Travel Management Directives – Effective January 8, 2009

The Federal Register Notice (73 FR 74689) for the final travel management directives was published on December 9, 2008. The directives become effective January 8, 2009.

Federal Register Notice for Travel Management Directives, December 9, 2008

Travel Management Directives

FSM 2350 – Trail, River, and Similar Recreation Opportunities

FSM 7700 – Travel Management

FSM 7710 – Travel Planning

FSH 7709.55, Chapter 10 – Travel Planning for Designations

FSH 7709.55, Chapter 20 – Travel Analysis

FSH 7709.55, Chapter 30 – Engineering Analysis

Travel Management & Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program

Travel Management Rule (36 CFR 212, Subpart B, Designation of Roads, Trails, and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use)

Highlights of the Rule

• The rule requires each national forest or ranger district to designate those roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicles.
• Designation will include class of vehicle and, if appropriate, time of year for motor vehicle use. A given route, for example, could be designated for use by motorcycles, ATVs, or street-legal vehicles.
• Once designation is complete, the rule will prohibit motor vehicle use off the designated system or inconsistent with the designations.
• Designation decisions will be made locally, with public input and in coordination with state, local, and tribal governments.
• Designations will be shown on a motor vehicle use map.  Use inconsistent with the designations will be prohibited.

• Final rule, as published in the Federal Register (pdf, 29 pages, 219 kb)

Motor Vehicle Use Maps

• Completed Motor Vehicle Use Maps

Schedule for Implementation of the Travel Management Rule

On June 8, 2006, Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth approved the agency's schedule for implementation of the travel management rule. The schedule will guide local efforts to designate those roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use through a collaborative travel planning process emphasizing public involvement and coordination with state, local, and tribal governments. The schedule also contains important information on the current status of travel planning on each national forest and grassland across the country.

• Explanatory Notes on Terms Used in Schedule (pdf, 3 pages, 15 kb)

FY 2006

• Schedule Summary(pdf, 11 pagse, 25 kb)
• Travel Management Schedule (pdf, 14 pages, 43 kb)

FY 2007

• Schedule Summary (pdf, 11 pages, 25 kb)
• Travel Management Schedule (pdf, 14 pages, 43 kb)

FY 2008

• Schedule Summary (pdf, 1 page)
• Travel Managment Schedule (pdf, 14 pages, 1.06 MB)

Designation Digest

The Designation Digest is published as needed by the Washington Office and contains updates on the route and area designation processes taking place on national forests and grasslands, and related off-highway vehicle topics.

• July 2008 Designation Digest (pdf, 2 pages, 372 kb)

Need for Designating Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use

Over the past few decades, the availability and capability of OHVs has increased tremendously. That’s a good thing. More Americans are enjoying access and recreational opportunities on their national forests and grasslands, in keeping with the Forest Service’s multiple use mandate. However, the increase in OHV use also affects soil, water, wildlife habitat, and other recreational visitors. Today unmanaged recreation, including impacts from off-highway vehicles, represents one of four key threats facing the nation’s forests and grasslands. The 2005 edition of On the Right Trail provides additional background information.

• 2005 Edition of On the Right Trail! (pdf, 2 pages, 4 MB)

Next Steps

• Forest supervisors and district rangers will be involving the public in designating roads, trails, and areas for motor vehicle use.

• The agency expects national forests and grasslands to complete the designation process within four years.

Working Together

• Effective partnerships with state and local government and user groups are already providing collaborative planning, maintenance, and shared resources to better manage OHV use.

• Sustainable motorized recreation will require continuing partnerships to address road and trail maintenance, enforcement, and protection of natural resources.

Motorized Mixed Use

Forest Service informal internal guidance on engineering analysis for motorized mixed use (Publication EM 7700-30), http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/transp/em770030.htm

OHV Use Figures

• Latest figures on OHV use from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment - February 2008 (pdf, 107 pages, 908 kb)

Executive Order

Access Executive Order 11644 (as amended) - USE OF OFF-ROAD VEHICLES ON THE PUBLIC LANDS at the Government Printing Office website. This Executive Order provides direction in the management of off-highway vehicles on National Forest Systems lands.

Draft Directives Published in Federal Register 3/9/2007

• FSM 2350 - Recreation (pdf, 52 pages, 831 kb)
• FSM 7700 - Travel Management (pdf, 44 pages, 614 kb)
• FSM 7710 - Travel Planning (pdf, 63 pages, 860 kb)
• FSH 7709.55.10 - Travel Planning (pdf, 19 pages, 327 kb)
• FSH 7709.55.20 - Travel Analysis (pdf, 19 pages, 272 kb)
• FSH 7709.55.30 - Engineering Analysis (pdf, 23 pages, 322 kb)

Collaboration Summit

On April 12 and 13, 2005, representatives of state and federal agencies, OHV manufacturers and user groups, environmental groups, and others interested in travel management gathered to discuss the potential for collaboration in managing motorized recreation. This "OHV Collaboration Summit" was co-sponsored by the Forest Service, the State of California, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Association of Counties. Highlights of the proceedings included review of case studies in travel management, and open discussions of lessons in collaborative planning. Proceedings of the summit:

• National OHV Collaboration Summit Proceedings (pdf, 40 pages, 177 kb)
• Case Study Report (pdf, 95 pages, 1.72 MB)

Handouts from Breakout Sessions

• BLM Strategies (pdf, 11 pages, 258 kb)
• Case Clinic Caribou National Forest (pdf, 15 pages, 167 kb)
• Collaboration (pdf, 12 pages, 114 kb)
• Emerging FS Policies (pdf, 18 pages, 3.8 MB)
• NH Bureau of Trails (pdf, 30 pages, 2.4 MB)
• FS Chief Speech to Collaboration Summit (pdf, 6 pages, 276 kb)
• Ouachita National Forest (pdf, 20 pages, 6.2 MB)

General Off-Highway Vehicle Information

• Spark Arrester Guide, Off-Highway Vehicles, Vol 3. 4/2007 (pdf, 203 pages, 3.2 MB)