Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico, Motorized Travel Management Plan, 41028-41030 [E8-16374]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
41028
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 138 / Thursday, July 17, 2008 / Notices
service (redistributed around the Sound
in the aftermath of EVOS). This
information will allow managers to
mitigate potential conflicts. Further,
study results may assist in the
identification of potential changing
resource harvest dynamics during a time
of increasing human use in the Prince
William Sound.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 30
minutes.
Type of Respondents: Individuals—
(heads of households).
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 250.
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: One.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 125 hours.
Comment Is Invited
Comment is invited on: (1) Whether
this collection of information is
necessary for the stated purposes and
the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the
information will have practical or
scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
All comments received in response to
this notice, including names and
addresses when provided, will be a
matter of public record. Comments will
be summarized and included in the
submission request toward Office of
Management and Budget approval.
Dated: July 11, 2008.
Gloria Manning,
Associate Deputy Chief.
[FR Doc. E8–16361 Filed 7–16–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico,
Motorized Travel Management Plan
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Santa Fe National Forest
(Forest) will prepare an environmental
impact statement to designate a system
VerDate Aug<31>2005
21:03 Jul 16, 2008
Jkt 214001
of roads, trails, and areas open to
motorized travel by class of vehicle and
time of year, in accordance with the
Agency’s 2005 Travel Management
Rule. As part of the proposal, the Forest
will also address the use of motor
vehicles for dispersed camping and big
game retrieval. Once a decision is made
about which roads, trails, and areas will
be open to motorized use, motorized
travel off the designated system will be
prohibited. The designated roads, trails,
and areas will be published on a motor
vehicle use map, which will serve as the
primary tool for compliance and
enforcement.
This notice summarizes the proposal,
opportunities for public participation,
decisions to be made, and estimated
dates for publication of documents
associated with the project.
DATES: Comments about the proposal
should be submitted within 45 days of
the date of publication of this notice in
the Federal Register. The Forest expects
to publish the draft environmental
impact statement in June 2009 and the
final environmental impact statement in
September 2009. For public meeting
dates, refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Julie Bain, Project Leader, Santa Fe
National Forest Travel Management
Planning, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe,
NM 87505. Fax comments to (505) 438–
7834. Send electronic comments to
comments-southwesternsantafe@fs.fed.us with ‘‘Travel
Management’’ in the subject line.
Electronic attachments must be in one
of the following formats: .doc, .rtf, .txt,
or .pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Process Information: Julie Bain,
Project Leader, Santa Fe National Forest,
at (505) 438–7829 or
sftravelmgt@fs.fed.us.
Technical Information: Diane
Taliaferro, Recreation Program Manager,
Santa Fe National Forest, at (505) 438–
7823 or sftravelmgt@fs.fed.us.
The proposed action, maps, and other
pertinent information about this project
can be found on the Forest’s Web site:
https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/travelmgt/
index.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: People use motor
vehicles to access the Santa Fe National
Forest for a number of activities, such as
hiking, horseback riding, hunting,
camping, sightseeing, viewing wildlife,
fishing, and collecting firewood or other
forest products. People also use vehicles
for administrative and commercial
activities such as logging, grazing
management, and utility maintenance.
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
The Forest Service has identified four
major threats to the national forests and
grasslands: (1) The risk of catastrophic
fire, (2) the loss of open space, (3)
invasive species, and (4) unmanaged
recreation, including the effects of
unmanaged off-highway vehicles
(OHVs). In response to the latter, on
November 9, 2005 the Forest Service
published final travel management
regulations governing OHVs and other
motor vehicles on national forests and
grasslands.
The Travel Management Rule requires
that national forests designate a system
of roads, trails, and areas open for motor
vehicle use by class of vehicle, and if
appropriate, by time of year. The
designated roads, trails, and areas will
be published on a motor vehicle use
map for the public’s use. After routes
and areas are designated and the motor
vehicle use map published, motor
vehicle use not in accordance with these
designations will be prohibited. The
Travel Management Rule also addresses
the use of vehicles to access campsites
and retrieve big game.
