Summit County Citizens Voice

After seven years, the White River NF has a new travel management plan, subject to a 45-day appeal period.

Decision subject to 45-day appeal; conservation groups chime in

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —A new travel management plan for the Colorado’s White River National Forest is a sensible compromise between recreational demands and resource preservation, according to White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams. Click here to read the Record of Decision.

The plan is subject to a 45-day appeals period. Click here to visit the White River National Forest website with links to all relevant documents and maps.

If finalized in its present form, it will close several hundred miles of trails currently used by ATVs and dirt bikes, but will also legitimize many other illegally created trails on parts of the national forest.

Conservation advocates and public land watchdogs said the travel management plan appears to balance access with resource protection, but expressed concern about several key provisions.

“(T)he plan continues to contain some significant shortcomings that concern us,” said Sloan Shoemaker, director of the Aspen-based Wilderness Workshop.

“Today culminates over seven years of work on the travel plan. This alternative provides a sensible and pragmatic foundation for the transportation system on the White River National Forest while ensuring the natural resources are protected for future generations,” Fitzwilliams said. “This plan has an impact on everything we do. We wanted to get it right. That’s why it took seven years,” he said. “I believe this is an alternative we can reasonably afford to manage over the next 10 years. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, US Forest Service, White River National Forest | Tagged: Colorado, Environment, Environmental Impact Statement, Forest Service planning, Record of Decision, United States, United States Forest Service, White River National Forest, White River National Forest travel management plan | 1 Comment »