Following recommendations in the recently adopted 2008 Sawtooth National Forest Travel Plan, officials with the Fairfield Ranger District propose to improve several trails within the next five to seven years.
According to a news release from the Forest Service, the work will include improvements to single-track motorized and non-motorized trails as well as to wider, all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) routes.
Work is planned on the following routes:
· North Fork Soldier Creek Trail (#7005) to Salt Creek Trail (#7088): Forest managers propose to re-establish a one-mile section of non-motorized trail to connect these two trails.
· West Fork Kelley Creek Trail (#7038): Forest managers propose to relocate four miles of trail, connecting the Grouse Butte and Kelley Creek-Iron Mountain ATV trails.
· Blue Ridge Trail (#7048): Forest managers propose to convert approximately eight miles of motorized single-track trails to wider ATV trails. This route will connect the Iron Mountain ATV Trail (#7050) with the West Fork Kelley Creek ATV Trail (#7038) and Grouse Butte. User-created routes in the area will be restored.
· Smoky Dome-Salt Bounds Connector Trail: Forest managers propose to create a loop between the Ridgeline Jeep Trail northeast of Smoky Dome and Salt Bounds Road. Three miles of trail will be converted at the upper end of the Miller Creek Trail (#7087) to an ATV trail where it will connect into the Ridgeline Jeep Trail. From the end of the Ridgeline Jeep Trail, the route will follow an old mining road for two miles. Approximately 0.5 mile of new trail will be needed to make the final connection from the end of the old mining road down to Salt Bounds Road, forest officials say. User-created routes in the area will be restored.
· Worswick Connector Trail: Forest managers propose to connect the Worswick Road System (#70465) to Little Smoky Road (#70227) with four miles of new ATV trail. User-created routes in the area will be restored.
· Cannonball-Wells Summit Connector Trail: Forest officials say up to three miles of new ATV trail are needed to connect the east side of Wells Summit and Cannonball Road. They say an additional 0.5 mile of new ATV trail is also needed on the south side of Wells Summit to provide an alternative route to Forest Road #70095. User-created routes in the area will be restored.
· Gardner Gulch Trail: Forest managers propose to reroute three miles of single track, motorized trail to bypass two steep sections of existing trail.
· East Fork Beaver Creek Trail (#7052): Forest managers say a one-mile reroute is needed to eliminate a steep switchback.
Forest officials are asking the public to submit written comments on the trails plan by Nov. 15 to Mike Dettori, Fairfield District Ranger. Comments should be sent to: Sawtooth National Forest, Fairfield Ranger District, Box 189, Fairfield, ID 83327. Comments can also be submitted by e-mail to: comments-intermtn-sawtooth-fairfield@fs.fed.us.
A decision on the proposal is expected in January. Questions regarding the trails proposal should be directed to Mike Dettori or Ann Frost at the Fairfield Ranger District office at (208) 764-3202.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposed action and will be available for public inspection.
