Eldorado National Forest

Projects & Plans

Public Wheeled Motorized Travel Management

PROJECT HOME | DOCUMENT ARCHIVE | PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE | STEP 1: FINAL ROUTE INVENTORY | STEP 2: TEMPORARY FOREST ORDER | STEP 3: PROPOSING A SYSTEM OF ROUTES | STEP 4: DRAFT EIS |STEP 4: FINAL EIS & ROD | STEP 4: APPEALS | STEP 5: MAPS AND INFORMATION

Eldorado National Forest Implements Designated Routes Beginning January 2009

Starting in January 2009, the Eldorado National Forest began implementing the decision made to restrict all motor vehicles to designated roads and trails. This direction follows Forest Supervisor Ramiro Villalvazo’s decision from April 2008's Final Travel Management Environmental Impact Statement, which allows public motor vehicle use on over 1,800 miles of roads and trails across the Forest.

Annual Seasonal Closure of Eldorado National Forest Dirt Roads and Trails Begins January 1

It’s time for winter visitors to the Eldorado National Forest to begin thinking about the annual closing of dirt roads and trails that begins on January 1 and extends through March 31.

“This is the first year the annual seasonal closure of dirt roads and trails will go into effect,” said Eldorado National Forest Supervisor Ramiro Villalvazo. “This may be news to some people, however, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to the thousands of people who participated in the travel management decision making process that occurred over the past three years.”

This decision only affects dirt roads and trails. More than 600 miles of paved and graveled roads and trails will continue to be open during this time period.

• Seasonal Closure News Release (pdf)
• Winter Recreation Opportunity Guide (pdf)

The Appeals and Appeal Decision Letters Are Now Available.

The Appeal Decision letters have been placed on the Appeal page for this Travel Management project to make them available now. Eventually, they will be on the Regional and National Appeals website.

Final Environmental Impact Statement Is Available.

The Eldorado National Forest Travel Management Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision was released on April 2, 2008. The Forest Service will provide interested people with CDs containing both documents and will post them on this website. The Eldorado held four public open houses following the release of the Record of Decision.

• News Release - Final EIS released.
• Final Environmental Impact Statement documents and maps web page
• Question and Answers (202 kb) pdf

National Background:

Recreational use of the National Forest System has increased in recent decades. Since 1946, the number of visits to the National Forest System has increased 15 to 20 times, to 214 million in 2001. By 2100, the number of Americans is expected to double, and the number of visits to the National Forests is likely to more than double.

Off road motor vehicle use for public enjoyment of the National Forest System has also increased. The number of OHV users has climbed sevenfold in the past 30 years, from approximately 5 million in 1972 to 36 million in 2000. OHV users account for approximately 1.8 million or 5 percent of visitors to the national forests and grasslands. Motor vehicle use off roads in the National Forest System may involve any motor vehicle that can travel off road, such as a sport utility vehicle (SUV) and an off-highway vehicle (OHV).

The expansion of OHV use on national forests and grasslands is impacting the natural and cultural resources of federal lands. The Chief of the Forest Service has identified unmanaged recreation -- especially impacts from OHVs -- as one of the key threats facing the National Forests today. Some OHV use has resulted in unplanned roads and trails, soil erosion, watershed and habitat degradation, as well as, impacts on cultural resource sites.

The Forest Service wants to improve its management by balancing the public's enjoyment of using OHVs with ensuring the best possible care of the land. At the national level, the Forest Service revised its rules in 2005 governing the use of wheeled motor vehicles to develop a system of roads, trails and areas designated for motor vehicle use. This new rule still provides public opportunities for motorized and nonmotorized recreation, while enhancing protection of habitat and aquatic, soil, air and cultural resources.

USDA Forest Service Releases Final Rule for Motorized Recreation in National Forests & Grasslands:

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Local Background:

Over the next few years, national forests in California will identify and designate a system of roads, trails and specifically defined areas for wheeled motor vehicle use that will enhance recreation opportunities, promote public safety and protect resources. This effort will include:

• Developing an inventory of all areas used by wheeled motor vehicles, including roads and trails,
• Proposing a system of routes from the inventory, and
• Designating those routes for wheeled motor vehicle use.

A Memorandum of Intent (MOI) between the Forest Service in Region 5, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California State Parks and Recreation further describes the schedule the National Forests in California are following to complete Wheeled Motor Vehicle Route Designation. The schedule is divided into 5 Steps.

The Five Steps:

Timetable for the Eldorado National Forest:

1. Complete an inventory of existing roads, trails, and open areas used by OHV's, and compile Forest OHV Management Direction. Share maps with the public by December 2005. The route inventory includes unclassified roads and provides the baseline data for the route designation effort. Completed.
2. Issue an interim Forest Order prohibiting wheeled vehicles use off the existing roads and trails, as determined by the inventory. This Forest Order went into effect on August 25, 2005 and will remain in effect until the designation process is finished. Completed.
3. Propose Route designations. Working with you, the Forest developed a proposal which identified the existing routes the Forest proposed to designate as motorized travel routes. The Proposed Action was released on October 26, 2005. The scoping period for public comments concluded on December 1, 2005. Completed.
4. Designate Routes through an Environmental Analysis process. The Forest makes its final decision as to which routes will be designated for OHV use. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement was released in July. The comment period closed in October. The final decision is to be released April 2, 2008.
5. Complete Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) to identify the designated system of routes, sign the routes, and provide user maps. This final step was completed in March 2009.

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Contact Information :

By Mail:

Eldorado National Forest
Travel Management Project
100 Forni Road,
Placerville, CA 95667

Voicemail:
Travel Management Hotline
(530) 295-5666

Project Email:
eldoradoroutes@fs.fed.us

When using electronic mail, please send your name and physical address in addition to your email address. Thank you.

Current Conditions: Check the Current Conditions pages for Motorized Roads & Trails Status, Forest Information Update, Campground Status, Weather Links, Fire Restrictions and other information. Motorized Recreation: The Motorized Trails pages of our website offers some great information about system trails, low impact camping, closures, road rules and trail tips.	Existing Forest Orders: Portions of the Eldorado National Forest have existing Forest Orders which restrict or prohibit vehicle use. Signs & Symbols: What do all those signs mean?

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