The Bureau of Land Management's Shoshone Field Office and Blaine County Commission are seeking volunteers to participate in a focus group from various recreational user groups to assist in the process of creating a "Recreation and Travel Plan" in the southern part of the County. The planning area is all land south of Ketchum, north of Highway 20, east of Willow Creek and west of the Little Wood Reservoir. It consists of public, private and state land near Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley.
"We are embarking on a fairly ambitious project to come up with a travel plan that meets the needs of (our) constituents," said Commissioner Tom Bowman in press conference Monday with BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner John Kurtz.
Kurtz and mapping consultant Lili Simpson said they hope to hear from people interested in participating in the focus groups, one for winter recreation and one for summer.
"We are working with local constituents," Kurtz said. "It is important to involve those people in the process. The first step is to conduct the focus groups."
Names of participants who are chosen will be kept confidential. A winter focus group will meet in early February.
Bowman said that several professors from Arizona State University will be engaged to assist with the process, which will include a script of questions and issues for focus groups participants to consider.
"They recommend holding the focus groups in winter (when people) have their snowmachines out and skis on the front porch," Bowman said. Focus groups for people who participate in summertime activities like motorcycling, mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting and hiking will be held in May.
The groups will be looking into management ideas like segregation of uses as well as how to manage travel corridors as they impact both public and private land.
"The idea behind (the focus groups) is to find out what people desire in a recreational experience," said Kurtz, who has experience with similar land management planning in Fruita, Colo. There local, state and federal agencies teamed up to create Fruita State Park, the Colorado Canyons National Recreation Area and the western Colorado mountain biking areas.
With inherent overlap between user groups in both winter and summer and the evident impact of growth, Kurtz said the BLM and the County are teaming up to explore historic use during each season. The ultimate goal is to find solutions that will result in a management plan that will facilitate the desired outcome of those who participate in the focus groups.
Wildlife issues will also be factored into the planning cycle, Kurtz said. "Historically, wildlife (from) the high country spends the winter down here. We have a real mix of ownership down here."
People interested in participating in the focus groups can contact Simpson at lilisimpson@aol.com or at 788-1176.
