Forest trails plan will limit motorized use

Motorized vehicles such as ATVs will be sharply curtailed on area national forests once a new trail management plan is fully implemented.

The USDA Forest Service has established a designated public motorized wheeled vehicle travel management system on about 145,850 acres (27 percent) of the Mountain Home Ranger District.

"The decision was reached after completing an environmental assessment (EA) with several opportunities for public involvement that began in early 2006," said District Ranger Larry Tripp.

"The entire Mountain Home Ranger District now has a complete designated route system for all public motorized travel."

Specific areas included in thedecision are National Forest System lands in the vicinity of Grouse/Deer/Lime Creeks, House Mountain, Cow Creek/Camas Reservoir and Parks Creek. The EA analyzed the effects of alternatives that would have designated up to 255 miles of roads and trails for motor vehicle travel in these areas.

Motorized wheel-vehicle use to access a campsite within 300 feet of a designated road, or 100 feet of a designated trail, except in a few select areas, will continue under the decision, The decision does not apply to over-snow vehicles.

A "Motor Vehicle Use Map" is now being developed that will provide the primary information on the designated routes. The MVUM will display the routes for public motorized travel and define the class of vehicle and season of motorized use allowed.

The decision will not be implemented at the field level until that map is completed and made available to the public, which is expected to be in late summer.

All cross-country motorized travel, and motorized travel on any non-designated roads or trails, is prohibited with the new decision.

"The Forest Service Travel Rule effectively changed the existing motorized travel management program for the National Forest from being open to motor vehicle travel unless specifically ordered and posted as closed, to one of being closed unless specifically designated and mapped as open," Tripp added.

"This rule directs all national forests to have a designated travel system in place by 2009."

The decision makes the Mountain Home Ranger District the third ranger district on the Boise National Forest, along with the Cascade and Lowman Ranger Districts, to have a completely designated motorized route system. Similar route designation planning is currently underway on the Emmett and Idaho City Ranger Districts.

A copy of the Motorized Wheeled Vehicle Route Designation EA and Decision Notice for the Mountain Home Ranger District is available at www.fs.fed.us/r4/boise. Specific information is also available by contacting the ranger district at 587-7961.