The GNF is taking comments on a new Travel Plan
which will be in effect for 10 – 15 years. They prefer Alternative
7 which reduces total snowmobiling area by 356,000 acres (Table 2.3)
and OHV trail mileage by 52% (Table 2.4) while increasing
non-motorized trails. Alt 7 only allows snowmobiling on 32% of total
land area leaving 68% for non motorized winter (Table 2.3 ). Alt 7
will eliminate the summer recreation opportunities (ROS) for
motorized on 120,000 non-wilderness acres (Table 2.5). It will
reduce the percentage of all trails that are open to motorized from
36% to 18% (Table 2.4).
In preferred Alt 7, the DEIS proposes to open
roads to ATV and close trails turning those trails over to
non-motorized users. MFMU doubts that ATV users will be happy with
this substitution. All in all motorized uses will lose almost half
of their trails(Table 2.4).
Alternative 2 allows for the least loss of
motorized access. Presently snowmobiling is allowed on 51% This
would change very little with Alt 2 except there would be a few
thousand more acres of seasonal closure.
The DEIS presents very little scientific data
supporting closures for the purpose of environmental protection,
i.e. grizzly bear or other species, sediment, water quality etc. The
difference in impacts between Alt 2 and Alt 7 for the 22 identified
issues, for species, water quality, soils, riparian, biodiversity
etc. are very small, usually less than 10% (Table 2.5). The only
place where there is a considerable difference is for the indicators
for social issues like recreation, noise, roadless areas, WSA and
proposed wilderness. For these issues where there is a large amount
of disagreement over what the future condition of the forest should
be, GNF has consistently favored one side, non-motorized, over the
other.
In an apparent attempt to justify favoring
non-motorized access, GNF states that non-motorized recreation is
expanding faster than motorized, which is also growing. However,
tables included in the DEIS reveal that on a national level
snowmobiling grew 2.5 times faster than cross-country skiing between
1982 and 2000 (Table 3.16 .3) and that snowmobiling in Montana was
twice as popular as cross-country skiing in 2000(Table 3.16 .4).
Despite these disclosed figures, the DEIS projects that
cross-country skiing on GNF will grow much faster than snowmobiling
by 2050. The GNF does not disclose how it arrived at this counter
indicated prediction. Perhaps they factored in the closures and then
made the projection that is needed to justify those closures.
Motorized recreationists aren’t the only ones
losing access under Alt 7. Mountain bikers will lose some trails and
back country horsemen will lose 277 miles of trail and 34,327 acres
will be closed to stock.
With an aging population more and more Americans
will need some kind of motorized access in order to enjoy the same
benefits from our National Forests as those who are younger and more
physically fit. The consequences of the preferred alternative 7 will
be:
1. Crowding on motorized trails
2. Environmental degradation due to
overcrowding which will lead to more motorized trail and area
closures
3. Decreased satisfaction with recreation
experience for motorized users
4. Loss of forest access for senior citizens
and the disabled.
5. Erosion of support for the U.S.F.S.
The comment period ends on August 1.
Comments should be addressed to:
Gallatin National Forest
Attn: Marna Daley
PO Box 130
Bozeman, MT 59771
Fax: (406) 587-6758
Email: Comments-northern-gallatin@fs.fed.us
The comment period has ended and the Gallatin has made their
decision. The ROD selected alternative 7 as expected with some
very small modifications. The ATV community has indicated that
they will appeal the decision during the 45 day appeal period which
started on Dec 18, 2006. If a satisfactory solution is not
achieved, the only recourse is legal action.
The Gallatin is the first NF in Region 1,, which includes
Montana, to complete a
forest wide travel plan. We can expect their plan to be a
template for the rest of the National Forests in Region 1.
UNLESS WE ARE OK WITH
LOSING HALF OR MORE OF OUR MOTORIZED ACCESS WE HAVE TO DEFEAT THIS
PLAN IN COURT
We will keep you posted on what you can do.