Proposed Action: The full text and
maps of the proposed action are located
on the Forest’s Web site at https://
www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/travelmgt/
index.html. Under the proposed action,
the Forest would do the following:
Change forest policy regarding
motorized travel, designate a system of
roads, trails, and areas, designate
motorized access to dispersed camping,
and limit the motorized retrieval of
downed big game to the designated
system. Each action is described below.
Forest Policy: The Santa Fe National
Forest proposes to amend its current
forest plan direction so that it complies
with the Travel Management Rule and
to update language related to
management of the transportation
system. The proposed action would:
• Designate a system of roads, trails,
and areas open to motor vehicle use by
the public by class of vehicle and time
of year pursuant to section 212.51.
• Prohibit travel off the designated
system pursuant to section 251.13.
• Remove the minimum open road
density standard from all management
areas.
• Amend the maximum open road
density standard for specific units
within management areas not meeting
the open road density currently listed in
the forest plan.
• Remove quantitative goals for road
construction, reconstruction, and
decommissioning.
Roads: To reduce the negative effects
to national forest system lands and
resources from excessive or poorly
situated roads and still provide
E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM
17JYN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 138 / Thursday, July 17, 2008 / Notices
motorized access, the Santa Fe National
Forest proposes to designate 2,309 miles
of the existing 4,924 miles of roads for
motorized travel by the public by class
of vehicle and season of use. This would
reduce the number of miles authorized
for motor vehicle use from the existing
direction by 2,615 miles, equal to a 53%
reduction.
The 2,309 miles proposed for
designation includes 17 miles of
unauthorized roads, 90 miles of closed
forest roads, 9 miles of previously
decommissioned roads, 73 miles of nonsystem roads, and 7 miles of
undetermined roads. The remaining
2,113 miles proposed for designation are
existing forest roads.
Motorized Trails: To provide
opportunities for managed motorized
recreation, the Santa Fe National Forest
proposes to designate 247 miles of trail
for motorized use. One hundred and
five miles would be for ATVs and
motorcycles, and 142 miles would be for
motorcycles only. Additionally,
approximately 2,040 miles of roads,
some of which are coincident with
trails, would also be available for use by
ATVs and motorcycles.
This proposal would close some
existing trails to motorized use, or not
designate some trails, that are currently
being used for such. It would designate
approximately 71 miles of unauthorized
trails. The proposal would convert the
following miles of road to trail: 49 miles
of closed forest roads, 13 miles of
previously decommissioned roads, 7
miles of non-system roads, and 1 mile
of undetermined road. The remaining
103 miles proposed for designation are
existing forest trails.
Motorized Areas: To reduce the
negative effects caused by vehicles
traveling cross-country, the Santa Fe
National Forest proposes to designate
approximately 50 acres for motorized
cross-country use. Cross-country
motorized travel outside of these areas
will be prohibited.
On the Jemez Ranger District, the
Forest proposes 12 small areas totaling
approximately 40 acres for motorcycle
use. To access these areas, people would
use designated motorized single-track
trails. A trials motorcycle group has
used these areas for competitive events
under a special use permit for the last
several years. Their attractiveness for
cross-country travel lies in the large
boulders and rocky terrain, where riders
test their technical abilities at slow
speeds.
On the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger
District, the Forest proposes ten areas,
generally one acre or less to provide
motorized dispersed camping in
locations that are already well used for
VerDate Aug<31>2005
21:03 Jul 16, 2008
Jkt 214001
this activity. The Travel Management
Rule does not differentiate among types
of uses within a designated area, so
vehicle use would not be limited to
camping.
Motorized Access to Dispersed
Camping: To reduce the risk of future
damage to natural and heritage
resources, the Santa Fe National Forest
proposes to designate motorized access
to dispersed camping.
