PAPA Member Alert: Rico / West Dolores ROD Litigation
February 13, 2019
Many of our members are very interested to know what is happening regarding the lawsuit that has been filed against the USFS Dolores, CO Ranger District regarding their Record of Decision to close over 30% of the motorized single-track trails recreation on the Rico/West Dolores landscape.
First of all let us say that we have had one of the most successful donation campaigns from our memberships (SJTR and PAPA) in collaboration with TPA and others, so critical for filing this suit. Thanks to all of you for digging deep to help fund this fight. There will most likely be others but for now we are ready to take this one on robustly.
The deadline to submit a litigation schedule was February 9th but that has now been extended to March 9th due to the partial government shutdown. The schedule will begin with generation of an administrative record, and will culminate in argument presented through written briefing, with the possibility of oral argument before the judge assigned to the case. This process will most likely stretch through the summer of 2019. We urge all our members to adjust to the newly applied restrictions in the Rico/West Dolores riding area and to be patient as we wait for a decision from the court. We remain optimistic that our case has merit.
We will do our best to keep you abreast of any particular actions that occur relative to the suit as they arise. As much aligned organizations (SJTR, PAPA and TPA) we now have combined strengths that can now give us the best opportunity to meet the challenges of preserving our chosen recreation. Your continued membership and financial support is critical in maintaining this strength.
Most Sincerely,
Board of Directors: San Juan Trail Riders and PAPA