Forest officials seek input on road closings

The Carson National Forest has released a proposed plan for managing motorized travel and is seeking public comment. The agency has separate plans for the Jicarilla Ranger District and the districts of Canjilon, El Rito and Tres Piedras.

Meanwhile, the Santa Fe National Forest is still preparing a draft environmental review of alternatives for managing vehicles on trails, roads and cross-country travel for further public review. All national forests are mandated to create travel management plans designating areas open to dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, trucks and cars.

"What we're doing now is field work, analyzing comments, building alternatives and analyzing them," said Dolores Maese, public information officer with the Santa Fe National Forest. "We hope to come out with the draft Environmental Impact Statement in December, followed by public meetings. The final EIS is expected to come out in May 2010."

Draft maps and proposed closings were created last year and presented to the public for comment.

In the Carson National Forest, the Jicarilla proposed plan calls for removing 30 miles of road, leaving 188 open to motorized vehicles. That also will remove the 300-foot corridor designated for vehicles along those roads. The closures are needed in part to prevent trespassing on Jicarilla Apache lands, Carson officials say.

On the Canjilon, El Rito and Tres Piedras ranger districts, officials propose closing 275 miles of road and opening 33 miles to motorized vehicles, bringing the total to 1,522 miles. Some roads would be closed to vehicles from Jan. 1 to April 30 to protect wildlife.

The Carson National Forest also proposes closing another 534,796 acres to cross-country motorized travel.

For the Carson National Forest, comments must include the name and address of the commenter and title of the proposed action. Comments may be submitted by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Comments can also be faxed to 575-758-6213.

Source: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Forest-officials-seek-input-on-road-closings

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