The Forest used three methods to
designate access to motorized dispersed
camping: (1) Designating specific routes
leading to dispersed campsites; (2)
designating areas; and (3) designating
corridors along certain roads pursuant
to section 212.51(b). Parking safely next
to the side of a designated road and
using non-motorized means to get to a
campsite will continue to be allowed
throughout the Forest. The Forest’s
intent is to designate access to those
areas where people are already camping,
unless substantial resource damage is
occurring.
The Forest proposes to designate 150foot corridors on either side of 437 miles
of road and 8 miles of trail, and 300-foot
corridors on either side of the road
along 71 miles of road. The roads
leading to dispersed campsites beyond
these designated distances are proposed
individually for designation.
Motorized Access to Retrieve Downed
Big Game: Recognizing that any OHV
use off designated roads and trails has
the potential to stimulate additional
unintended use and subsequent habitat
degradation, the Santa Fe National
Forest proposes to limit the use of motor
vehicles to retrieve downed game to
designated routes only. No corridors to
retrieve big game with a motorized
vehicle are being proposed.
Responsible Official: The Responsible
Official is the Forest Supervisor, Santa
Fe National Forest, 1474 Rodeo Road,
P.O. Box 1689, Santa Fe, NM 87504–
1689.
Nature of Decision To Be Made: Based
on the environmental analysis, the
forest supervisor will decide: (1) Which
roads, trails, and areas will be
designated for motorized use by the
public by vehicle class and time of year;
(2) where to designate motorized access
for dispersed camping; and (3) whether
to designate motorized access to retrieve
downed game; and (4) what forest plan
amendments to adopt.
Scoping Process: This notice of intent
initiates the scoping process that guides
the development of the draft
environmental impact statement. The
Forest invites written comments and
suggestions on the proposed action,
including any issues to consider, as well
as any concerns relevant to the analysis.
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
41029
The Forest encourages electronic
correspondence on this proposed action.
Forest staff will also conduct a series of
public meetings:
1. Mora-Cleveland area: Monday, July
28, 2008, 6–8:30 p.m., CHET Fire
Department, Highway 518, Cleveland,
New Mexico.
2. Coyote: Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 6–
8:30 p.m., Coyote Elementary School,
W. Highway 96, Coyote, New Mexico.
3. Las Vegas: Wednesday, July 30,
2008, 6–8:30 p.m., West Kennedy Hall,
NMHU, University Avenue, Las Vegas,
New Mexico.
4. Jemez: Thursday, July 31, 2008, 6–
8:30 p.m., Valles Caldera Conference
Room, 18161 Highway 4, Jemez Springs,
New Mexico.
5. Rowe-Pecos area: Saturday, August
2, 2008, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Pecos
Middle School Cafeteria, N. Highway
63, Pecos, New Mexico.
˜
6. Pena Blanca: Tuesday, August 5,
˜
2008, 6–8:30 p.m., Pena Blanca
Community Center Gym, 778 Highway
˜
22, Pena Blanca, New Mexico.
˜
7. Glorieta, Eldorado, Canoncito,
Hondo area: Wednesday, August 6,
2008, 6–8:30 p.m., Hondo Volunteer
Fire Department, 645 Old Las Vegas
Highway, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
8. Cuba: Thursday, August 7, 2008, 6–
8:30 p.m., Cuba Senior Center, 16A
Cordova Street, Cuba, New Mexico.
9. Santa Fe: Tuesday, August 12,
2008, 6–8:30 p.m., Unitarian
Universalist Congregation, 107 W.
Barcelona Rd., Santa Fe, New Mexico.
10. Los Alamos: Thursday, August 14,
2008, 6–8:30 p.m., Fuller Lodge, 2132
Central Avenue, Los Alamos, New
Mexico.
˜
11. Espanola: Monday, August 18,
˜
2008, 6–8:30 p.m., Espanola Ranger
Station, 1710 N. Riverside Drive,
˜
Espanola, New Mexico.
12. Rio Rancho: Tuesday, August 19,
2008, 6–8:30 p.m., Destiny Center, 4401
Northern Blvd., NE., Rio Rancho, New
Mexico.
