Travel Management Planning on KNF
Public Input Sought
by Kootenai National Forest
December 6, 2007
Libby, Mont. – In November 2005 the Forest Service released the final Travel Management Rule (36 CFR 212, 251, 261, and 295) for managing motorized vehicle use on the National Forests. The Rule provides a framework for each National Forest to identify and designate roads, trails, and areas where motorized use is allowed.
The Kootenai National Forest (KNF) is moving forward with the implementation of this Rule. The outcome of this effort will be to publish a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for each District that shows a designated system for motorized use. Once the Motor Vehicle Use Map is published, motor vehicle use on the KNF will be allowed only on designated roads, trails, or areas displayed on the map. This rule exempts over-snow vehicles, water craft (boats) and aircraft from this designation process, so the Kootenai will only be addressing wheeled motorized vehicles at this time.
“This process on the Kootenai will result in clear, standardized designations of where motorized recreation is appropriate, sustainable, and desirable,” said Kootenai Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford. “The public will be involved throughout the process.”
Former Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth identified four areas that are key to maintaining and restoring the health of America’s forests and grasslands: fuels and fire, invasive species, unmanaged recreation, and habitat fragmentation. The former Chief noted specific concerns related to unmanaged motorized recreation and the creation of unplanned motorized routes, and the potential for these to have adverse impacts on natural resources.
One of the main ways to manage impacts of motorized recreation vehicles is to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas where motorized use is allowed. In conjunction with the release of the 2005 Travel Management Rule, Chief Bosworth committed to implementing this rule by the end of December 2009. This effort on the Kootenai is a part of that commitment.
In order to implement the Rule, the Kootenai will be initiating several environmental analyses within the next few months. Each Ranger District on the KNF will be providing a scoping letter requesting public involvement.
The preliminary schedule for issuing scoping letters is:
The Three Rivers Ranger District will begin the scoping process by mid-December 2007.
The Cabinet Ranger District will begin the scoping process in January 2008.
The Libby Ranger District plans to issue its scoping letter in early 2008.
The Rexford Ranger District will begin scoping in early 2008, with additional information to be provided prior to scoping.
The Fortine Ranger District will begin scoping in early 2008, with additional information to be provided prior to scoping.
The Forest anticipates having draft motor vehicle use maps by June 30, 2009 and final maps for publication by September 30, 2009.
The Forest will be providing additional MVUM information on the Kootenai website at www.fs.fed.us/r1/kootenai. For additional information regarding scoping processes or map information please contact your local ranger district.
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