The USFS releases their Scoping Package for Camp Tuolumne!

Hi dear Campers, Staff and Friends!

Once again we are able to write you with GREAT news and an update as we continue to work towards the rebuilding of Camp at Harden Flat Road!

As you may know by now, The Berkeley City Council voted to support the Special Use Lease Permit, along with allocating money for the environmental review process to begin. The City staff should be commended for doing an amazing job navigating this very detailed process, and the Council deserves all of our support for being behind it.

Now the USFS has written the next steps – The Scoping Package, the general scope of the project. We get to review that and comment on it within a 30 day window.

The Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor is requesting specific written comments on the City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp (BTC) Permit during an initial 30-day designated opportunity for public participation from October 28, 2015 through November 27, 2015.  The cover letter, scoping package, maps and other project information are available at the City Camps office or online at:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=46690

The Board of FOBTC has reviewed this in detail and has written its comments of complete support for the package. We are thrilled at what the package represents for camp. We encourage you to review it and write your own comments to the Forest Service. 

You can read our letter here:

27 October 2015
Stanislaus National Forest Attn: BTC;
19777 Greenley Road
Sonora, CA 95370

Dear Supervisor Higgins,

The Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp fully supports the proposed scoping package for the City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Permit (BTC) project to issue a 30-year permit to the City of Berkeley for 45 acres, and move forward with the rebuilding of our historical home.

We are very grateful for the thoughtful and careful outreach, collaboration, and planning that the USFS staff has invested in this important project.

The Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 that represents thousands of campers and staff spanning many generations who are mourning the loss of their summer camp. We are excited to be working alongside the City of Berkeley and the US Forest Service to help in the efforts to rebuild this special place.

We note, support and especially appreciate these important elements of the scoping package:
1) Expanding the overall footprint of camp to help move structures away  from the riparian corridor;
2) Keeping camp at the same capacity size as before so that it can continue to serve diverse communities of campers from Berkeley and beyond;
3) Increasing the capacity of parking lots to relocate parking off of Hardin Flat Road;
4) Replanting and revegetating the area within camp.

The value of BTC to the USFS is consistent with the 2010 Stanislaus National Forest Plan:
“Provide a wide range of recreation opportunities directed at various experience levels to meet current and projected demand, including campgrounds, hiking trails, picnic areas, OHV trails, etc.”

In closing, we give our complete support to this plan. Thank you for your hard work and we look forward to the next stages of the rebuilding of Berkeley’s Tuolumne Camp.

Sincerely,

Steve Geahry
President – The Board of Directors