National Forest planning trailhead parking area

MOTTSVILLE - Parking for a trailhead in the Sierra foothills took a step forward Friday when the U.S. Forest Service released an environmental impact statement.

Gary Schiff, district ranger for the Carson Ranger District, said there will be a 30-day period for comments on the Faye-Luther Trailhead statement.

"The preferred alternative is to develop a low-intensity parking area on Foothill Road in the Luther Canyon area," Schiff said.

The 1/3-acre-plus parcel would include parking for 10-12 cars, he said.

"We want to strike a balance between the folks who want increased access to the national forest and at the same time take into consideration needs and concerns of the neighbors."

On Saturday, three vehicles were parked near the trailhead, which is located across Foothill from the Faye Canyon historical marker.

According to the statement, which found no significant impact on the area, that is a busy day for the trailhead.

The parking lot would be gravel.

The site is located about two miles south of Centerville Lane where the Toiyabe National Forest crosses the Nevada border into Douglas County.

Schiff said the parking is needed to help keep hikers from parking along Foothill Road, which has a 55 mph speed limit.

"Our principal concern is safety," Schiff said. "People are parking all along the highway. People are walking, riding horses, bicycles and we have all that crossing that road."

Schiff credited volunteers with helping bring the effort to this point.

"People raised a lot of money to make this happen," he said.

Schiff said Mike McQueen of the Bureau of Land Management did much of the work on the analysis.

Comments must be received by Dec. 20. Anyone with questions should call Schiff, Steve Hale or Terry Birk at 882-2766.