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Travel Management Rule Implementation

Travel Management Rule Implementation. Gila National Forest February 4, 2013. What is the Travel Management Rule?. Establishes a system of roads, trails, and areas designated for motorized use. Intent of the rule is to: Sustain natural resource values

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Travel Management Rule Implementation

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  1. Travel Management Rule Implementation Gila National Forest February 4, 2013 GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  2. What is the Travel Management Rule? • Establishes a system of roads, trails, and areas designated for motorized use. • Intent of the rule is to: • Sustain natural resource values • Enhance opportunities for motorized uses • Provide opportunities for non-motorized uses GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  3. Need for Change • The growth and increasing signs of impact have prompted the Forest Service to take a closer look at its management of off-highway vehicle use and continue to provide opportunities yet protect the land and resources. • The Chief of the Forest Service identified this issue as one of four primary concerns to the health of National Forests GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  4. Need for Change • The purpose of the Executive Order 11644 (amended by 11989) can no longer be met while allowing unrestricted cross-country motor vehicle use. • E.O. direct Federal agencies to ensure that the use of off-road vehicles on public lands will be controlled and directed so as to protect the resources of those lands, to promote the safety of all users of those lands, and to minimize conflicts among various uses of those lands. GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  5. Result of Need for Change • To address the needs, a new regulation was developed to limit all motorized travel to designated roads and trails. • On July 15, 2004 the proposed travel management regulations was published. • On Nov. 9, 2005 the final rule was published and became effective Dec. 9, 2005 GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  6. Key Components • Requires designation of roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use by vehicle class and, if appropriate, by time of year. • Provides a consistent, national framework for local decisions. (36 CFR 212.1 FR pg 68287-68288) • Requires public involvement and coordination with state and local government agencies. • Prohibits motor vehicle use off the designated system, or inconsistent with the designations, with the publication of the motor vehicle use map. GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  7. RS 2477 Roads What if a road is claimed to be a RS-2477 road? Currently the Forest Service does not have the authority to determine the validity of a RS-2477 claim Final determinations on 2477 claims must be made by a competent court of jurisdiction Until such time the Forest Service direction is to continue administration and management of the roads Some tools available for addressing these concerns are cooperative road maintenance agreements or conveyances GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  8. Gila NF Process – 2006-2007 • 46 public meetings / open houses • Presented an overview of the Travel Management Rule and the Forest travel management process • Provided opportunity to view maps and interact with District staff • Over 900 people attended GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  9. 2006-2007 (cont) • Numerous individual meetings also took place • Contact was made with over 380 individuals which included range permittees, private landowners, and outfitter guides • All 4 county offices were contacted by the Rangers • Met with USFWS, NMGF, various user groups and conservation groups GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  10. Objectives of the workshops • Re-engage the public about Travel Management • Opportunity for the public to review the draft proposal • Provide input • Assist in improving the draft proposal 2008 Fall Workshops GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  11. 2008 Fall Workshops • Prior to the workshops, materials were presented and provided to all 4 county commissioners • Held 18 workshops • Over 800 people attended • Received over 2,000 comments GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  12. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Gila National Forest; New Mexico; Gila National Forest Travel Management Rule Implementation AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. Proposed Action - Scoping Published in Federal Register Sept. 11, 2009 GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  13. Public Outreach of Proposed Action and Open Houses • Mailed out approximately 3,000 letters with proposed action • Emailed to approximately another 1,000 • Proposed action and maps posted to website • Open House advertisements and posting • Placed paid ads in surrounding area papers • Radio ads • Flyers posted in surrounding communities (69 total locations) and ranger district offices GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  14. 2009 Scoping Open Houses GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  15. Scoping on the Proposed Action Forest held 10 open houses and that was attended by over 300 people Over 16,000 comments were received GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  16. Issues & Alternatives Development The comments were used by the Forest to identify significant issues and to develop alternatives to the proposed action. GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  17. The 4 issues identified were: Motorized Routes Motorized Dispersed Recreation Motorized Big Game Retrieval Areas GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  18. Alternatives A range of alternatives (C, D, E, F & G) were developed to address the issues GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  19. Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 60 day comment period ran from January through March 2011 Over 16,500 individuals, organizations, tribes, and local, county, state, and federal agencies were notified 4 open houses were held around the forest and attended by over 400 people Received over 2,000 comments GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  20. Where did comments come from? GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  21. Distribution of Comments by New Mexico Counties GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  22. How are DEIS comments used? • Helping to correct incomplete or incorrect information. • Reconsider specific routes or areas of concern. • May be used to make minor modifications to one or more alternatives where newinformation suggests that the alternative could be improved. • Reconsideration of the effects analysis where more accurate information is provided. GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  23. DEIS - Total Miles of Road Open to the Public by Alternative GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  24. DEIS Alt. G - Forest-wide (blue) & Grant County (orange) distribution of the number of proposed non-motorized roads by length GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  25. The majority of the existing or traditional motorized dispersed camping sites are within proposed corridors. • On open roads where there are no proposed MDC corridors, a motor vehicle (including trailer) may pull completely off the road and park within a vehicle length. • Tent & hike-in camping may continue to occur any distance from a road Motorized Dispersed Camping Corridors (MDC) GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  26. DEIS – Total miles of motorized dispersed camping corridors by alternative GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  27. Where is the Forest at today? The Forest is working on: Responding to the more than 2,000 comments received Starting to revise reports and edits to the EIS GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  28. What’s next? • The Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) is estimated to be completed this spring • After the Decision, the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) will be published later in the year. • The MVUM is the map that displays roads, trails and areas open for motorized vehicle use, including where motorized dispersed camping and motorized big game retrieval is allowed. • Designation is complete with publication of the Motor Vehicle Use Map. • Any required changes in motor vehicle use will not occur until the Motor Vehicle Use Map is published. GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  29. How will revisions be made to the MVUM? • The MVUM will be reviewed annually and revised as needed to meet changing conditions or needs. • How will revisions be made? • Any proposed revisions to the designations will have a public involvement process (36 CFR 212.52). This may be part of another project or a stand alone process. • The public will be provided notice of any proposed revisions and will have an opportunity to comment, consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

  30. Thank you. GNF 20130204 Grant Co Presentation

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