Rogue River - Siskiyou Natl Forest: Forest Service Announces Final Decision on Motorized Vehicle Use
Monday, January 25, 2010 - 14:10 - khsdba
Forest Service Announces Final Decision on Motorized Vehicle Use
"Routes not shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Maps will not be open to public motor vehicle travel."
January 20, 2010
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/news/2010/01-20-2010-fs-announces-final-decision-motorized-veh-use.shtml
Contacts:
Steve Johnson, Interdiciplinary Team Leader sjohnson02@fs.fed.us or 541-552-2900
Paul Galloway, Acting Public Affairs Officer pgalloway@fs.fed.us or 541-618-2113
Medford,
Oregon The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has recently completed
a Travel Management Plan that shows roads, trails and areas open to
motorized vehicles. This week the Forest released a Record of Decision
for Motorized Vehicle Use on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
The Record of Decision designates Alternative 5 of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement as the final decision on motorized
vehicle use.
"This new strategy meets the purpose and need for
the project, providing for a balanced, managed system of motorized use
while addressing the environmental and social issues the agency heard
from the public during the travel management process," said Rogue
River-Siskiyou National Forest Supervisor Scott Conroy
sconroy@fs.fed.us or 541-858-2210
"This decision provides for a
diversity of motorized and non-motorized opportunities that reduces
conflict between uses, improves public safety and maintains and
protects important natural and cultural resources," said Conroy in
signing the Record of Decision.
This planning effort and
decision responds to the Forest Service s 2005 Travel Management Final
Rule which calls for each national forest across the nation to provide
for a designated and managed system for motorized use.
Under
the Record of Decision, the Forest Service will be publishing Motor
Vehicle Use Maps this spring, which will be free to the public. Routes
not shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Maps will not be open to public
motor vehicle travel. These maps will also include information such as
the type of vehicle allowed on each route, season open for use and
where off-road travel for dispersed camping is open.
The highlights of the motorized vehicle use strategy include the:
Designation
of 3,176 miles of road where mixed use will be allowed. Motorized mixed
use is a designation of a National Forest System Road which means that
the road can be used by both highway-legal and non-highway-legal motor
vehicles;
Construction of one motorized trail to provide loop route opportunities (approximately 1.2 miles);
Conversion of approximately 10 miles of National Forest System Road to motorized trails;
Prohibition
of public motorized use on approximately 7 miles of roads and 37 miles
of trail currently open to motorized use in order to minimize or reduce
resource damage;
Designation of approximately 20 acres of where
motorized cross country travel will be allowed. Prohibits all other
cross country motorized travel.
The Final Environmental
Impact Statement and Record of Decision for Motorized Vehicle Use on
the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest are available through a link
on the Forest s web site located at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/projects/travel/
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/news/2010/01-20-2010-fs-announces-final-decision-motorized-veh-use.shtml
Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/
Filed Under: Uncategorized