Oregon National Forests:

Transcription

1 Oregon National Forests: Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests Crooked River National Grassland 1001 SW Emkay Drive Bend, OR (541) Over the past few months the Deschutes/Ochoco Travel Management Working Group has been busy. The working group is made up of Tribal, Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies; interest groups such as tourism, recreationists (both motorize and non-motorized), users and industry; and private individuals that use or are neighbors to the forest. They have been developing criteria dealing with motorized access to dispersed campsites and motorized trails. The Working Group recommendation focuses on two general options for motorized access to dispersed (undeveloped) camping: 1. Road Adjacency allows for access a specific distance (up to 300 ) from a designated route. Routes excluded from this option would be determined based on site conditions (i.e. sensitive species & soils, adjacent to wilderness, etc.) 2. Designated Routes designating new or existing routes in the National Forest system of roads and trails to access specific sites. The Working Group identified landscape areas on the two Forests and Grassland that were most important and had the most community support to focus their initial efforts to modify existing designated routes to provide for specialized motorized trails. Community Supported Areas areas where there is conditional support for considering modifying the existing designated system to provide for specialized motorized trails. These areas include: Crescent Ranger Dist. (Two Rivers and Boundary Springs Subdivisions) Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger Dist. (Lookout Mtn./Edison; Portions of Horse Butte, Lava Cast, Hole-in-the- Ground and East Fort Rock Trails) Crooked River National Grassland (Grassland East, North Henderson Flat) Lookout Mt. & Paulina Ranger Dist. (Ochoco East) Important Areas areas where there is agreement that there is a problem, need, or demand for addressing unmanaged motorized recreation, but no agreement at this time on how to address the problem. These areas include: Lookout Mt. Ranger Dist. (McKay Creek Area; Maury Mountains) Sisters Ranger Dist. (Meadow Lakes Area; Melvin Butte/Three Creeks Area) They plan to complete the process and publish their Motor Vehcle Use Map (MVUM) by comments to: deschutes-ochoco_travel_management@fs.fed.us FOR MORE INFORMATION: Central Oregon Travel Management Site: For anyone that wants to get on the mailing list or to make comments about travel management, go to the following link enter all your information and click send. You can also contact Molly Chaudet, Travel Plan Team Leader, for additional information

2 at (541) or Peggy Fisher, Project Co-Manager at (541) This forest also has a Central Oregon OHV Recreation Report on their website which is updated frequently to let you know where to ride and what the conditions are Fremont-Winema National Forests South G Street Lakeview, OR (541) The Fremont-Winema National Forest is presently Open Unless Designated Closed and is just beginning with travel planning. They have received a grant from the State of Oregon primarily for assistance with the route inventory which is being done in conjunction with the BLM Lakeview District. The Forest Service s final travel management regulation requires designation of roads, trails, and areas for motor vehicle use. The BLM is also in the process of revising its Klamath Falls Resource Management Plan (RMP). An outcome of the Klamath Falls RMP will be a revision to its current OHV designations and seasonal use restrictions. They are currently doing route inventory and compiling the map. They are working on getting the majority of all routes that are not currently on the map, including all user created routes, added to the inventory for analysis. Public meetings were held during November 2006 to gather information on motorized recreation opportunities on public lands. Motorized recreation opportunities include roads, trails and off-road areas. The FS is getting ready to begin the scoping process around October After receiving public input, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will propose which roads, trails, and areas will remain open to motor vehicle use. Once these areas are determined, motor vehicle use will be allowed on designated routes and areas. They plan to have the Motor Vehicle Use Map published by April For more information or to be added to their mailing list, you can contact Rich Kehr, Recreation and Engineering Staff, at (541) or by at rkehr@fs.fed.us and Scott Senter, Klamath Falls BLM, (541) , Scott_Senter@blm.gov. There is nothing on the FS website about travel planning at this time, but check back in the future. You can find their website at Malheur National Forest Patterson Bridge Road John Day, OR (541) The Malheur National Forest is just beginning the planning process for their travel plan and following the steps outlined under the new OHV Rule. They are currently doing validation on all their data and plan to start getting the public involved after the summer riding season. Their inventory is already pretty completed and their plan is to roll over the current inventory into the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) without adding any user created routes at this time. If there is any group or individual that wants to get a route or trail added to the inventory they will have to submit it to the FS and then continue to stay involved throughout the process. The MVUM is scheduled to be released before December 2009.