13. Albuquerque: Wednesday, August
20, 2008, 6–8:30 p.m., UNM Conference
Center, Room B, 1634 University Blvd.,
NE., Albuquerque, NM.
The meetings set aside time for
informal discussions, a presentation,
map review, and asking questions.
Contacts at Ranger Districts: The
district rangers listed below can answer
site-specific questions on the proposal.
Coyote Ranger District: Francisco
Sanchez, (575) 638–5526. Cuba Ranger
District: Jim Eaton or Derek Padilla,
(575) 289–3264.
Jemez Ranger District: Linda Riddle,
(575) 829–3535. Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger
District: Steve Romero, (505) 757–6121
or (505) 425–3535.
E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM
17JYN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
41030
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 138 / Thursday, July 17, 2008 / Notices
˜
Espanola Ranger District: Sandy
Hurlocker, (505) 753–7331.
Early Notice of Importance of Public
Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft
environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment
period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be a minimum of
45 days from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the notice of availability in
the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this
early stage, it is important to give
reviewers notice of several court rulings
related to public participation in the
environmental review process. First,
reviewers of draft environmental impact
statements must structure their
participation in the environmental
review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the
reviewer’s position and contentions.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v.
NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also,
environmental objections that could be
raised at the draft environmental impact
statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final
environmental impact statement may be
waived or dismissed by the courts. City
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016,
1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin
Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp.
1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of
these court rulings, it is very important
that those interested in this proposed
action participate by the close of the
comment period so that comments and
objections are made available to the
Forest Service at a time when it can
meaningfully consider them and
respond to them in the final
environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in
identifying and considering issues and
concerns on the proposed action,
comments on the draft environmental
impact statement should be as specific
as possible. It is also helpful if
comments refer to specific pages or
chapters of the draft statement.
Comments may also address the
adequacy of the draft environmental
impact statement or the merits of the
alternatives formulated and discussed in
the statement. Reviewers may wish to
refer to the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act at 40
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
21:03 Jul 16, 2008
Jkt 214001
Dated: July 2, 2008.
Daniel J. Jiron,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E8–16374 Filed 7–16–08; 8:45 am]
Revised notice of meetings of
the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto
Mountains National Monument
Advisory Committee for 2008 and 2009.
ACTION:
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Ravalli County Resource Advisory
Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Meeting.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Ravalli County Resource
Advisory Committee will be meeting
about a presentation ‘‘Climate Change
Solutions: Where do we go from here?’’
given by Dr. Faith Ann Heinsch, and
hold a short public forum (question and
answer session). The meeting is being
held pursuant to the authorities in the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.
L. 92–463) and under the Secure Rural
Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106–
393). The meeting is open to the public.
DATES: The meeting will be held on July
22, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Bitterroot National Forest
Supervisors Office, 1801 North First,
Hamilton, Montana. Send written
comments to Daniel G. Ritter, District
Ranger, Stevensville Ranger District, 88
Main Street, Stevensville, MT 59870, by
facsimile (406) 777–7423, or
electronically to dritter@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Daniel G. Ritter, Stevensville District
Ranger and Designated Federal Officer,
Phone: (406) 777–5461.
Dated: July 7, 2008.
David T. Bull,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E8–16220 Filed 7–16–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Revised Notice of Meetings, Santa
Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains
National Monument Advisory
Committee
SUMMARY: The Santa Rosa and San
Jacinto Mountains National Monument
Advisory Committee (Monument
Advisory Committee) will meet as
indicated below.
DATES:
• September 15, 2008.
• March 16, 2009.
• September 21, 2009.
All meetings of the Monument
Advisory Committee will start at 3 p.m.
and conclude at 6 p.m.
Meetings of the Monument
Advisory Committee will be held at the
County of Riverside Permit Assistance
Center, Second Floor Conference Room,
38686 El Cerrito Road, Palm Desert,
California.
