Kaibab National Forest Talking Points
It's a Chance for You to Make a Difference!

The bottom line is that if you don't speak out, the voice of the conservation community will not be heard.

The Kaibab National Forest has embarked on developing a Travel Management Plan for motorized use on the three separate Ranger Districts: Tusayan (south of Grand Canyon); Williams (west of Flagstaff); and the North Kaibab (north of Grand Canyon). At the completion of this process, motorized travel will only be allowed on designated routes.

Tusayan Ranger District

The Grand Canyon Wildlands Council and its partners have recently commented on the proposed action and Environmental Assessment. While we support many of the proposed provisions (elimination of cross country travel, reduction in road density, protection of the Coconino Rim), we have specific concerns that we feel must be remedied in the final plan.

We have two major concerns:

1) Allowing use of off-road vehicles game retrieval across most of the Forest. Arizona is the only state requesting this allowance for what, according to Forest Service surveys, constitutes about 4% of forest visitors. Most visitors (over 95%), neither hunt nor use off-road vehicles.

2) Opening to off-road travel for camping approximately 2,000 acres of Forest classified as “High Risk” to watershed, wildlife and soils. We advocate that campers park off designated routes a safe distance (usually one car length) or use the many already existing primitive campsites that most folks use anyway. Allowing cross-country travel will ultimately turn thousands of acres of relatively undisturbed forest into a maze of eroding trails to nowhere.

Williams Ranger District

Currently, the Forest Service plans to release for comment a similar Environmental Assessment for the Williams Ranger District, most likely in March or April. We expect proposed actions similar to the Tusayan, resulting in similar concerns.

North Kaibab Ranger District

The North Kaibab, set aside in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt as the “Grand Canyon National Game Preserve,” still contains significant old growth forest along with its array of wildlife including goshawks, mule deer, mountain lions, and the unique Kaibab squirrel. The North Kaibab Ranger District will most likely begin its travel management efforts this spring.

Right now is the opportune time to try to influence the Kaibab Forest
Supervisor to select or create an ecologically responsible Travel Management Plan that reflects visitor expectations (most prefer non-motorized recreation opportunities) while protecting the forests wildlife, soils, archeological treasures, and native plant life. Now is our best opportunity to show the Forest Supervisor, Mike Williams, the widespread support for a balanced Travel Management Plan that eliminates cross-country damage, protects existing wilderness and inventoried roadless areas, maintains the eligibility of potential wilderness areas, and determines that motorized game retrieval is unnecessary.

Take Action: E-mail your comments to: Mike Williams, Forest Supervisor, comments-southwestern-kaibab@fs.fed.us; or mail to: Kaibab National Forest, 800 South Sixth Street, Williams, AZ  86046; (928) 635-8200; Fax:  (928) 635-8208.

 

Key Points for Letters

Quiet recreation: The travel plan should preserve our quiet recreation activities. According to a 2006 Kaibab National Forest survey, less than 10% of forest visitors participate in motorized recreation, while the vast majority 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.

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.

For more information, please contact Kim Crumbo, Grand Canyon Wildlands Council at 928-638-2304; kcrumbo@grand-canyon.az.us; or visit our website at http://www.grandcanyonwildlands.org/

We appreciate your support!