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By Frank Mosbacher
U.S. Forest Service
Forty-two off-highway-vehicle routes that cross meadows in the Eldorado National Forest may be closed to motor vehicle travel this recreation season while the Forest Service completes an environmental analysis, announced Eldorado National Forest Supervisor Kathy Hardy.
The potential travel prohibitions are the result of a February court order by U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton. The order said the Forest Service failed to comply with the National Forest Management Act in 2008 when it designated “open for public motor vehicle use” portions of 42 routes that cross meadows. Judge Karlton ordered the Forest Service to “set aside” the decision that designated these segments as open and to reconsider the decision.
A final court order with further direction to the Forest Service is pending. In the interim, Karlton ordered the 42 routes remain closed to motorized public use. The final order will identify specifically where travel will be prohibited until a new environmental decision is made.
“I know that prohibiting travel on these routes will be a big disappointment to forest visitors, but we have to be responsive to the order.” said Hardy. “I have a team of people lined up to complete a supplemental environmental impact statement as quickly as possible.”
The SEIS is scheduled to begin in April or May and to be completed by April 2013.
Hardy said many popular high county routes may be affected by the closure.
Some of these routes include: Barrett Lake Jeep Trail; Squaw Ridge Four -Wheel Drive Trail; Clover Valley/ Deer Valley Trail; Strawberry Four-Wheel Drive Trail; Carson Emigrant Trail; Allen’s Camp Motorcycle Trail and the Bucks Pasture Motorcycle Trail. The Rubicon 4wd Trail is not affected by this court order.
Maps and a complete list of the routes affected by the court order will be posted on the Eldorado National Forest Website at: fs.usda.gov/eldorado. These maps will be modified to reflect the final court order once it is received.
A free-of-charge motor vehicle use map that shows the routes that are open to wheeled motor vehicle use will be available at all Eldorado National Forest offices in June reflecting the final order.
“I intend to close the routes where it makes sense to do so if the final order prohibits travel on routes that cross meadows,” said Hardy. “A route may be closed near a meadow or some distance away, depending on how difficult it is to turn a vehicle around.”
Some routes will also be closed indirectly because they branch off closed routes and will not be accessible.
SOOO, you’re going to try and close many ohv areas? Where will the enforcement of those closures come from? Will there have to be re-assigned personell or hire new ones to write tickets for your agenda. THEN, by closing these you will force people to be concentrated on whatever roads are available. THAT act will cause immediate damage and quicker long term damage.I’m not an ohv person but this seems like government once again, trying to control us for their own interests. Sad and pathetic.
Yes the very word, “Meadow” will have to be bastardized into something to fit the goal of this Govt. take over of public land. It will have to be something like, a “wet spot” that can be considered to be “Damp” at times other then the times the Govt. order might be in effect if the Govt. so declares. I will gladly dampen the spot for them as this is B.S. that need s a bull to deliver the product requested.
why did I have to search for this story? should have been on the main news feed, hate this new website
The county should step in and declare ALL of these “OHV” roads public county unmaintained roads created prior to any federalization of the forest and the circus it created. Other counties have had to battle the forest circus over these same issues when they try to declare a road closed that a county opened back in the Gold Rush and never abandoned. This Judge may never have seen a forest road becuase all in certain seasons could be in a damp, flooded, “Meadow” state and a word subject to interpretation will always be changed to suit the side arguing the meaning and the desire to regulate others as here. This order will prevent thousands from using land that was alledged to be public at one time apparently now it is to be called the new “Regulated semi-public Govt. owned land” that you can use when and where the Govt. allows only or be subject to whatever the Govt. declares. Time for the County to step in.
There are a few dirt roads that the county made “count roads” I won’t name them but I use them and there are some in this county but not nearly enough! As far as enforcement they don’t have the budget or staff…
Golly, Lets all take this time to thank the wonderful Karen Schambach and her PEER organization and Center for Bio Diversity for once again using deciete and manipulation to further her vendetta against OHV users.
This woman is proof positive of all that is wrong with the environmentalist movement. TIme and atime again she and her group use outright lies to close trails. We will prevail however. We use the truth as our weapon Mrs. Shcambach something you are not familiar with!
Want to fight back? COme to the FOTR annual meeting at the Cal 4Wheel Drive office in Sacramento This Saturday April 14th! As well write your representative!
Is it just me or does this website really stink.
Me thinks the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.