Inyo National Forest

Projects & Plans - Recreational Residences

DECISION MEMO

Memo of Decision (pdf)

Decision

I have decided to continue use, as is, for 350 Term Special Use Permits for Recreation Residences in 22 recreation residence tracts covering approximately 206 acres on the Inyo National Forest.  Twenty one of these tracts consisting of 339 permits expire on December 31, 2008. One tract, Lower Rock Creek, consisting of 11 permits expire on December 31, 2017.  For these 11 special use permits I will ask the permit holders to voluntarily accept the new term permit so that all recreation residence permits on the Inyo National Forest (INF) would have a common expiration date as required under Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2721.23(a)(4).  If the offer is not accepted these 11 permits will be issued a permit with a December 31, 2037 expiration date when their existing permit expires in 2017.

The 350 recreation residences are all located in 22 designated tracts.  Maps are available in the project file. The tracts on each Ranger District are as follows:

Mono Lake Ranger District

• Crater
• Glass Creek
• Gull Lake
• June Lake
• Silver Lake

Mammoth Ranger District

• Falls
• Lake George
• Lake Mary
• Mill City
• Sherwin Creek
• Twin Lakes

White Mountain Ranger District

• Big Pine
• Lake Sabrina
• Palisades
• Pine Glade
• Rock Creek
• Lower Rock Creek
• South Fork
• Utter
• Whiskey Creek

Mt. Whitney Ranger District

• Seven Pines
• Whitney Portal

Recreation residences are a valid use of National Forest System lands, and are an important component of the overall National Forest recreation program.  It is Forest Service policy to continue recreation residence use and to work in partnership with holders of these permits to maximize the recreational benefits of these residences (FSM 2347.1). In Region 5, the recreation residence program was established in 1906 with the first tract being surveyed in 1915. The last recreation residence tract was established in 1959.  Nationally, no new recreation residence tracts have been established since the early 1960’s.  Currently, policy is for no additional tracts to be established.  Many of the recreation residence tracts have in-lieu lots.  These are lots that were authorized as a part of the tract but were never developed.

Resource protection measures have been incorporated into the recreation residence special use permit. Any additional protection measures are written and listed on the face of the permit listed or the permits Operation and Maintenance Plan which is attached to and made part of the permit. Compliance would be monitored by INF personnel to ensure protection of natural resources. Specific resource protection measures or mitigation measures for each tract are described in Appendix A (attached).

Categorical Exclusion (CE)

Public Involvement

Findings Required by Other Laws

Implementation of the Decision

Appeal Opportunity and Implementation Date

Appendix A

US Forest Service - Inyo National Forest
Last Modified: Sunday, 01 June 2008 at 09:55:36 EDT