UPDATE on July 2, 2016: Heather Mobley is no longer the Special Uses Administrator for the Big Bear Tract. Maintenance proposals and questions should now be directed to Scott Evans (909-382-2808; saevans@fs.fed.us)
Cabin painting
We recently asked our Forest Service Special Uses Administrator, Heather Mobley, to clarify the ongoing need to request approval from the Forest Service for any proposed maintenance and improvement activities on our recreation residence cabins. We discussed this topic a couple years ago at an Annual Meeting and in a blog post on our website. Heather responded with the following email. If you have questions, please contact Heather directly at the email or phone number shown in her email below.
July 20, 2015
Thank you for asking a great question. Yes the proposal process is still in effect. We started providing for a formal process in 2012 because of the recent reorganization of the forest and the need to streamline workload. However, the need to receive approval for maintenance and improvement activities has always been in effect as it states in Part II, Section A & B of your permits:
II. IMPROVEMENTS
A. LIMITATIONS ON USE. This permit authorizes only occupancy of a recreation residence. Nothing in this permit gives or implies permission to build or maintain any structure or improvement or to conduct any activity, unless specifically authorized by this permit. Any use not specifically authorized by this permit must be proposed in accordance with 36 CFR 251.54. Approval of such a proposal through issuance of a new permit or permit amendment is at the sole discretion of the authorized officer. Improvements requiring specific approval shall include but are not limited to signs, fences, name plates, mailboxes, newspaper boxes, boathouses, docks, pipelines, antennas, water and sewer facilities, and storage sheds.
B. PLANS. All plans and revisions to plans for development, layout, construction, reconstruction or alteration of improvements on the authorized lot must be prepared by a licensed engineer, architect, or landscape architect, in those states in which such licensing is required, or other qualified individual acceptable to the authorized officer. These plans and revisions to these plans must be approved by the authorized officer before commencement of any work.
We haven’t sent out a letter to state as much lately, but the concept applies, we are still requiring proposals be submitted by August 31st of each year in order to be considered over the following winter and responded to by April 1st of the following year. So if folks want to do maintenance or improvement to their permitted infrastructure, including utilities, they need to submit a completed proposal by August 31st in order to receive a Notice to Proceed by April 1st of the next year.
Thanks,
Heather Mobley
Special Uses Permit Administrator
Forest Service
San Bernardino National Forest
p: 909-382-2804
hmobley@fs.fed.us
P.O. Box 290
Fawnskin, CA 92333
www.fs.fed.us