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USFS releases draft EIS for motor vehicle use

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    Posted: 20 September 2019 at 11:39am

Pike and San Isabel National Forest Officials Release

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Public Motor Vehicle Use

Forest officials aim to continue working with all citizens to designate a motor vehicle use system within the Forests that balances the needs of forest users with protecting the land

 

PUEBLO, Colo., September 19, 2019 — Officials from the Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands (PSICC) today released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public motor vehicle use. The Notice of Availability will publish in the Federal Register on September 20, 2019, initiating the formal 45-day public comment period that ends November 4, 2019.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is part of the 2005 Travel Management Rule, requiring National Forests and Grasslands to designate roads, trails and areas that are open for motorized use. It offers five alternatives for a system of designated roads, trails and areas by class of vehicle and season of use. The alternatives reflect input from forest users, partners, and state and local governments.

“Feedback on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will help strengthen our analysis,” said Forest and Grassland Supervisor Diana Trujillo. “Hearing the voices of various forest users is extremely important to us. Our goal is to designate a motorized system that works for the public while caring for natural and cultural resources.”

The alternatives address a range of concerns about resource impacts from motor vehicle use, reduced motorized access, and potential conflicts between motorized and non-motorized users. The five alternatives are summarized below.

  • Alternative A, Public Motorized Routes Prior to Settlement, is the Forest’s public motorized route system prior to the November 2015 settlement agreement.
  • Alternative B, Settlement Action Proposal, removes all roads and trails not previously analyzed as identified in the November 2015 settlement agreement. Alternative B reduces the Pike and San Isabel National Forest’s motorized network by 34 percent.
  • Alternative C, Proposed Action, emphasizes a safe and environmentally sound system of roads, trails and areas that allows for existing forest uses and access to private property. It decreases roads open to motor vehicle use by just under 11 percent and increases trails open by almost 22 percent. The 4 percent overall reduction in roads and trails specified under the proposed action aims to reasonably address and balance the expressed concerns of motorized users, non-motorized users and environmental groups.
  • Alternative D, Motorized-Recreation-Focused Proposal, emphasizes public motor vehicle use and recreation. This alternative combines parts of Alternative C with motorized routes proposed during public scoping. It proposes new motorized areas. Alternative D decreases motorized access by about 3 percent overall.
  • Alternative E, Non-Motorized-Recreation-Focused Proposal, emphasizes natural resource protection, habitat quality and non-motorized recreation while providing the least amount of public motor vehicle access across the forest. Alternative E decreases motorized access by just over 50 percent overall.

The Travel Management Rule exempts the following from designation: aircraft, watercraft, and over-snow vehicles; use by the military, law enforcement, firefighters, and Forest Service for administrative activities; permitted special uses, such as livestock grazing, mining, logging, and collecting fuelwood, Christmas trees and other forest products; and access to pipeline and utility corridors, as well as access to private land.

Forest officials will host four meetings for the public to review the alternatives, ask questions and learn how to submit comments. 

Community

Date

Time

Location

Salida

Oct. 8, 2019

6:00 PM-7:30 PM

Salida Steamplant

220 West Sackett

Salida, CO 81201

Pueblo

Oct. 9, 2019

6:00 PM-7:30 PM

Pueblo Community College

900 W. Orman Ave. Student Center, Room 234

Pueblo, CO 81004

Denver

Oct. 10, 2019

6:00 PM-7:30 PM

MindSpark Learning, West Room

455 South Pierce Street Lakewood, CO 80226

Colorado Springs

Oct. 11, 2019

6:00 PM-7:30 PM

S4 Inc. Center For Excellence1925 Aerotech Drive

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80916

 

Written comments must be submitted in person, through the online comment portal, or mailed to John Dow, PSICC Forest Planner, Travel Management, 2840 Kachina Drive, Pueblo, CO, 81008.

Comments, including the names and addresses of respondents, will be part of the public record. Anonymous comments will be accepted and considered, but those submitting comments anonymously will not have standing to object to the final decision. Only those who commented during this process will be eligible to object the final decision. Comments should be clear and specific to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and must be submitted by November 4, 2019.

After considering the comments submitted, Forest officials will prepare a Final Environmental Impact Statement and designate a system of roads, trails and areas open for motor vehicle use by class of vehicle and season of use. The decision is expected to publish in the Federal Register in November of 2020.

Six new motor vehicle use maps will be published for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests. These new maps will complement the two that already exist for the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. All will be available free of charge.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=48214 under the “Analysis” tab.

 

# # #

                                        USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote alabamatoy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 September 2019 at 11:40am
If you want to post a comment, take what I posted and modify to suit your tastes:
============

I have personally, and many times with my children and their friends, donated my time towards conservation repairs, cleanup, and overall responsible support to the US Forest Service.  I have worked to build water bars, repair runoff protections, install new and maintain existing signage, pick up trash, and assist in blocking unauthorized trails.

I used the USFS hiking tails over many years.  However, as I have aged, my knees can no longer tolerate extensive hiking, especially with any significant load in a backpack.  But I still enjoy exploring, sightseeing, animal and bird watching in the USFS lands.  I do it via a street-legal 4X4 or a street-legal motorcycle meant for offroading.

I want the USFS roads and trails accessible to me to be expanded, not reduced.  There are plenty of wilderness areas and roadless areas which are accessible only to hikers.  The USFS lands belong to me, in part, and I demand my share of their use and access.  Vast areas where I used to be able to ride dirt-bikes and 4-wheel are now blocked off to me, accessible only to hikers and loggers and other resource extraction personnel.  This is morally wrong, as it amounts to stealing from me what is rightfully mine.  I and my children have sweat equity in these lands in addition to access rights as an American Citizen.

Do not reduce motorized vehicle access to USFS lands.  Period.  Expand access by offroad and motorized vehicles so that I can continue to use, enjoy, learn from and support my Forest Service and other Government-owned and controlled lands.
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