Travel Management? What is it?

"In a recent survey about 9% of Forest users report they use ORVs in our Forests while over 80% seek quiet recreational activities." (National Visitors Monitoring Program)

Off-road vehicle use is increasing at an alarming rate. The off-roaders and the industry that backs them are clamoring for unrestricted motorized access to our public lands. Currently off-road vehicles can go cross country throughout the Forests with very few exceptions.

Travel Management Planning provides us a rare, and perhaps our only, opportunity to help create a balanced plan for our favorite National Forest. Each forest is at a different place in its planning process. Act now to perserve quiet recreation in your backyard.

Apache-Sitgreaves Talking Points

The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is midway through the process of developing a Travel Management Plan for motorized use. At the completion of this process, motorized travel will only be allowed on designated routes. The White Mountain Conservation League has carefully reviewed the proposed plan (called the Modified Proposed Action) that was provided at the meetings in 2008. While we support many of the proposed provisions, we have specific concerns that we feel must be remedied in the final plan.

We are currently waiting for Supervisor Chris Knopp to select the preferred option.

The WMCL seeks a Travel Management Plan that minimizes cross country ORV play areas, protects existing wilderness and inventoried roadless areas, maintains the eligibility of potential wilderness areas, and determines that motorized game retrieval is unnecessary or should be very limited in nature.

It's always the right time to tell the Forest Service your opinions! Mail your comments to: Chris Knopp, Forest Supervisor, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, PO Box 640, Springerville, AZ 85938, 928-333-4301 or email Chris Knopp at cknopp@fs.fed.us. Please mail us a copy of your comments as well! (WMCL, P.O. Box 595, Pinetop, AZ  85935)

The general comment period ended on for the Travel Management Plan. The decision on which plan to implement now rests with Chris Knopp, our new Forest Supervisor.

Key Points for Letters

Quiet recreation: The travel plan should preserve our quiet recreation activities. According to a 2007 A/SNF survey less than 9% of forest visitors participate in motorized recreation, while over 80% participate in activities associated with quiet recreation including hiking, wildlife viewing, etc. Please tell the Forest Supervisor that you appreciate the quiet recreation opportunities the Forest provides and you would like them preserved.

Quality wildlife habitat: The preponderance of scientific research indicates that in order to provide quality habitat for most wildlife species motorized route densities should not exceed 1 mile per square mile. Ask that the Forest maintains a motorized route density of less than 1 mile per square mile, and that it not include large roadless areas, wilderness areas or wildlife quiet areas in its calculations. The entire Forest should be managed to provide quality wildlife habitat.

Cross-Country Play Areas: Eight separate open play areas for cross-country motorized travel (or sacrifice areas - nearly 6000 acres!) are being proposed on the Lakeside and Black Mesa Ranger Districts. Indiscriminate cross-country travel is known to degrade wildlife habitat, damage archeological sites, destroy vegetation and promote soil erosion. Forest Service written guidance [FSM 7703.14] directs managers to use restraint in designating open motorized areas, as areas are not intended to be large or numerous and to designate areas only when lands have natural resource characteristics that are suitable for motor vehicle use or are so altered by past actions that motor vehicle use off designated roads and trails is appropriate (e.g., reservoir mudflats, sand dunes, old quarries). Public lands should not be sacrificed or be degraded by intensive cross-country travel by motorized vehicles. Ask the Forest Supervisor to limit cross country play areas to small areas that no longer have ecological value such as gravel pits.

Motorized dispersed camping: The Forest is considering establishing 600 foot-wide camping corridors along open roads where motorized vehicles can travel cross country. Forest Service written guidance directs managers to use this strategy “sparingly” (FSM 7703.11). However, the initial proposed action recommends opening 938 miles or nearly 70,000 acres to cross country travel and one of the alternatives they are considering would open over 450,000 acres to cross country travel! Please ask the Forest Supervisor to adhere to the Forest Service’s own guidance and designate dispersed camping corridors “sparingly”. Also suggest that 600 foot wide corridors are too wide as they encourage abuse by off-road vehicles.

Inventoried Roadless Areas: The Forest is considering opening currently closed roads within designated Inventoried Roadless Areas on the Clifton Ranger District. Additionally they are considering establishing motorized camping corridors adjacent to Inventoried Roadless Areas thus allowing new user created roads where they are supposed to be prohibited!. Ask the Forest Supervisor to comply with the Roadless Conservation Rule and not open roads within or adjacent to the Inventoried Roadless Areas.

Escudilla Wilderness Study Area: The White Mountain Conservation League has developed a Wilderness Study Area proposal that will substantially increase the size of the existing Escudilla Wilderness Area. Currently there are no open roads within the proposed area, but the Forest is considering opening two ORV trails within this area. Ask the Forest Supervisor to not open any routes through the Travel Management Plan that would impact the proposed Escudilla Wilderness Study Area.

Mogollon Rim Wildlife Conservation Plan: Grand Canyon Wildland Council has developed a wildlife conservation plan for much of the rim country on the Black Mesa Ranger District. The goal of the plan is to protect essential core roadless lands and to provide connectivity corridors that will prevent habitat fragmentation and disturbance caused by off-road vehicles. The plan proposes a variety of special management designations including Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers and Special Wildlife Quiet Areas. Please ask the Forest Supervisor to implement the motorized route recommendations outlined in the Mogollon Rim Wildlife Conservation Plan submitted by the Grand Canyon Wildland Council.

Motorized game retrieval: Forest Service written guidance directs managers to provide exemptions for motorized game retrieval “sparingly” (FSM 7703.12). The Forest, under pressure from AZ Game and Fish Department (AGFD), is proposing to allow for motorized game retrieval for up to one mile from any existing road for specific big game and seasonal hunts. We are convinced that, other than allowing some limited provisions for mobility impaired hunters, motorized game retrieval is unnecessary, unenforceable, and disruptive to wildlife and other hunters. In 2006, AGFD conducted a statewide survey of active hunters that found that disruption caused by ORVs was among the top four “barriers to participating in hunting” in Arizona. In fact 54% of the respondents indicated that disruption caused by ORV use was a significant barrier to their participation in hunting. Arizona is the only western state that is even considering a motorized game retrieval provision for non-impaired hunters. Finally, consider that the Grand Mesa National Forest in Colorado recently decided to rescind a motorized game retrieval provision after finding it to be frequently abused and generally unenforceable. Ask the Forest Supervisor to prohibit motorized game retrieval with an exception only for mobility impaired hunters.

We appreciate your support!