Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Recreation

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT - PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

An Essential Step and On-going Process

Public participation and coordination with federal, state, county, and other local entities, and tribal governments are essential steps in this comprehensive forest-wide proposal. Since the process began, the Forest Supervisor, Forest Staff and Travel Management Planning Team have heard from many diverse groups and organizations about their comments, needs and concerns about the proposal. These interactions will continue throughout the process.

Spring 2007 - Public Meetings

In the Spring of 2007, the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest hosted three 'Open Houses' style meetings to begin the public partcipation effort. Presentations were given in Baker City, Oregon on March 20th, in La Grande, Oregon on March 21, and in Enterprise, Oregon on March 22, 2007. This first round of meetings focused on providing an overview of the National Travel Management Rule, the planning schedule for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, and a summary of the Forest's existing travel management opportunities and current closures. A power point slide show of the final rule and strategy for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest was also given that night. (Travel Management - power point version (3.09MB); Travel Management - PDF version (747KB).

During those presentations, the Forest Travel Management Planning Team heard similar concerns at all three meetings. They included the:

• Need to inventory and determine the future status of all 'user-created' routes.
• Provide for off-route allowances for big game retrieval.
• Recognize the use of ATV's for older or disabled users on closed roads and off designated routes.
• Need to have consistency with adjacent forests and regions for regulations like big game retrieval.
• Require provisions for emergency access on closed roads and areas.
• Need for detailed maps, adequate time and site specific proposed action to make comments. 

Summer 2007 - The Proposed Action Meetings

A second round of Open House meetings were held during the week of May 15-17, 2007 in Baker City, La Grande and Enterprise. These meetings focused on explaining the Proposed Action, and providing time for participants to visit with forest staff at 24 map stations. Each station had a detailed area map, a list of existing motor-vehicle use allowances and restrictions, and comment forms. Take home materials and follow-up addresses and e-mail addresses locations were also provided. Some of the same comments provided at the March meetings were re-emphasized by the participants.

Over a 1000 letters announcing the Open House meetings and supplying copies of the Proposed Action were sent to interested forest recreationists and groups.

Summer to Fall 2007 -The Scoping Period

During the Scoping Period from May 3 to when it closed in November 16, 2007, the Forest also presented the Proposed Action to a variety of groups and organizations such as service organization (i.e. Rotary Clubs), County-sponsored public meetings, elected official briefings, and Tribal government coordination meetings. Requests for maps, documents, GIS layers and other information were sent to interested publics.

High interest in this project resulted in the Forest receiving thousands of general, as well as specific public comments in the form of e-mails, letters, form letters, and petitions. Many of these comments addressed; concerns about the Final Travel Management Rule, specific support or changes to the Proposed Action, citing key issues about the project, or providing information about road or trails not shown or inaccurately shown on the maps.

Spring 2009 -Draft DEIS

A draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is being developed and will be available for public review and comment in the spring of 2009. This document will incldue:

• Key issues for the project
• Details about the 5 other alternatives to the Proposed Action ( Existing Condition, Updated Proposed Action, Alternative submitted by local county governments, Alternatives reflecting public comments, Alternative submitted by environmental groups)
• A comparison of the alternatives
• Issues and resource needs
• Affected Environment

To allow for public review of the DEIS, the Forest will have CD or paper copies* available of the document to those who have shown an interest in the project. The Forest also plans to host several public meetings to present the DEIS, give an overview and compare the alternatives, and provide the timelines for receiving public comment.

* - The complete DEIS is a very large document with over 500 pages, and 90+ maps displaying all of the alternatives. If you would like a CD version of the entire DEIS, when it becomes available, it can be mailed to you. A shorter summary of the DEIS will also be available for those just wanting to read the main points.

A partnership with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

Since 2007, the Forest has partnered with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) - ATV Allocation Committee in funding a portion of the planning effort for the Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Planning grants were received in 2007-08 and 2008-09. To complete the analysis, an additional planning grant is also proposed for the state's 2009-10 fiscal year.

This partnership was formed to assist meeting the goals of the Oregon Trails 2005-2014: A State-wide Action Plan.

For more information

If you would like to be on the mailing list, have a question about the travel management process or would like to provide a site specific comment about travel management, please send a letter to:

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
ATTN: Travel Management Planning
3502 Highway 30

La Grande, OR 97850

Or send an e-mail to: wwnf_travel_mgt_plan@fs.fed.us

USDA Forest Service - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Last Modified: Thursday, 12 February 2009 at 14:29:44 EST