Six Rivers National Forest

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Travel Management / Off-Highway Vehicle Route Designation

[Map]: Depicts the location of the Six Rivers National Forest and sub-divisions.National forests in California, including the Six Rivers, will complete an inventory of all the roads, trails, and areas used by off-highway vehicles, identify a system of routes from that inventory, and designate those routes/areas for off-highway vehicle use. A Memorandum of Intent between the Forest Service (Region 5), the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California State Parks and Recreation established a strategy to guide the designation process and sets a schedule for completion.

Background

The rapid expansion of OHV use in national forests and grasslands is impacting the natural and cultural resources of federal lands. The Chief of the Forest Service has identified unmanaged recreation - especially impacts from OHVs - as one of the key threats facing the nation's forests today. Unmanaged OHV use has resulted in unplanned roads and trails, erosion, watershed and habitat degradation, and impacts on cultural resource sites.

Improved management of wheeled motor vehicle use in National Forest System lands would allow the Forest Service to enhance opportunities for public enjoyment of the National Forest System, including motorized and non-motorized recreation experiences. The Forest Service has revised its national policy governing the use of wheeled motor vehicles to develop a system of roads, trails and areas designated for motor vehicle use to minimize or eliminate the undesirable impacts from unmanaged OHV use.

We are working with the OHV, environmental, and other non-motorized communities to identify existing OHV routes, areas and to develop the forest-level OHV designations.

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Process for California

The following is a summary of the five steps that are designed to implement the Forest Service - State of California Memorandum of Intent, (Appendix B of the Route Designation Guidebook) and designate OHV trails and areas for OHV use in all National Forest System lands in California.

  1. Map existing unclassified roads, OHV trails (both National Forest System and non-system), and off-route use areas, and enter the data in Geographic Information Systems and Infrastructure databases. Designate team leaders, compile Forest OHV Management Direction, assemble needed information, identify gaps in data, prioritize, develop action plans, and begin field surveys. Share maps with the public and collect comments.
  2. Issue temporary Forest Orders prohibiting wheeled vehicle use (including mountain bikes) off mapped roads, trails, and off-route use areas. Involve the public.
  3. Evaluate inventoried roads, trails, and areas; collaborate with the public in developing proposed systems of roads, trails, and specifically defined areas for use by wheeled OHVs; complete surveys of information and data gaps. Involve the public. Publish maps of proposals. Collect public comments.
  4. Complete analyses and prepare National Environmental Policy Act documents designating all trails and specifically defined areas for wheeled OHV use. Involve the public.
  5. Issue Forest Orders to prohibit motor vehicle use off roads, designated trails, and specifically defined areas. Involve the public. Install appropriate signing, publish maps of approved OHV systems for public distribution, and implement any mitigation measures.

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IMPLEMENTATION GOALS

Our goal is to have an OHV route system that is both manageable and sustainable.

A 'manageable' OHV trail system would be designed and located on the landscape such that routine maintenance - barring the impacts of unforeseen events such as wildfires or floods - would allow the trail system to be maintained annually in an acceptable condition. A 'sustainable' OHV trail system would be an environmentally sound trail system that could be maintained in an acceptable condition throughout many consecutive years.

We will be reviewing our existing routes - our currently designated system plus the inventoried routes - and making adjustments to our designated system to improve some OHV routes through re-routes and/or additions, connectors to create loops, consolidate others to eliminate duplication, and close the routes that are of greatest environmental concern.

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HISTORY

A historical account of the route designation process occuring in the Smith River National Recreation Area, Orleans, Lower Trinity, and Mad River Ranger Districts, Six River National Forest include:

  • In 2005, public meetings were held May 16, May 19, June 7, and June 9, in four locations to introduce the public to the route designation process on the Forest (excluding the National Recreation Area). This first round of meetings informed attendees about why we are beginning the four year OHV route designation process, the five step process, timelines, and how the public can become involved. These meetings were attended by stakeholders with a variety of interests regarding OHV routes and motorized recreation. Loggers, tribes, hunters, mountain bikers, senior citizens, local residents, OHV users and organizations, recreational and environmental groups, and general recreation users engaged in lively discussion throughout each of the four meetings.

Smith River National Recreation Area

  • A contractor completed the route inventory for the Smith River National Recreation Area/Gasquet Ranger District in 2004.
  • The National Recreation Area elected to combine the inventoried routes into their completed Roads Analysis Process.

Orleans Ranger District

  • In-house contractors completed the route inventory for the Orleans Ranger District in 2005. Since the first round of public meetings held in 2005, the Forest Supervisor decided to integrate the Regional Off-Highway Vehicle Route Designation Process with the Orleans Roads Analysis Process. This was done for efficiency and to provide a complete transportation assessment on the Orleans Ranger District, particularly given that few new routes were mapped as part of the OHV inventory for this district. An analysis included evaluation, including management options, of the routes and roads found on the Orleans District. Quarter quad maps of these routes and roads including management options were on-line so interested parties could view them.

Lower Trinity and Mad River Ranger Districts

  • A team was designated by the Forest Supervisor to begin the route designation process for Lower Trinity and Mad River Ranger Districts.
  • In-house contractors completed the inventory of the Districts in late summer 2006; data was then verified and GIS maps were constructed with the data.
  • The OHV team started the field verification and evaluations for both Districts during the summer 2006.