3 For more information or to be added to the mailing list, you will need to contact Jennifer Harris, Recreation & Public Affairs Staff, at (541) or to You won t find any information on the FS website at this time but check back in the future. Mount Hood National Forest Champion Way Sandy, OR (503) The Mount Hood National Forest is just starting the third step of their plan to complete travel management for their forest. Last year they met with OHV clubs and forest user groups during two public meetings, one in Hood River the other in Sandy. What came out of those meetings are the maps they currently have posted on their website at Announcement of meetings will be made on their website, through the media and to a large mailing list they already have. If you want to get additional information or get on the mailing list contact Malcolm Hamilton, Recreation Program Manager, at (503) or by to mhhamilton@fs.fed.us. They plan to start the NEPA process by early 2007 and publish the Vehicle Use Map by April Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest PO Box West 8th Street Medford, OR (541) The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest hosted a series of open houses in June 2007 to provide people an opportunity to learn more about the on-going, Forest-wide Travel Management Planning process that identifies and designates roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicles. The Forest s Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) are expected to be completed by The maps will be reviewed and updated annually. The Following Is Their Strategy and Timeline Compile Existing Travel Management Direction / 2007 The forest began compiling existing Forest Plan OHV direction and existing travel management decisions. Recreation and Engineering staff also began validating existing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and tabular (INFRA) road and trail data. Assemble Resource and Social Data Review of data from Roads Analysis, Watershed Analysis, Late-Successional Reserve Assessments, and other existing road and trail related analysis. Initiation of public input and contacts. Begin preparation for Travel Analysis. Use Travel Analysis to Identify Proposals for Change Gather information, input, opportunities, and suggestions from the public. Begin sensing of proposals, preliminary issues and elements for alternatives. Review and analyze public comments, concerns, and needs. Define the Forest's travel niche and area suitability. Develop proposed action.

4 Environmental Analysis and Decision Making / 2008 Begin Environmental Analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Develop and analyze alternatives / consequences. Finalize environmental documents and preferred alternative. Issue environmental documents for public comment. Conduct internal and external briefings and respond to public comments. Make Decision. For more information or to be added to the mailing list, you will need to contact Chris Bishop, Travel Management Planning Project Coordinator at (541) or by ccbishop@fs.fed.us or Patty C. Burel, Public Affairs Officer at (541) or by to pburel@fs.fed.us. For additional information check out the FS website at Siuslaw National Forest S.W. Research Way P.O. Box 1148 Corvallis, Oregon (541) The Siuslaw National Forest will work collaboratively over three phases with all members of the public to determine which roads, trails and areas will be open for motorized use, to maintain a quality recreation experience for all users and protect resources. Phase I Rounding Out Our Inventory The Forest is undertaking an extensive public involvement effort to identify Off Highway Vehicle travel routes and favorite rustic recreation spots. The Forest Service can only consider areas it knows about, and needs the public s help to identify the motorized routes, areas and camp spots they use. Forest maps with known routes, areas and camp spots will be displayed at Siuslaw Forest Offices from May 1, 2007 to July 31, The public is invited to add missing motorized routes, areas and camps to these maps. Groups may contact the Siuslaw for more information or an onsite presentation. Phase II Environmental Analysis (NEPA) In 2008 during Phase II, the Forest will continue public scoping and environmental analysis for which motorized routes; areas and camps will be included on the Motor Vehicle Use Map which will go into effect during Phase III in Phase III Travel Rule Implementation Under the Travel Management Rule only those routes, areas and dispersed camps displayed on the Motor Vehicle Use Map will remain open for motorized use. Recreational motor vehicles include OHV s, all-terrain vehicles (ATV s), off-highway motorcycles (OHM s) and off-road vehicles (ORV s), such as 4- by-4 trucks or Jeeps. You can get more information or get on the mailing list by calling Mike Harvey, Recreation Staff Office at (541) or by at mharvey@fs.fed.us. For additional information, check out the FS website at

