Gila National Forest Hosts Open Houses On Travel Management Plan For Motorized Use?
Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
Gila National Forest Hosts Open Houses On Travel Management Plan For Motorized Use
The Gila National Forest, located in southwestern New Mexico, has announced the release of its Proposed Action for the implementation of the 2005 Travel Management Rule to manage motorized vehicle use. This proposal represents the start of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process (scoping phase) for this project. NEPA requires federal agencies to analyze and disclose the effects of proposed management actions on the environment. A key and integral part of NEPA is public participation and involvement.
The Forest Service (FS) will be hosting a series of 10 open houses between September 19 and October 3, 2009, to provide opportunities for the public to review, ask questions and comment on the proposal. (See schedule below)
This proposal allows for continued motorized access to the Forest on a designated road and trail system. It also includes significant changes on the use of motor vehicles, such as:
* Cross-country motor vehicle use travel will no longer be allowed.
* Motorized dispersed camping, outside of developed campgrounds, will be allowed within 300 feet on either side of a designated road.
* Cross-country travel to retrieve elk and deer will be allowed within a one-mile distance on either side of designated Forest Service roads, county roads, or state and federal highways.
Open House Schedule
Sept 19 – Las Cruces – Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, Tortugas Room 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sept 22 – Glenwood – Glenwood School 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Sept 23 – Mimbres – Round-Up Lodge 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Sept 24 – Reserve – Ranger District Office 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Sept 25 – Cliff – Cliff School 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Sept 26 – Silver City – County Convention Center (next to Ace Hardware) 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sept 29 – T or C – Ranger District Office 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Oct 1 – Luna – Luna Community Center 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Oct 2 – Quemado – Quemado School 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Oct 3 – Lordsburg – Special Events Center 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Interested individuals may stop by anytime during the open houses.
The public is invited to review the proposed action including the maps and provide comments. Your comments will be used to identify issues and develop alternatives to the proposed action. Even if you have commented previously, your input is still needed. The proposed action and maps are available on the forest’s website at http://fs.usda.gov/gila. Maps will also be available for review at the supervisor’s office, any of the six ranger district offices and the Catron, Grant, Hidalgo and Sierra County offices. As additional review locations become available, they will be posted on the web site.
Comments will be most helpful if they identify the specific actions you think are needed, why those changes should be made and how such a change would better meet your interests. The 45-day comment period will end October 26, 2009.
MAIL OR HAND DELIVER COMMENTS TO:
Gila National Forest
Attn: Travel Management Coordinator
3005 E. Camino del Bosque
Silver City, NM 88061
Comments may be delivered by hand to the Gila National Forest Supervisor’s Office or any District Ranger Office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
EMAIL COMMENTS TO:
r3_gila_travel@fs.fed.us
Please put “TM comments” in the subject line of e-mail comments. Acceptable formats are email message, MS Word (.doc), plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). Comments should include your name and address.
FAX COMMENTS TO:
(575) 388-8222
Additional information regarding the proposed actions can also be obtained from Lisa Mizuno, Forest Travel Management Coordinator, at (575) 388-8267.
JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN; PLEASE GET INVOLVED!
Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107
Category: Access Issues, Action Alerts, Southwest - Access Issues