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CURRENT STATUS

The Six Rivers National Forest is close to completing the designation process for the Smith River National Recreation Area and Orleans Ranger District and is currently working toward completing Steps 1 and 3 of the OHV Route Designation process for the Lower Trinity and Mad River Ranger Districts.

Smith River National Recreation Area

  • The Smith River National Recreation Area Road Management Route Designation Project Environmental Analysis was completed and decision signed on September 27, 2007. However, this decision was reversed by appeal and a new decision is pending further analysis.

Orleans Ranger District

  • The Orleans Transportation and Road Restoration Project Environmental Analysis was completed and decision signed on March 28, 2007. A Motorized Visitor Use Map is planned to be available later this year.

Lower Trinity and Mad River Ranger Districts

  • In 2007, public meetings were held on October 22, October 23 and October 24 in three locations to review the route designation process and share the Draft OHV route inventory maps (Step 1) for these two Districts.
  • The inventory maps include routes that have been identified through a number of different sources. We are requesting your help in validating the accuracy and completeness (presence/absence of routes) of the maps identifying the inventoried unauthorized/unclassified motorized routes. This review will determine the extent of motorized use within the two Districts and serve as the basis for continuing the Forest's route designation process.
  • A copy of the maps with instructions for providing input was placed on the web site on October 18, 2007. This was just prior to the public meetings held to share the Draft OHV route inventory maps and determine if your favorite road or trail was captured. Input was due by December 31, 2007. Public requests to extend this timeframe were received and a decision was made to extend the map validation process until June 30, 2008. In addition, a decision was made to proceed with Step 3 of the process within this same timeframe. Step 3 involves gathering additional information to help in developing site-specific proposals for changes to the Lower Trinity and Mad River Ranger District's motorized transportation system.
  • Workshops are scheduled to share information, review and determine if traveled routes have been identified, and gather additional information about opportunities and benefits as well as hear concerns with the individual routes. This input will ultimately serve as the basis for development of a proposed action to be analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act.
  • Three public workshops are scheduled from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm on the following dates and locations:
    • April 22, 2008 - RLCSD Community Hall, Van Duzen Road, Mad River, CA
    • April 23, 2008 - Trinity Valley Elementary School Cafeteria, 730 Hwy 96, Willow Creek, CA
    • April 24, 2008 - Six Rivers National Forest Headquarters, 1330 Bayshore Way, Eureka, CA

At these meetings, we will also share information on management areas where unauthorized routes can not be considered for inclusion into the Forests transportation system. Motorized use is not allowed within these areas as designated in the Six Rivers National Forest Land and Resource Plan. These include Wilderness, Research Natural Areas and areas classified as Semi-primitive Non-motorized.

Updated Inventory Maps, with Forest Plan land allocations, will be posted prior to the planned workshops.

Additional workshops are planned for May 31, 2008 and June 28, 2008 at the Six Rivers National Forest Headquarters, 1330 Bayshore Way, Eureka, CA and will be open house style and informal. No formal presentations are scheduled. People are invited to come in any time during these 10:00 am to 4:00 pm workshops to help finalize the initial steps of the process. Six Rivers National Forest employees will be present to meet with the public one-on-one to collect additional information and answer questions.

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ROUTE DESIGNATION GUIDEBOOK

The Region 5 OHV Route Designation Guidebook presents a five-step process for designating off-highway vehicle routes on the 19 National Forests in California, including the California portions of the Humboldt-Toiyabe; based upon existing laws, regulations, and policies. A detailed description of all five steps and a timeline that shows the interrelationships among the steps make up the main portion of the Guidebook.

Download the Route Designation Guidebook on the Region 5 web site »

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REVIEW OF INVENTORY MAPS

The purpose of the map review is to determine the current use of routes used by wheeled vehicles within the Six Rivers National Forest, for Lower Trinity and Mad River Ranger District areas (excluding the Smith River National Recreation Area and Orleans Ranger District). The maps define which routes we have identified. Help us field check our data and fill in the gaps to ensure a complete and accurate inventory of what is on the ground. We need your input on any routes that we missed and were not captured in our inventory. Please focus on whether your favorite road or trail was captured in our inventory.

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ROUTE EVALUATION

In addition to the map review, we are requesting additional information to help in developing site-specific proposals for changes to the Lower Trinity and Mad River Ranger District's motorized transportation system. We are requesting information about the opportunities and benefits as well as concerns you may have with individual routes. This input will ultimately serve as the basis for development of a proposed action to be analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

Please refer to the Review of Inventory Maps section. Then follow the Route Inventory Review Guidelines and use the Six Rivers Route Inventory Review Sheet and Inventory Maps when submitting comments on the route inventory.

Refer to the Route Evaluation section. Then use the OHV Route Evaluation Sheet (pdf 25kb) and Inventory Maps when submitting comments about the opportunities and benefits as well as concerns with individual routes.

Your comments on the inventory review and/or route evaluation need to be received by June 30, 2008 in order to be considered in these initial phases of the planning process.

For additional information, call Ray McCray at (707) 441-3629, or (707) 574-6233, or e-mail at rmccray@fs.fed.us

Mail Hardcopy Comments to:

  • Six Rivers National Forest
  • ATTN:Ray McCray
  • 1330 Bayshore Way
  • Eureka, CA 95501

Email Comments To:

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