PUBLIC WORKSHOPS
Public meetings are scheduled in January 2010:
January 27th, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Oddfellows Hall, Kernville, California
January 28th, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Clarion Hotel, Bakersfield, California
January 29th, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Marriott Hotel, Ridgecrest, California
Free Motorized Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs)
- Hume Lake Ranger District MVUM, November 2008 (1.8mb pdf)
- Western Divide Ranger District MVUM, November 2008 (1.8mb pdf)
- Kern River Ranger District MVUM (TBD)
- Piute Mountain MVUM (TBD)
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
These are definitions from the National Travel Management Rule
and are published in the Federal Register.
Glossary of Terms (8kb pdf)
LINKS
- National Travel Management Rule (220kb pdf)
- Memorandum of Intent with the State of California
- USDA Forest Service Travel Management and Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program Page
- Region 5 (California forests) Route Designation/Travel Management home page
- Region 5 Off Highway Vehicle Programmatic Agreement
FOREST ORDER
FOREST ORDER NO. 06-09: MOTORIZED VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS (14kb pdf)
TRAVEL MANAGEMENT/MOTORIZED VEHICLE ROUTE DESIGNATION PROJECT
Interested individuals and groups are invited to attend the public meetings scheduled in January, 2010 to discuss the decision (see the link to the Record of Decision (ROD) to the right) at:
- January 27, 2010, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Oddfellows Hall, Kernville, California
- January 28, 2010, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Clarion Hotel, Bakersfield, California
- January 29, 2010, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Marriott Hotel, Ridgecrest, California
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (FEIS)
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (DEIS)
WANTED — VOLUNTEER SUCCESS
STORIES
In 2003, the Forest Service in California outlined a strategy for establishing a sustainable system of designated routes for motor vehicle use, known as Route Designation. In 2005, the Forest Service issued a national framework for local forests to use in designating a sustainable system of roads, trails and areas for motor vehicle use. In order to align with the new national framework, Route Designation became Travel Management. The goal remains the same, to secure a wide range of recreation opportunities while ensuring the best possible care of the land.
The 30-day comment period on the FEIS has closed, the interdisciplinary team has reviewed the comments received, and Forest Supervisor Terrell has documented her decision in the Record of Decision.
MOTOR VEHICLE USE MAPS (MVUMs)
The MVUMs for the Kern River Ranger District will display the newly designated system of roads and trails in the Travel Management project area. These maps are being completed in response to the decision documented in the ROD and will be available to the public at no cost in February 2010.
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (FEIS)
The FEIS was available for public comment from October 9, 2009 to November 9, 2009. A synopsis of the comments received on the FEIS is included in the ROD. Click on the FEIS link at the beginning of this paragraph or in the right sidebar to read the ROD and the FEIS.
- OHV routes on the Kern Plateau existed prior to this strategy.
- The Giant Sequoia National Monument is not affected – routes were designated by Forest Order and MVUMs are completed for the Hume Lake and Western Divide Ranger Districts.
- Winter uses are not affected by this strategy.
- Contract and in-house inventories of unmapped motorized vehicle routes were completed in August 2004.
- Areas of focus: Greenhorn Mountains, Breckenridge Mountain, Lake Isabella, and Piute Mountains (due to the Piute Fire, the Piute Mountains area will be analyzed later).
- Forest Order 06-09 and associated maps were issued in July 2006.
- The Proposed Action was issued in a Transmittal Letter and a Notice of Intent (published in the Federal Register) in June 2007.
- A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published for comment and public workshops were held from January to March 2009.
- A Final Environmental Impact Statement was published for comment in October 2009.
- A Record of Decision was signed in December 2009.
- MVUMs will be produced and made available to the public in February 2010.
A Memorandum of Intent (MOI) between the Forest Service (Region 5), the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California State Parks and Recreation established a strategy to guide the designation process and sets a schedule for completion.
Six Steps to Route Designation
The following is a summary of the five steps that are designed to implement the Forest Service - State of California MOI and designate trails and areas for motorized vehicle use on all National Forest System land in California.
- Map (GPS) existing unclassified roads, motorized vehicle trails (both NFS and non-system), and off-route use areas, and enter the data in GIS (Geographic Information System) and INFRA (Infrastructure database). Designate team leaders, compile Forest OHV Management Direction, assemble needed information, identify gaps in data, prioritize, develop action plans, and begin field surveys. Share maps with the public by December 2005 (earlier if possible). Collect comments by March 2006.
- Issue Forest Orders prohibiting motorized wheeled vehicle use off of mapped roads, trails, and off-route use areas. Involve the public. Complete no later than June 2006.
- Evaluate inventoried roads, trails, and areas. Collaborate with the public in developing proposed systems of roads, trails, and specifically defined areas for use by wheeled motorized vehicles. Complete surveys of information and data gaps. Involve the public. Publish proposed action by June 2007. Collect public comments no later than thirty days after the Notice of Intent is published in the Federal Register.
- Complete analyses and prepare NEPA documents designating all trails and specifically defined areas for wheeled motorized vehicle use. Involve the public. Complete Final Environmental Impact Statement no later than October 2009.
- Publish Record of Decision by December 2009.
- Publish Motor Vehicle Use Maps with designated roads, trails, and areas by January 2010.
Link to the National Travel Management website
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (DEIS)
The DEIS was available for public comment from January 31, 2009 to April 20, 2009.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published in the Federal Register on June 15, 2007. A scoping letter and a copy of the NOI were mailed to interested publics, describing the Proposed Action.
Link to the Transmittal Letter
Proposed Action Maps for the Travel Management Project
Map of Trails and Trail Segments of Concern, Greenhorn Mountains Area
Map of Trails and Trail Segments of Concern, Breckenridge Mountain Area
Map of Trails and Trail Segments of Concern, Piute Mountains Area
FOREST ORDER, JULY 2006
The purpose of this order is to prevent resource damage to soils, plants, water, and other resources caused by unregulated cross-country travel by off-highway vehicles (OHVs). In recent years, the popularity of OHVs has surged, leading to the proliferation of unplanned OHV trails and associated resource damage. This order is intended to stop the creation of new routes and trails until a safe and manageable system of OHV roads, trails, and open areas can be designated.
Many of you are aware of the route designation process on which we are currently working. The following forest order does not designate roads, trails, or open areas for OHV use, and it does not close existing trails, roads, or open areas. It merely prohibits cross-country travel. As we continue through the route designation process, you will be given many opportunities to participate in the designation of the routes.
Forest Order Maps for the Route Designation Strategy
(All inventoried routes are shown on the Forest Order maps.)
The rapid expansion of OHV use on national forests and grasslands is impacting the natural and heritage 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 nation's forests today. Unmanaged OHV use has resulted in unplanned roads and trails, erosion, watershed and habitat degradation, and impacts on heritage resource sites.
Improved management of wheeled motor vehicle use on National Forest System lands would allow the Forest Service to enhance opportunities for public enjoyment of National Forest System lands, including motorized and non-motorized recreation experiences. The Forest Service revised its national policy governing the use of wheeled motor vehicles to develop a system of roads, trails, and areas designated for motor vehicle use to minimize or eliminate the undesirable impacts from unmanaged OHV use.
We are working with the OHV, environmental, and other communities to identify existing routes and areas in order to develop the forest route designations.
Sequoia Friends,
If you frequently visit the Sequoia National Forest and volunteer
your time working on our trails, your stories and photos are
wanted.
Our goal is to create a success stories page to highlight the
great volunteer work you do.
Please mail your stories to
sequoia.route.designation@fs.fed.us.
