Kootenai NF - Three Rivers Ranger District Releases Motor Vehicle Use Project EA (1 Viewer)

[Blue Ribbon Coalition]

Date: 07/20/2009 pstrongBLUERIBBON COALITION LAND USE UPDATE!/strong/ppstrongDear BRC Action Alert Subscriber, /strong/ppstrongKootenai National Forest - Three Rivers Ranger District Releases Motor Vehicle Use Project EA/strong/ppThe Kootenai National Forest, located in northwest Montana and northeast Idaho, has completed the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Three Rivers Ranger District's Motor Vehicle Use Project. The EA is being considered for implementation, and the Forest Service is asking for your comments during a 30-day comment period, which began on July 5, 2009, and will end August 4, 2009./ppAlternative C has been identified as the agency's preferred alternative and includes designating as legally open to motorized travel, approximately 500 miles of currently open road, adding and designating 13 routes (1.79 miles) to the National Forest road system, a motor vehicle prohibition on 161 miles of trail, and a prohibition for cross-country motor vehicle use on 42,000 acres of District land in Idaho. It also includes site-specific designation of routes allowing 300 feet of cross-country motor vehicle use for dispersed camping. The proposed action would include a site-specific Forest Plan amendment allowing cross-country motor vehicle use within specific riparian areas for accessing dispersed camping sites. Design features are included to protect resources./ppA copy of the EA is available by contacting the district office or by visiting the Kootenai National Forest website atnbsp; http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/kootenai/projects/projects/motorized-use-map/index.shtml. Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford is the decision maker for this project./ppComments on the EA will be most helpful if they identify the specific actions you think are needed, why those changes should be made and how such a change would better meet your interests. Persons who comment on the EA should include: (1) their name, address, telephone number and organization represented, if any; (2) title of the document on which the comment is being submitted (in this case, the quot;Motor Vehicle Use Projectquot; and (3) specific facts and supporting reasons for the responsible official to consider./ppstrongWRITTEN COMMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO:/strongbr /nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Mike Herrin, District Rangerbr /nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Three Rivers Ranger Districtbr /nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 12858 Highway 2br /nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Troy, MT 59935br /nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Attn: Motor Vehicle Use Project/ppFor more information, contact Timory Peel, Team Leader, or Kathy Mohar, Environmental Coordinator, at the Three Rivers Ranger District406) 295-4693./pp style="text-align: center"strongCOMMENT DEADLINE IS AUGUST 4, 2009/strong/ppstrongJUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!/strong/ppstrongThanks in advance for your support,/strongbr /Ric Fosterbr /Public Lands Department Managerbr /BlueRibbon Coalitionbr /208-237-1008 ext 107/pimg src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlueRibbonCoalition/~4/2ILegDaSD-0" height="1" width="1"/





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