EFFECTS OF THE TRAVEL PLAN AND HOW TO COMMENT
Updated 10/05/2009
OVERVIEW
Read on for information about how your preferred recreation style might or might not be affected by the alternatives in the Travel Plan DEIS.
WILL MY OHV USE BE AFFECTED?
The Travel Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement presents three alternatives. Depending on the types of motorized recreation you engage in, where you ride, and the particular alternative, you may or may not notice any notable changes. Following is a very brief overview of a few typical riding scenarios and where you would see changes.
SUMMER USES
CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL
All action alternatives would prohibit motorized travel except on designated routes for non-winter uses. That prohibition is fundamental to the national travel rule. The Travel Plan identifies those designated roads and trails.
ROADS
If you have been riding your motorbike, ATV, UTV, or highway vehicle on National Forest System roads (those with signs and numbers) you won't see much of a change from current opportunities as a result of the Travel Plan regardless of the alternative. The three action alternatives are virtually identical when it comes to roads and there are only a few changes of note. Some similar seasonal restrictions have been combined so you might see a slightly different use season on some roads than in the past but there will be fewer varieties of seasons which should make the motor vehicle use map easier to decipher.
ATV TRAILS
If you ride system ATV trails (those with signs and numbers) you'll see some changes depending on the alternative. Similar seasonal restrictions for trails are combined in all alternatives similar to what is being done for roads. Alternative B would expand the ATV trail system very slightly as a result of a public suggested route. If you don't ride on Trail 625 in Weitas Creek you won't really be affected by Alternative C which would restrict this trail. Alternative D has more of an effect on ATV opportunities as a number of trails in the backcountry would be unavailable for ATV use. See the alternative comparison map which shows all the alternatives on a single map to see the complete picture.
MOTORCYCLE TRAILS
Opportunities to ride motorcycles, particularly in the backcountry, are most affected by the Travel Plan. Alternative B would add over 34 miles of trail open to motorcycles as a result of public suggestions during scoping. Alternative C retains many of the better motorcycle loop trails in the backcountry but would prohibit use on some trails to address wildlife goals and to protect the character of areas recommended for wilderness designation in the Clearwater NF Plan. Alternative D provides increased protection for wildlife and watersheds by restricting more backcountry motorcycle trails. Corresponding with the decrease in motorcycle opportunity is an increase in non-motorized opportunities. See the alternative comparison map which shows all the alternatives on a single map to see the complete picture.
WINTER USES
ROADS
Alternatives B, C, and D are virtually identical for snowmobile travel on system roads. All groomed snowmobile routes would continue to be open. Several hundred miles of higher elevation roads that were previously restricted to snowmobiles would also be open. A few additional roads in the upper Lochsa would be restricted to protect wintering big game. In the past, quite a few roads have been restricted to snowmobiles as well as wheeled vehicles to provide big game security during hunting season. All the action alternatives would do away with the variety of seasonal snowmobile restrictions for that purpose and instead would prohibit all snowmobile use on the Forest during the core of the big game hunting seasons from October 1 to November 15. That won't affect snowmobile opportunities during the real winter snow season.
CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL
Snowmobiles and other over-snow vehicles operating on snow are not confined to designated routes during the winter season. Unless you ride snowmobiles in the Mallard Larkins, the Great Burn (along the Bitterroot divide) and in a few areas adjacent to the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, you won't see any changes as a result of any Travel Plan alternatives. Alternative B does not change the picture at all and Alternatives C and D add prohibitions only in the areas mentioned above. See the Alternative C/D Winter Use Map to get the details.
COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES BY MOTORIZED TRAVEL METHOD
MOTORIZED OPPORTUNITIES |
ALTERNATIVES |
|||
A |
B |
C Preferred |
D |
|
| SUMMER TRAVEL | ||||
| Area open to motorized cross-country travel (acres) | 1,372,959 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Roads open to motorized travel year round or seasonally (miles) | 2,972 |
2,947 |
2,943 |
2,943 |
| Trails open to motorized travel year-round or seasonally (miles) | 696 |
738 |
487 |
370 |
| Trails in Roadless Areas (1) open year-round or seasonally (miles) | 447 |
454 |
243 |
139 |
| Trails open to motorized travel seasonally (miles) | 170 |
170 |
191 |
170 |
| Trails open to both ATV's (2) and motorcycles (miles) | 191 |
191 |
185 |
166 |
| Trails open only to motorcycles (miles) | 506 |
547 |
305 |
203 |
| Roads open to bicycles / mechanized vehicles (miles) | 4,344 |
4,354 |
4,354 |
4,354 |
| Trails open to bicycles / mechanized vehicles (miles) | 1,153 |
1,067 |
988 |
988 |
| WINTER TRAVEL | ||||
| Area open to oversnow vehicle travel (acres) | 1,515,903 |
1,515,903 |
1,319,623 |
1,319,623 |
(1) Roadless areas are defined by the Idaho Roadless Rule. This acreage figure includes areas recommended for Wilderness designation in the Clearwater NF Forest Plan. Recommended Wilderness areas include Mallard Larkins, Great Burn (Hoodoo) and Selway Bitterroot additions.
(2) ATV trail mileages do not include systems currently under construction like Palouse OHV and Camp 60/Sheep Mountain. These routes will be designated ATV trails but their mileages are not shown at this point because they are not complete.
The comment period ended as of October 2, 2009.
Environmental analyses include not only evaluations of the effects of a project on natural resources but also the effects on people and economies. Citizens often have valuable information about places and resources
that they value and the potential environmental, social, and economic
effects that proposed federal actions may have on those places and
resources. The DEIS comment period is the opportunity to provide that information to the Forest Service so that it can be considered in crafting the best project and decision.
Comments are not a form of voting on alternatives. The number of negative comments an agency receives does not prevent an action from moving forward nor do the number of comments help a decisionmaker select an alternative to implement. Numerous comments that repeat the same basic message of support or opposition are treated as a single comment.
To comment most effectively consider that the ultimate solution to most problems involves competing issues and interests whether those are habitats for different species, short and long term effects, or the desires of different public segments. The better you understand the various issues, interests, and "decision space" the more effectively you will be able to comment.
The best comments:
- Are crafted with at least a basic understanding of the competing issues, interests, and legal requirements.
- Are solution oriented - how can this alternative be better for all concerned?
- Provide specific examples of issues or concerns and specific locations rather than general statements about effects
- Are submitted to the correct address, within the comment period, and with the required information.
Details on the Travel Plan Comment Period
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is the federal agency that provides direction on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). They have an excellent Citizen's Guide to the NEPA that includes suggestions on how to comment.
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