access and removal of facilities.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions, but be sure to send your comments to the forrest service:
Thank you
Jason Essington
President
Pinedale Boat Club
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