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Managing Motorized Travel on the Santa Fe National Forest.
Background
The Forest Service has identified four major threats to national forests and grasslands:
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the risk of catastrophic fire,
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the loss of open space,
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invasive species, and
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unmanaged recreation, including the effects of unmanaged off-highway vehicles (OHVs).
In response to the latter, on November 9, 2005 the Forest Service published a new Travel Management Rule which governs motor vehicle use, including off-highway vehicles (OHV), on national forests and grasslands. The intent of the rule is to provide a wide range of motorized vehicle opportunities while ensuring the best possible care of the land.
The Travel Management Rule requires that forests designate a system of roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use by class of vehicle and, if appropriate, by time of year. The rule also gives forests the option of designating motorized access to dispersed campsites and to retrieve downed big game. Once designated and published on a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), motorized travel off the designated system will be prohibited.
The Motor Vehicle Use Map:
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Will show the designated roads, trails, and areas that are legal to drive on in what kind of vehicle, at what time of year.
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Will be published after the environmental analysis process and decision about what roads, trails, and areas should be open.
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Will be distributed at Forest Service offices and on the internet.
Current Status
The Forest received approximately 1,300 letters in response to the Proposed Action for Managing Motorized Travel on the Santa Fe National Forest released on July 10, 2008. Forty-five letters came from organized groups, and the rest were from individuals. The Forest also received six different form letters; and six suggestions for alternatives.
One letter often contained many comments. Members of the Forest’s travel management team read each letter to identify the comments contained within. They identified nearly 3,700 individual comments. About 2,500 comments were general, addressing the forest, off-road travel, or resource considerations overall. The remaining 1,200 comments named specific roads, trails, or areas that we should look at.
The Forest’s travel management team sorted and grouped the comments. They are now in the process of identifying the “key issues,” which form the basis of alternatives to the proposed action.
Next Steps
Once key issues are determined, the travel management team will map alternatives and analyze the environmental effects of each. The Forest will publish all this information in the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), due out around the end of 2009. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the DEIS during a 45-day “notice and comment” period. Based on this information and public input, the Forest Supervisor will make a decision, called a record of decision. The Forest plans to have the decision in early 2010.
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