By: Marlene Finley, Regional Director for Recreation, Wilderness and Heritage
Jan. 5, 2009 - As we prepare to start a new year, we would like to take the time to discuss the process the U.S. Forest Service is using to designate roads, trails, and other areas for motor vehicle recreation. Tom Stienstra's recent "Outdoors notebook" segment on December 21, 2008, highlighted for the public seasonal road closures on the Eldorado National Forest. The Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service would like to share more about recent work on Travel Management.
The use of motor vehicles, particularly off-highway vehicles, is one of the fastest growing forms of outdoor recreation on California's National Forests. As motor vehicle use occurs, the impacts have also expanded. This use-and its impacts-has largely gone unmanaged until now.
Motor vehicle recreation needs to be balanced with the many different uses of our National Forests, and ensure the protection of the land, wildlife and other recreational visitors. The key to protecting resources while providing recreational opportunities is through appropriate planning and management. The national travel management rule provides the framework for contemporary management for this growing use.
In 2002, the National Forests in California, in partnership with California State Parks and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, started the travel management process with overwhelming public support for the concept of designating roads, trails and areas for motor vehicle use. We have held hundreds open houses all over the state, convened discussion groups, and held numerous public meetings.
The process has been complex and challenging. We are examining boundary and public access issues on private property, water quality, wildlife habitat, identification of access roads to non-motorized activities, and serious safety concerns associated with the mixing of both street legal and non-street legal vehicles on Forest Service roads by unlicensed drivers.
What is encouraging is that the people who participated in this process, regardless of their interest, have expressed a desire to engage the Forests in partnership opportunities and help sustain our natural resources.
We have accomplished a great deal. We have produced seven motor vehicle use maps and completed three environmental impact statements (EIS) for three forests and by February we will have drafted EIS' for six more forests. We have eliminated unmanaged motorized recreation on hundreds of thousands of acres and by this spring we will nearly reach our goal of managing this use on 14 million acres. Applying these rules, wildlife habitat will improve and we will maintain the roads and trails with even greater efficiency. While remaining challenges exist, I am committed to completing the process for the California National Forests by the end of 2009 as agreed upon with the public and our partners.
As with any dynamic process, I understand changes and adaptations may be necessary after initial decisions have been made. In my mind, the management of motor vehicle use will evolve and continue to improve as we begin to implement these decisions.
We recognize that the travel management rule will change the way some people access and experience their National Forests. Our goal is to provide opportunities for public enjoyment and protection of natural and cultural resources. For example, when we close roads in the winter, it is about reducing sedimentation and maintaining water quality which leads to healthier fish populations. As responsible land managers we will continue to provide maps to the public so they know which roads and trails are open. As always, we welcome your input.
