Important: Usfs Route Designation

[TUFFTORQ]

Our club inquired about the USFS Pacific Southwest Region's Route Designation progress. If you enjoy your trails, and want to continue them for generations to follow, please get involved. Visit the website at www.fs.fed.us/r5/routedesignation/rd-faq.shtml and sign up to receive updates on these maps. Although this website pertains to California, it's my understanding that the rest of the country's forest service lands are being addressed.

Route Designation
Logo: Pacific Southwest Region Route Designation
graphic: OHV Marker Board
What Is Route Designation?

The process of authorizing a system of roads, trails and areas for motor vehicle use by vehicle type and/or season of use on National Forest lands and prohibiting cross-country travel.
Who Will Route Designation Affect?

Route Designation decisions will affect anyone who uses a wheeled motor vehicle on the 18 National Forests in California and the California portions of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Picture: Jeep on a trail
Why Get Involved?

If you don’t participate, we may not fully understand the value of a route to you, or the role it plays in accessing places that are special to you.
Why Designate Routes?

The Chief of the Forest Service has identified unmanaged recreation - especially impacts from motor vehicles - as one of the Chief's Four Threats facing the nation's forests today. Unmanaged motorized use has resulted in unplanned roads, trails and areas from off route use that cause erosion, watershed and habitat degradation, as well as impacts to wildlife and cultural resources. Such a dramatic increase in use and associated impacts created management difficulties that are prompting changes in national policies. A new Travel Management rule was announced on November 2, 2005. The National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (June 2005) provides current motor vehicle use data.
Picture: Motorized dirt bike on trail
Where Will Routes Be Designated?

Route Designation will be undertaken on the 18 National Forests in California and the California portions of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
When Will Routes be Designated?

Between 2005 and 2008, following the 5 step Route Designation Strategy outlined in the Memorandum of Intent (MOI) developed between the Regional Forester and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, and the Division of Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
How Will Routes Be Designated?

Routes will be analyzed for compliance with the laws, regulations, policies that govern Forest Service management. Not all existing routes will be designated.

The Route Designation Guidebook provides a description of the Route Designation Strategy. The Route Inventory & Designation Pyramid outlines the five step strategy to implement the Memorandum of Intent (MOI) between the Forest Service and California State Parks to designate roads, trails and areas for motorized use on all National Forest lands in California.
Route Inventory and Designation Strategy timeline that is explained in the following section titled, 'How Will Routes Be Designated'.
Picture: Quad rider on trail
Who Will Make Route Designation Decisions?

Forest Supervisors and District Rangers will make Route Designation decisions for each National Forest based upon the laws, regulations and policies that guide the Forest Service. The public will be involved during each step of the process. This website was developed to help the public access information on Route Designation. We need your help and participation.
How Can I Help?

* Read about the Route Designation Process.
* Subscribe to receive updated information.
* Find the Contact Person for each Forest in which you are interested.
* Observe and comment at each stage of Route Designation as a Forest moves through the process.
* Attend Forest meetings and/or send comments. Send thoughts and justification as to why certain routes are important to you or why a route should not be designated.

[TUFFTORQ]

Pacific Southwest Region
1323 Club Drive
Vallejo, CA 94592
707.562.8737
TTY: 707.562.9130
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

NEWS RELEASE
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Region

1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592
Forest Service shield, which is the agency logo that links to the regional News Releases site.

Contact: Matt Mathes 707-562-9004
FOREST SERVICE RE-ISSUES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOREST PLANS DECISION

VALLEJO, Calif., April 21, 2006 – The USDA Forest Service (FS) has re-issued its Sept. 20, 2005, decision on land management plans for the four national forests in southern California, due to a technical error that was in the original documents.

Public comments on wildlife issues and the agency’s responses were inadvertently omitted from the printed and electronic documents. FS officials discovered the error and made the information available at www.fs.fed.us/r5/scfpr/projects/lmp/errata on Oct. 24. The omitted material was fully considered in the decision-making process, so the decision itself remains the same.

“While this is basically a technical error, we realize that it may have affected appeals of the decision by people who have concerns over wildlife issues,” said Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Bernie Weingardt. “We want to make sure that everybody has a fair opportunity to review the plan. Therefore, we are beginning a new 90-day appeal period, which will begin on the date specified in the legal notice published in the newspaper of record (Sacramento Bee). Under the planned Apr. 21 publication date, the appeal period will end July 20.”

In addition to announcing this in the Bee and the Apr. 21 Federal Register, FS will notify those on the project’s mailing list by letter. Information will also be available at www.fs.fed.us/r5/scfpr/projects/lmp. Anyone who had already filed an appeal by the earlier Dec. 29, 2005, deadline will not need to resubmit it, but they can do so, or modify their original appeal.

“I remain fully confident that my decision will protect the natural character of these 3.5 million acres of public land, and provide a wide range of recreation opportunities over the next 10-15 years,” Weingardt said. “The plans are a balanced, strategic blueprint for responding to the increasing demand for recreation and other uses of the national forests while protecting ecosystems and resources, especially threatened and endangered species.”

The Forest Plans will guide management of the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino National Forests (NFs) surrounding southern California’s major urban populations. The new plans give top priority to protecting nearby urban and rural communities from the threat of catastrophic wildfires and set the stage for the Forest Service to work closely with local communities to reduce hazardous fuels in the “wildland urban interface.”

Motorized administrative access to certain backcountry areas will be allowed for reducing hazardous fuels and fighting wildfires in valuable watersheds and wildlife habitat. The plans, which will remain in effect, incorporate numerous measures to protect watersheds, plants, wildlife, and their habitats during all management activities.

Any appeals should be sent to the FS Chief in Washington DC, at one of two addresses in the Federal Register, newspaper of record, website and letters to the project’s mailing list.

[Chef]

Great stuff, thanks!