Cross-country motorized travel in the Wood River Valley will be eliminated under a plan signed by the Sawtooth National Forest on Feb. 22.
The Forest Service announced on Monday, March 3, a decision to revise its summer 2002 Travel Plan Map, and has released a final environmental study for motorized route designation and the elimination of motorized cross-country travel on the Fairfield, Minidoka and Ketchum ranger districts.
"OHV use on national forests is controversial and there will undoubtedly be those who feel we have not gone far enough, on both sides of the issue," said Terry Clark, Sawtooth National Forest recreation and natural resourses staff officer. "We do feel that through the route designation process, we have provided for significantly improved protection of the forest's natural resources without severely impacting motorized recreationists."
The new travel plan map will prohibit cross-country motorized travel on areas previously open. It also designated road and trail routes open to summer motorized use.
Ketchum District Ranger Kurt Nelson said the revisions in the Wood River Valley focus primarily on areas around Greenhorn Gulch, Deer Creek and the upper East Fork of the Big Wood River.
"Those, technically, were open to cross-country travel," Nelson said. "We were seeing a lot of user-created trails being created, double-tracks and single-tracks."
Some user-generated trails will be incorporated into the system. Most will be closed.
"About 18 miles of non-system roads and trails will be added to the existing 121 miles of roads and trails on the Ketchum District," Nelson said. "Motorized use on 64 miles of non-system roads will be eliminated."
Nelson said no preexisting system trails were closed, "but we're looking at kind of downgrading a few roads down to trails, primarily in the upper Warm Springs drainage."
Winter motorizerd use is not addressed in the environmental study.
"This effort has been ongoing for over three years, during which time we have talked to hundreds of Sawtooth National Forest users and advocates," Clark said. "We believe the decisions represent a big leap forward in protecting the resources of the forest and provide an improved system of motorized recreation trails for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
The Forest Service began the route designation process by involving the public in development of the initial motorized route proposal in September 2004. The proposal was provided to the public and other agencies for comment from July 2005 through September 2006.
The Forest Service received more than 300 comments on the issue.
Maps of the changes are available online: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth/projects/.
An appeal period for the decision will end April 14.
