Your Involvement Needed to Protect Public Access to Ashley National Forest
November 16, 2007 – The U.S. Forest Service has published a Notice of Intent to prepare a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Ashley National Forest in Utah and Wyoming, which will serve as the Travel Management Plan (TMP) for the Forest. The purpose of the TMP is to designate what routes will be available for motorized travel within the Roosevelt/Duchesne and Flaming Gorge Ranger Districts of Ashley National Forest. The designations will set specific seasons of use and/or type of vehicle use allowed for roads and trails. A Motor Vehicle Use Map will be prepared as part of the draft EIS showing locations of all authorized routes within the forest. Once the EIS is final, all motorized travel off of these routes will be prohibited. The current proposal will also shorten the distance from the road a vehicle may travel for camping from 300 feet to 150 feet.
Because of a more labor-intensive route inventory process involved within the Vernal Ranger District of Ashley National Forest, Forest staff has decided to prepare a separate EIS for Vernal.
Comments on the Ashley National Forest TMP proposal will be accepted until December 24, 2007. Forest staff need to hear from riding enthusiasts regarding their favorite routes and other access issues. Make your voice heard by submitting your comments to:
Kris Rutledge, Project Coordinator
Ashley National Forest
355 N. Vernal Avenue
Vernal, UT 84078
For further information, contact Kris Rutledge at (435) 781-5196, or via email at krutledge@fs.fed.us. To view the original notice as it appeared in the Federal Register, click here.
