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Why is the Forest doing Travel Management? Why not leave it like it is?
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Why is the Forest spending so much time and energy on OHV use?
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Are the needs of rural communities’ traditional uses of forest products and ties to the land being considered in Travel Management Planning?
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What changes are being proposed?
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Is the Santa Fe National Forest proposing new OHV (off-highway vehicle) opportunities?
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Is the Forest taking away all opportunities for OHV riders?
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How will this affect hunting experiences?
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Is the Santa Fe National Forest planning to develop an ATV park?
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How will the Forest enforce this rule? It seems like there are not enough Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) or funding to do proper enforcement.
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Does the Forest have enough resources to manage current and anticipated motorized recreation use?
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Will Travel Management affect private landowners’ access to their private lands?
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What opportunities are available for quiet, non-motorized recreation?
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What was the process for information gathering?
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Are all proposed changes consistent with the Santa Fe National Forest Management Plan?
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During the NEPA scoping process, what’s the best way to ensure that my comments about the proposed action are addressed?
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Do you accept petitions?
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What happens next?
- Who is making the decision about where OHVs and other vehicles can go?
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1. Why is the Forest doing Travel Management? Why not leave it like it is?
The Forest Service, identified four threats to National Forests. The threats are: 1) the risk of catastrophic wildfire; 2) loss of open space; 3) invasive species; and 4) unmanaged recreation. The latter, included the use of OHVs, (trucks, motorcycles, ATVs) in the National Forests. This is why the Forest and forest users are figuring out where motorized vehicles can go. This process is hard to do now, but would likely get harder over time as motorized recreation use increases.  |
2. Why is the Forest spending so much time and energy on OHV use? OHV use is a valid and growing recreational activity on national forests. Doing nothing to address resource damage from cross-country (off-road) travel would be irresponsible. The Forest is proposing to manage this growing recreational use by essentially eliminating cross-country travel and by designating roads and trails that are appropriate for use by vehicles by vehicle type and time of year. |
3. Are the needs of rural communities’ traditional uses of forest products and ties to the land being considered in Travel Management Planning?
The SFNF values and supports traditional uses associated with the rural lifestyle of the many communities it serves, such as tending livestock, going for wood and picking piñon. These activities will continue. |
4. What changes are being proposed?
Category |
Existing Direction -Current Forest Policy - |
Existing Condition -Where motorized use occurs-
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Proposed Action |
Roads available for motorized use
[To reduce the negative effects to national forest system lands and resources from excessive or poorly situated roads and still provide motorized access ] |
4,924 miles |
4,477 miles |
2,309 miles - 53% reduction |
Trails available for motorized use
[To provide opportunities for managed motorized recreation] |
300 miles
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591 miles |
247 miles
ATVs and motorcycles 105 miles
Motorcycles only = 142 miles |
Area available for motorized cross-country use [To reduce the negative effects caused by vehicles traveling cross-country] |
821,664 acres (53%) |
250,400 acres (16%) |
50 acres (less than 0.01%) of areas
21,099 acres (1.4 %) of dispersed camping corridors |
Motorized access to dispersed camping [To reduce the risk of future damage to natural and heritage resources] |
4,924 miles of road
300 miles trail |
450 to 600 miles of roads and trails |
508 miles of road with a corridor
8 miles of trail with a corridor |
Motorized access to retrieve downed game [To reduce the potential to stimulate additional unintended use and subsequent habitat degradation] |
4,924 miles of road
300 miles of Trail
821,664 acres (53%) |
No data |
No corridors specifically for big game retrieval |
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5. Is the Santa Fe National Forest proposing new OHV (off-highway vehicle) opportunities?
The proposal is to eliminate cross-country (off-road) travel by vehicles, and designate a system of roads, trails and areas for use by vehicle type and time of year; to determine where access to dispersed (car) camping would be allowed and whether to allow vehicles to travel off the designated system to retrieve downed game. Additional trails may be designated for OHV use that were not designated as such in the past. Rather than an increase in use, this is more a reflection of allowing motorized use in the right places. Many roads and trails are being used for OHV recreation, with or without official designation.
Motorized recreational use by OHVs is a legitimate and appropriate way for people to enjoy their National Forests—in the right places, and with the proper management. The analysis will help us determine where and when motorized recreation use by OHVs is appropriate. Overall, the Proposed Action will consist of a decrease in available OHV opportunities from the existing condition.
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6. Is the Forest taking away all opportunities for OHV riders?
The Forest recognizes OHVs to be a legitimate recreational use in specified areas and knows that the OHV community will agree that not addressing current resource problems associated with this type of use will limit their future enjoyment in the National Forest. Understanding where and when OHVs are allowed on the Forest will be beneficial to all users.
