Sweetwater Launch

Please keep our sites open!!

Dear US Forest Service, it appears that USGS is working to diminish erosion in the Sweetwater Range near Bridgeport Ca. I approve of this effort, as many roads are becoming gullies and creating problems for the watershed . There is one particular short road that is valuable as an access to a hang gliding launch which has important commercial value for the nearby community of Bridgeport. This particular road is about 1300 feet long at aprox geodetic coordinate of N 38.380 W 119.380 . I have used this launching point for the last 9 years , and i spend quite a bit of money in stores in Bridgeport during the summer . It would harm the economy of Bridgeport to close this short stretch of road to the Sweetwater Launch site. The grade of this road is not very steep and it hasn't gullied. Please keep it open , thank you, Charles Nelson

We need to keep long used flying sites open

We have been flying there for 25 plus years.

The sport of Hang Gliding needs all the help it can get... Please allow continued use of this public asset

Dear Sirs, I understand the USFS-Toiyabe office is currently identifying and closing unmapped access spurs in the Toiyabe NF area. There is one spur that I hope can be excluded from your closures, and instead recognized as permitted access. That spur runs over to a rocky ledge on a ridge we refer to as "Sweetwater hang-glider launch". approx (N 38.383 W 119.379) I am a hang-glider pilot, and as a recreational sport, hang-glider pilots need access to permissible launch sites. Viable launch sites require a complex combination of characteristics including: steep hillside, clear of obstructions, facing predictable winds, with allowed vehicle access, within safe glide to a landing zone, that is also relatively large, clear, level, with vehicle access (ie. along Burcham Flat Road) ... Again, the requirements are complex and rare to find. "Sweetwater" is an example of such a rare site. I have been flying from the Sweetwater launch site for the past 20 years. And, I believe that site has been in use for at least the past 40 years. It would be very unfortunate to the hang-gliding community if access to Sweetwater was removed. Around the country, as land development progresses, we only lose access to sites. Please help us retain access to the few remaining ones. Sincerely, Wayne Michelsen USHPA #72939 Advanced Hang-Glider Pilot

Dear Sirs, I understand the USFS-Toiyabe office is currently identifying and closing unmapped access spurs in the Toiyabe NF area. There is one spur that I hope can be excluded from your closures, and instead recognized as permitted access. That spur runs over to a rocky ledge on a ridge we refer to as "Sweetwater hang-glider launch". approx (N 38.383 W 119.379) I am a hang-glider pilot, and as a recreational sport, hang-glider pilots need access to permissible launch sites. Viable launch sites require a complex combination of characteristics including: steep hillside, clear of obstructions, facing predictable winds, with allowed vehicle access, within safe glide to a landing zone, that is also relatively large, clear, level, with vehicle access (ie. along Burcham Flat Road) ... Again, the requirements are complex and rare to find. "Sweetwater" is an example of such a rare site. I have been flying from the Sweetwater launch site for the past 20 years. And, I believe that site has been in use for at least the past 40 years. It would be very unfortunate to the hang-gliding community if access to Sweetwater was removed. Around the country, as land development progresses, we only lose access to sites. Please help us retain access to the few remaining ones. Sincerely, Wayne Michelsen USHPA #72939 Advanced Hang-Glider Pilot

hang glider pilot- it would be really sad to lose this flying site!

Please continue to allow access to this rare and excellent site!

Please keep this road open to support this low impact/high value use of public lands.

Sweetwater is a valuable and beautiful hang gliding site! Please keep this site accessible to our free flight community.

Please keep this site accessible to us. Thank you.

Use of this road and site has been well established and warrants continuation for the free flight community. Please help keep access open for this share use at Sweetwater.

Please, Let us fly, for a better world, and thank-you!

Please help us keep access to this of of a kind free flight resource.

Please keep the road open to the hang gliding community.

Please keep this site open for non-powered flight.

It is a great sport to be part of, please continue to allow us to access the Beautiful Sierra launch sites

Please preserve hang gliding access to the Sweetwater launch!

We must use this road or the Earth will die!