Sunday, February 25, 2018

Keith Lannom Admits to Using Illegal Travel Plan

I finally got a chance to review the letter Payette National Forest Supervisor Keith Lannom sent to Senator Mike Crapo in response to a high number of concerned citizens calling for a Congressional Investigation of his office.

You can download that letter here: 

Keith Lannom Letter to Senator Mike Crapo 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WWmUtmtdXQAmL44T3PJcF-FdaV1hbDN-/view?usp=drivesdk

Can you help me out by signing this petition?http://chng.it/WHKrdXzz




Also: Citizens call for Congressional Investigation of lawless conduct of Keith Lannom:
http://usfspayettenationalforest.blogspot.com/2018/01/formal-letter-to-senator-mike-crapo-01.html?m=1



I have never heard of "the paper of record" defense from the Forest Service before. Must be similar to the "we declared it closed a long time ago" argument that the Payette National Forest is notorious for using in the rare chance they invite the public to their road closure sessions they call "travel management".

Cinnabar, Idaho. Keith Lannom ordered Sugar Creek Road closed without public comment, which is a violation of NEPA and other federal laws. Lannom then falsely blamed the landowner for the closure of a RS-2477 historical public right-of-way. 



The "we want to collaborate" argument Lannom uses holds little water while the Krassel District Ranger tells rooms full of concerned citizens "we are closing the roads anyway,  and if you don't like it: sue me!" 
Nor does it hold water when the Forest Service conspires behind the backs of the collaborative, blocking Sugar Creek Road and other roads before the collaborative even had chances to offer alternatives to road closures. 

Private citizens, including myself, have offered time and again to raise funds to build a bridge across Sugar Creek. Even offering the use of mobile equipment we own and donated time.

Anthony Botello and Keith Lannom have flatly refused to look at those alternatives and insist on closing roads (such as Sugar Creek) while declaring that they were magically closed in the past, but fail to show the legal documentation it takes for the Forest Service to close a road. Such as emergency closure order for public safety, a Travel Management Plan where NEPA included public comment periods were followed,  etc. (As Keith Lannom points out, the 2007-2008 Travel Plan was ruled invalid by a federal court of law).

It is concerning to me that the Forest Service would continue to follow a management plan already ruled invalid by a federal judge.

But then again: if Keith Lannom or Anthony Botello believed that they had to follow the same federal laws everyone else must play by: we wouldn't be having this discussion. 

Just my two cents.....

Scott Amos 
208.297.0634

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