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7. How will this affect hunting experiences?
Hunters will continue to have motorized access to much of the Forest through a designated system of roads and trails, and areas, as well as having foot or horseback access to other non-motorized areas of the forest including Wilderness areas. The Proposed Action calls for limiting the use of motor vehicles to retrieve downed game to designated routes only.
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8. Is the Santa Fe National Forest planning to develop an ATV park?
There is no ATV park proposed. What is proposed is a system of roads, trails and areas that will provide OHV use in specified locations throughout the Forest.
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9. How will the Forest enforce this rule? It seems like there are not enough Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) or funding to do proper enforcement.
We believe that most people want to do the right thing and follow the rules.
Law Enforcement and Investigations will continue to work with the public to gain and maintain compliance of our new motorized route designation plan. We believe that enforcement will get better because there will be regulations to enforce; at this time there are no laws or rules to enforce. Once a system is in place that informs the public where vehicular travel is allowed, being off that road system is an immediate violation. The Forest Service has good working relationships and cooperative agreements with the county sheriff departments, NM State Police and the NM Game and Fish Department. With assistance from other law enforcement entities along with education of users and signing, enforcement should be achievable.
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10. Does the Forest have enough resources to manage current and anticipated motorized recreation use?
By eliminating cross-country (off-road) travel, and designating a system of roads, trails and areas, the Forest would be able to target our efforts to protect and improve the Forest while providing a range of recreational opportunities.
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11. Will Travel Management affect private landowners’ access to their private lands?
Those who have private property within Forest boundaries with valid rights of access will continue to have access.
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12. What opportunities are available for quiet, non-motorized recreation?
The Forest offers 637 miles of non-motorized trails in Wilderness areas, in areas designated by Forest Plan as non-motorized or areas having special closures due to fire, wildlife or other resource concerns.
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13. What was the process for information gathering?
The public involvement process over the last year and a half, combined with a science-based, internal analysis of the road system resulted in a Travel Analysis Process (TAP) report. The TAP report makes recommendations about the Forest’s road system, including the identification of the minimum road system for public and agency access as required under the Travel Management Rule. The TAP is a “living” document and will be continually updated as necessary and used to inform future decisions. The first version of the TAP report is available to the public through the web at www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe.
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14. Are all proposed changes consistent with the Santa Fe National Forest Management Plan?
Most changes are consistent. Those few that are not or that may be proposed in alternatives will be proposed as Forest Plan Amendments.
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15. During the NEPA scoping process, what’s the best way to ensure that my comments about the proposed action are addressed?
Your comments should be as specific as possible. For example: Rather than saying, “I don’t want roads closed”; it would be better to state: “I’d like to keep Forest Service Road 182 open as my family uses this road every year to access our favorite Trail #49.” Give specific information about roads and trails that mean something to you.
The Forest encourages electronic mail. If sending an e-mail, please send it to: comments-southwestern-santafe@fs.fed.us (attachments as .doc, .txt, .pdf, or .rtf only) with “Travel Management” in the subject line. For your convenience, a comment form is available here.
Please mail your written comments on this proposal to Santa Fe Travel Management Planning, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505.
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16. Do you accept petitions?
Petitions are accepted as public comment. However, a petition with 1,000 signatures does not count as 1,000 comments. The issue raised in the petition i.e., “effects to a specific archeological site” is what gets analyzed for environmental effects. The issue is not counted as 1,000 comments but treated as one issue.
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17. What happens next?
The Proposed Action (Scoping) is the first step in the NEPA process. This step includes Public Input (45-day comment period). Within this time the public is asked to comment on the Proposed Action. Information about the proposed action will be provided on this Web site, at community/public meetings, and in local libraries. Public input will help the Forest identify issues with the Proposed Action. Issues identified will be used to develop Alternatives which will be analyzed for their effects to the environment. The “effects analysis” is published in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). During the preparation of the DEIS (usually about 6 to 8 months), the Forest Service will continue to welcome public comments. When the DEIS is completed, the public will have another 45-day “notice and comment” period. Based on analysis and public input, the Forest Supervisor will make his Decision which will be published as a Record of Decision. The Forest plans to have Decision in 2009.
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18. Who is making the decision about where OHVs and other vehicles can go?
Based on the analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement and public input, the Forest Supervisor will decide: 1) which roads, trails, and areas will be designated for motorized use by the public by type of vehicle and time of year, 2) where motorized access to dispersed camping would be allowed; and 3) whether and where to allow motorized access to retrieve downed game.
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