Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests

Gunnison Travel Management

In accordance with the Travel Management Rule, announced in 2005, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management is jointly preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) to establish a forest wide system of designated routes and areas for motorized travel for the Gunnison Basin.

In 2006, the BLM and Forest Service began working with the public and other agencies in a continuation of the 2001 travel management efforts. This involved more detailed analysis and decisions to designate routes open to mechanized and motorized vehicles for summer, spring and fall uses and to designate vehicle class and season of use for various routes. An interdisciplinary (ID) team of Forest Service and BLM staff evaluated all the routes on BLM and Forest Service Federal lands in the upper Gunnison Basin and North Fork Valley in a detailed travel analysis process. The results of that evaluation and public comments during scoping helped the ID team development three action alternatives in the DEIS. Eleven primary issues were also identified through public scoping and described in the DEIS. The draft EIS for the Gunnison Basin Federal Lands Travel Management became available on March 6, 2009.

Travel Managment Maps

Draft EIS maps - March 6, 2009

Proposed Action maps – July 2007

Primary Transportation System maps- July 2006

Green to Yellow (Interim Travel Decision) -January 2001

Proposed Action - Routes proposed to remain open for motorized travel and those that were proposed for non-motorized (hiker/horse) and/or mechanized (mountain bike) travel in May 2007.

Travel Management Timeline - Provides a descriptive outline of the steps involved in the planning process and estimated dates.

Glossary of Terms

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 32 kb)

Relationship of Travel Management to the Forest Plan