Pacific Southwest Region |
In 2003, the Forest Service in California outlined a strategy for establishing a sustainable system of designated routes for motor vehicle use, known as Route Designation. In 2005, the Forest Service issued a national framework for local forests to use in designating a sustainable system of roads, trails and areas for motor vehicle use. In order to align with the new national framework, Route Designation became Travel Management. The goal remains the same, to secure a wide range of recreation opportunities while ensuring the best possible care of the land. 
The Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service is engaged in a national travel management program to designate routes for wheeled motorized vehicle use. The purpose is to enhance management of National Forest System resources including motorized transportation systems. As a concerned member of the public engaged in Forest Service issues, we would like to work with you to ensure your participation in the process. To locate Travel Management contacts for a specific National Forest, please use their Travel Management home page or contact the Forest directly. For more information about Travel Management from the Region 5 (California) Office, please contact: U.S. Forest Service
Travel ManagementThe Forest Service in California is working through a Travel Management process. This process is the "first step" in implementing the national Travel Management Rule which will result in the publication of a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) that identifies the roads, trails and areas open to public motor vehicle use on every national forest. The effort is the beginning of an ongoing process to provide a sustainable system of roads, trails and areas for public motor vehicle use on national forest lands, and the end of unmanaged cross–country motor vehicle travel, which leads to route proliferation and resource damage. BackgroundThe rapid expansion of off–highway vehicle (OHV) use on National Forests is impacting the natural and cultural resources of federal lands and, in some cases, causing use conflicts. The Forest Service identified unmanaged recreation — especially impacts from OHVs — as one of the key threats facing the nation's forests today. Unmanaged motor vehicle use has resulted in unplanned roads and trails, erosion, watershed and habitat degradation, and impacts on cultural resource sites. Improved management of motor vehicle use on national forests would allow the Forest Service to enhance opportunities for public enjoyment of the national forests, including motorized and non–motorized recreation experiences. National Forests throughout California have been working since 2003 with the motorized, access, environmental, and other non–motorized communities to identify existing routes and areas, and to develop changes to motor vehicle use by the public of the existing National Forest Transportation System. The process has been complex and challenging and we encourage you to stay engaged. Current StatusThe majority of the national forests in Region 5 are preparing Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) to analyze the prohibition of cross–country travel by motor vehicles, and if necessary, any changes to the National Forest Transportation System as a part of the first step in implementing the Travel Management Rule. NEPA decisions and the implementation of the Travel Management NEPA actions are the short term objective. Decisions and MVUM maps represent the first in our long term objective of implementing the Travel Management Rule to reduce the environmental impacts associated with public motor vehicle use on national forests and develop a sustainable system of roads, trails and areas for public motorized use. The Forest Service recognizes that Travel Management rules will change the way that some people access and experience their national forests. But this change must happen in order to allow opportunities for public enjoyment and protection of our natural and cultural resources. Monthly Events Calendar
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