ADDRESSES:
Jim
Foote, Monument Manager, Santa Rosa
and San Jacinto Mountains National
Monument, c/o Bureau of Land
Management, 690 West Garnet Ave.,
P.O. Box 581260, North Palm Springs,
CA 92258; telephone (760) 251–4800;
facsimile message (760) 251–4899;
e-mail jfoote@ca.blm.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
This
notice identifies a change in meeting
dates and times for the remainder of
2008, as published in the Federal
Register on August 23, 2007, and
identifies meeting dates for 2009. While
the September 6, 2008 meeting has been
changed to September 15, 2008, the
meeting of December 6, 2008 is
cancelled.
Meetings of the Monument Advisory
Committee focus on implementation of
the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto
Mountains National Monument
Management Plan (2004). All meetings
are open to the public. A public
comment period when members of the
public may address the Monument
Advisory Committee will occur at 4
p.m. during each meeting. Written
comments may be sent to the Monument
Manager at the address shown above;
however, transportation, lodging, and
meals are the responsibility of the
participating public.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
AGENCIES: Forest Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture; and Bureau
of Land Management, U.S. Department
of the Interior.
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM
17JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 138 (Thursday, July 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41028-41030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-16374]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico, Motorized Travel Management
Plan
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Santa Fe National Forest (Forest) will prepare an
environmental impact statement to designate a system of roads, trails,
and areas open to motorized travel by class of vehicle and time of
year, in accordance with the Agency's 2005 Travel Management Rule. As
part of the proposal, the Forest will also address the use of motor
vehicles for dispersed camping and big game retrieval. Once a decision
is made about which roads, trails, and areas will be open to motorized
use, motorized travel off the designated system will be prohibited. The
designated roads, trails, and areas will be published on a motor
vehicle use map, which will serve as the primary tool for compliance
and enforcement.
This notice summarizes the proposal, opportunities for public
participation, decisions to be made, and estimated dates for
publication of documents associated with the project.
DATES: Comments about the proposal should be submitted within 45 days
of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. The
Forest expects to publish the draft environmental impact statement in
June 2009 and the final environmental impact statement in September
2009. For public meeting dates, refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Julie Bain, Project Leader, Santa
Fe National Forest Travel Management Planning, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa
Fe, NM 87505. Fax comments to (505) 438-7834. Send electronic comments
to comments-southwestern-santafe@fs.fed.us with ``Travel Management''
in the subject line. Electronic attachments must be in one of the
following formats: .doc, .rtf, .txt, or .pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Process Information: Julie Bain, Project Leader, Santa Fe National
Forest, at (505) 438-7829 or sftravelmgt@fs.fed.us.
Technical Information: Diane Taliaferro, Recreation Program
Manager, Santa Fe National Forest, at (505) 438-7823 or
sftravelmgt@fs.fed.us.
The proposed action, maps, and other pertinent information about
this project can be found on the Forest's Web site: https://
www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/travelmgt/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: People use motor vehicles to access the Santa Fe
National Forest for a number of activities, such as hiking, horseback
riding, hunting, camping, sightseeing, viewing wildlife, fishing, and
collecting firewood or other forest products. People also use vehicles
for administrative and commercial activities such as logging, grazing
management, and utility maintenance.
The Forest Service has identified four major threats to the
national forests and grasslands: (1) The risk of catastrophic fire, (2)
the loss of open space, (3) invasive species, and (4) unmanaged
recreation, including the effects of unmanaged off-highway vehicles
(OHVs). In response to the latter, on November 9, 2005 the Forest
Service published final travel management regulations governing OHVs
and other motor vehicles on national forests and grasslands.
The Travel Management Rule requires that national forests designate
a system of roads, trails, and areas open for motor vehicle use by
class of vehicle, and if appropriate, by time of year. The designated
roads, trails, and areas will be published on a motor vehicle use map
for the public's use. After routes and areas are designated and the
motor vehicle use map published, motor vehicle use not in accordance
with these designations will be prohibited. The Travel Management Rule
also addresses the use of vehicles to access campsites and retrieve big
game.