5 Umatilla National Forest S.W. Hailey Avenue Pendleton, OR The Umatilla National Forest already has designated routes for motorized travel on most of the forest. A major exception is the west end of the Heppner Ranger District (west of the Monument-Sunflower Flat Road #22,) where approximately 91,000 acres are open to year around to Class I and Class II OHVs for off road travel. In order to comply with the new Travel Plan Rule, the Heppner Ranger District is beginning the public involvement and environmental analysis process necessary to designate routes for OHV use within this area. The FS is asking for public input to help identify designated routes for off highway vehicles (OHV) on public lands on the west side of the district. Maps can be viewed at District officials will be considering which roads, trails and areas should be opened or closed to motor vehicles and will work collaboratively with federal, state, county, and tribal agencies, motorized and nonmotorized recreation user groups, conservationists, and others to provide access to NFS lands on routes and in areas that are environmentally and socially sustainable. No decisions will be made concerning private or county lands. The District plans to complete the process and begin implementation by September of For more information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact the Heppner District Office at (541) You may also submit your comments online to: r6_umatilla_public_inquiries@fs.fed.us. Comment forms are available at and can be mailed or ed to the addresses above. For additional information on this you can contact Joni Bosworth, Public Affairs Office, at (541) or by to jbosworth@fs.fed.us. For more information, check out the forest s website at Umpqua National Forest Stewart Parkway Roseburg, OR (541) The Umpqua National Forest has not yet begun their process. They have a new person coming in that will be the lead on the Travel Planning process. His name is Scott Elefritz and he is expected there in August For any information on travel planning contact Cheryl Caplan, Public Affairs Officer at (541) or by to ccaplan@fs.fed.us. Once they have a plan and work does begin there will be information available on their website at Wallowa-Whitman National Forest P.O. Box Dewey Avenue Baker City, Oregon (541)

6 The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is continuing work on their new travel plan. A second round of open house meetings held during the month of May 2007, provided the public with the opportunity to begin commenting on the proposed action for revising the forest s existing Travel Management Plan. The proposed action is the forest's initial description of designated roads, trails and areas which would be available for motor-vehicle use. A brief overview of the planning process and the proposed action were presented to the public and participants were given the opportunity to look at detailed areas of the travel management proposal at over 20 stations. They are asking for the public to provide specific written comments about the proposal (such as current allowances or closures, acceptable types of motorized vehicles, and seasons of use.) The Forest Travel Management Proposed Action which includes maps, Travel Management Plan, Public Comment Form, and tables of existing road, area and trail prohibitions is available on the forest s website at Comments can be submitted to the Travel Management Planning Team on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Travel Management Plan Public Comment Form available at This form may be submitted either via or hard copy to the addresses listed below. Wallowa-Whitman National Forest ATTN: Travel Management Planning 3502 Highway 30 La Grande, OR or send an to: wwnf_travel_mgt_plan@fs.fed.us The comment period on the proposed action for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Travel Management Plan has now been extended until November 16, For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact Dan Ermovick, Forest Recreation Program Manager, dermovick@fs.fed.us at (451) Information about the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Travel Plan can be found at: Willamette National Forest E. 7th Avenue Eugene, OR (541) The Willamette National Forest is working on the first part on the plan to get travel planning done for their forest. They are following a timeline similar to those of other forests in Oregon. In 2006, the forest began gathering internal resource data, inventory and other information necessary to begin this process. Beginning in 2007 they will begin to initiate public outreach, continue the inventory process with public input (e.g. dispersed/user developed routes and camp site locations), and do preliminary analysis on some key issues (e.g. mixed vehicle use on NF roads). On August 24, 2007 the Forest will post preliminary draft maps in each Ranger District and at the Supervisor s office. These maps will remain up for public review and comment until October 31, The maps will not be available online because of the size, but there will be comment forms online for anyone wanting to make comments or suggestions. In 2008, the Forest will develop alternative courses of action (based on internal and public information collected in 2006 and 2007), solicit public input on the alternatives, analyze the alternatives, make a

7 decision, and publish that decision and the analysis behind it in an environmental analysis (EA). In 2009, the Forest will begin implementation of the decision with publication of a motor vehicle use map, increased public information and perhaps some additional on-site signing in various locations. For more information you can contact Ryan Brown, Team Leader at (541) or by to rnbrown@fs.fed.us. According to Doris Tai, Recreation Staff Officer, there is nothing on their web site yet but they hope to have something posted soon at You can also get more information or get on the mailing list by calling Doris at (541) or ing her at dtai@fs.fed.us.