Post by K5 on Nov 29, 2006 10:36:20 GMT -5
Below is a letter I received from the Forest Service. They will be holding an open house to give the public an opportunity to provide input on the current trail system in the Nogales and Santa Catalina Ranger Districts. We HAVE to have at least one representative at this open house. The end results of these open houses will determine what roads and trails stay open and what ones don't. If you can go to this open house please post up. The more people the better.
Thanks
Kyle
Dear Interested Party:
The Coronado National Forest is holding an open house to give the public an opportunity to provide input on our motorized transportation system. This first open house, scheduled for 9:00am to 12:00pm, December 16th will give you an opportunity to give us information about the roads you use on the Nogales and Santa Catalina Ranger Districts. The location of the meeting will be the Inn Suites Tucson City Center, located at 475 N. Granada Ave. in Tucson.
On November 9, 2005, the Forest Service published a final rule, entitled Travel Management: Designated Routes and Areas of Motorized Vehicle Use. This new travel management rule requires each national forest and grassland to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use by September 2009 with the publication of motor vehicle use maps. Once the designation process is complete, motor vehicle use off these routes and outside designated areas will be prohibited. Designation will also include class of vehicles and, if appropriate, season of use.
Over the next few years National Forests and Ranger Districts across the country will engage the public and coordinate with state, count, and tribal governments to identify which routes should be designated for which classes of motor vehicles. On the Coronado National Forest, this process coincides with the revision of the Forest land management plan. We have already received many public comments related to travel management during our public meetings for the forest plan revision. That information can be viewed on our website at
www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado
Changes to the Coronado National Forest’s transportation system must undergo and evaluation process called travel analysis, and are subject to National Environmental Policy Act analysis. The following are a few of the factors that must be considered with the objective of minimizing:
Another consideration will be the agency’s ability to maintain the road system. There are over 2,000 miles of authorized roads on the Forest and hundreds of miles of unauthorized roads and motorized trails. The Forest currently has a backlog of maintenance needs on the existing authorized road system. Thus, in order to add routes to the system we will also need to consider the decommissioning of existing roads where they are no longer serving a purpose or where resource damage cannot be mitigated.
Our travel management decisions will depend on information about existing use patterns, user demand, natural resource conditions, violation and accident patterns, and social and economic interactions. Public participation and collaboration is an important and necessary part of the process. The first motor vehicle use maps we publish will be for the Nogales and Santa Catalina Ranger Districts. The December 16 open house is one of the first steps in identifying what the future transportation system will look like on these ranger districts. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like to provide input you may contact Laura White at 520-803-2832 or email laurawhite@fs.fed.us . You may also mail your comments to Travel Management, Coronado National Forest, attn. Laura White, 300 West Congress, Tucson, AZ, 85701.
More information about the Travel Management Rule can be found at the following websites:
www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv
www.fs.fed.us/r3/projects/travel-mgt/index.shtml
Sincerely
Jeanine A. Derby
Forest Supervisor
Thanks
Kyle
Dear Interested Party:
The Coronado National Forest is holding an open house to give the public an opportunity to provide input on our motorized transportation system. This first open house, scheduled for 9:00am to 12:00pm, December 16th will give you an opportunity to give us information about the roads you use on the Nogales and Santa Catalina Ranger Districts. The location of the meeting will be the Inn Suites Tucson City Center, located at 475 N. Granada Ave. in Tucson.
On November 9, 2005, the Forest Service published a final rule, entitled Travel Management: Designated Routes and Areas of Motorized Vehicle Use. This new travel management rule requires each national forest and grassland to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use by September 2009 with the publication of motor vehicle use maps. Once the designation process is complete, motor vehicle use off these routes and outside designated areas will be prohibited. Designation will also include class of vehicles and, if appropriate, season of use.
Over the next few years National Forests and Ranger Districts across the country will engage the public and coordinate with state, count, and tribal governments to identify which routes should be designated for which classes of motor vehicles. On the Coronado National Forest, this process coincides with the revision of the Forest land management plan. We have already received many public comments related to travel management during our public meetings for the forest plan revision. That information can be viewed on our website at
www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado
Changes to the Coronado National Forest’s transportation system must undergo and evaluation process called travel analysis, and are subject to National Environmental Policy Act analysis. The following are a few of the factors that must be considered with the objective of minimizing:
- Effects on soil, watershed, vegetation and other forest resources;
- Effects on wildlife and significant disruption of wildlife habitats;
- Conflicts between motor vehicle use and existing or proposed recreational uses of National Forest System lands;
- Conflicts among different classes of motor vehicle uses of National Forest System lands or neighboring Federal lands
Another consideration will be the agency’s ability to maintain the road system. There are over 2,000 miles of authorized roads on the Forest and hundreds of miles of unauthorized roads and motorized trails. The Forest currently has a backlog of maintenance needs on the existing authorized road system. Thus, in order to add routes to the system we will also need to consider the decommissioning of existing roads where they are no longer serving a purpose or where resource damage cannot be mitigated.
Our travel management decisions will depend on information about existing use patterns, user demand, natural resource conditions, violation and accident patterns, and social and economic interactions. Public participation and collaboration is an important and necessary part of the process. The first motor vehicle use maps we publish will be for the Nogales and Santa Catalina Ranger Districts. The December 16 open house is one of the first steps in identifying what the future transportation system will look like on these ranger districts. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like to provide input you may contact Laura White at 520-803-2832 or email laurawhite@fs.fed.us . You may also mail your comments to Travel Management, Coronado National Forest, attn. Laura White, 300 West Congress, Tucson, AZ, 85701.
More information about the Travel Management Rule can be found at the following websites:
www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv
www.fs.fed.us/r3/projects/travel-mgt/index.shtml
Sincerely
Jeanine A. Derby
Forest Supervisor