Officials with the Sawtooth National Forest have just released new motorized-vehicle use maps as part of new forest travel plan revisions for the forest's three ranger districts and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
The new travel rules, implemented on June 18, end all cross-country motorized travel across the entire forest.
"Through the route designation process, we have provided for significantly improved protection of the forest's natural resources while balancing opportunities for motorized and non-motorized recreationists," said Sawtooth National Forest Supervisor Jane Kollmeyer.
The new motorized vehicle use maps will display what roads and trails are open to motorized use on the Ketchum, Fairfield and Minidoka districts. However, the maps do not address winter motorized use.
The maps are available for each of the forest's units, a news release from the Sawtooth National Forest states. The maps are free of charge and can be obtained at all Sawtooth National Forest offices. Locally, the maps can be obtained at the Ketchum Ranger District at 206 Sun Valley Road in Sun Valley.
According to forest officials, it is the responsibility of motorized-vehicle users to be familiar with each district's designated routes. The motorized-vehicle-use mapping process requires annual reviews and updates to the designated route maps.
Updated maps will be published each year.
Under the former Sawtooth National Forest travel plan, most of the Minidoka Ranger District and portions of the Fairfield and Ketchum districts were open to cross-country travel. This led to dense "user-created," non-system roads and trails.
According to forest officials, many of these routes do not meet safety or design standards and are located in environmentally sensitive sites such as riparian areas.
Kollmeyer recently denied an appeal by Idaho conservationists who sought to have the new travel rules overturned. According to the appeal by the Idaho Conservation League and the Idaho chapter of The Wilderness Society, the rules leave open too many user-created routes on the Minidoka district and don't address the needs of non-motorized recreationists.