Proposed Action: The full text and maps of the proposed action are
located on the Forest's Web site at https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/
travelmgt/. Under the proposed action, the Forest would do
the following: Change forest policy regarding motorized travel,
designate a system of roads, trails, and areas, designate motorized
access to dispersed camping, and limit the motorized retrieval of
downed big game to the designated system. Each action is described
below.
Forest Policy: The Santa Fe National Forest proposes to amend its
current forest plan direction so that it complies with the Travel
Management Rule and to update language related to management of the
transportation system. The proposed action would:
Designate a system of roads, trails, and areas open to
motor vehicle use by the public by class of vehicle and time of year
pursuant to section 212.51.
Prohibit travel off the designated system pursuant to
section 251.13.
Remove the minimum open road density standard from all
management areas.
Amend the maximum open road density standard for specific
units within management areas not meeting the open road density
currently listed in the forest plan.
Remove quantitative goals for road construction,
reconstruction, and decommissioning.
Roads: To reduce the negative effects to national forest system
lands and resources from excessive or poorly situated roads and still
provide
[[Page 41029]]
motorized access, the Santa Fe National Forest proposes to designate
2,309 miles of the existing 4,924 miles of roads for motorized travel
by the public by class of vehicle and season of use. This would reduce
the number of miles authorized for motor vehicle use from the existing
direction by 2,615 miles, equal to a 53% reduction.
The 2,309 miles proposed for designation includes 17 miles of
unauthorized roads, 90 miles of closed forest roads, 9 miles of
previously decommissioned roads, 73 miles of non-system roads, and 7
miles of undetermined roads. The remaining 2,113 miles proposed for
designation are existing forest roads.
Motorized Trails: To provide opportunities for managed motorized
recreation, the Santa Fe National Forest proposes to designate 247
miles of trail for motorized use. One hundred and five miles would be
for ATVs and motorcycles, and 142 miles would be for motorcycles only.
Additionally, approximately 2,040 miles of roads, some of which are
coincident with trails, would also be available for use by ATVs and
motorcycles.
This proposal would close some existing trails to motorized use, or
not designate some trails, that are currently being used for such. It
would designate approximately 71 miles of unauthorized trails. The
proposal would convert the following miles of road to trail: 49 miles
of closed forest roads, 13 miles of previously decommissioned roads, 7
miles of non-system roads, and 1 mile of undetermined road. The
remaining 103 miles proposed for designation are existing forest
trails.
Motorized Areas: To reduce the negative effects caused by vehicles
traveling cross-country, the Santa Fe National Forest proposes to
designate approximately 50 acres for motorized cross-country use.
Cross-country motorized travel outside of these areas will be
prohibited.
On the Jemez Ranger District, the Forest proposes 12 small areas
totaling approximately 40 acres for motorcycle use. To access these
areas, people would use designated motorized single-track trails. A
trials motorcycle group has used these areas for competitive events
under a special use permit for the last several years. Their
attractiveness for cross-country travel lies in the large boulders and
rocky terrain, where riders test their technical abilities at slow
speeds.
On the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District, the Forest proposes ten
areas, generally one acre or less to provide motorized dispersed
camping in locations that are already well used for this activity. The
Travel Management Rule does not differentiate among types of uses
within a designated area, so vehicle use would not be limited to
camping.
Motorized Access to Dispersed Camping: To reduce the risk of future
damage to natural and heritage resources, the Santa Fe National Forest
proposes to designate motorized access to dispersed camping.
The Forest used three methods to designate access to motorized
dispersed camping: (1) Designating specific routes leading to dispersed
campsites; (2) designating areas; and (3) designating corridors along
certain roads pursuant to section 212.51(b). Parking safely next to the
side of a designated road and using non-motorized means to get to a
campsite will continue to be allowed throughout the Forest. The
Forest's intent is to designate access to those areas where people are
already camping, unless substantial resource damage is occurring.
The Forest proposes to designate 150-foot corridors on either side
of 437 miles of road and 8 miles of trail, and 300-foot corridors on
either side of the road along 71 miles of road. The roads leading to
dispersed campsites beyond these designated distances are proposed
individually for designation.
Motorized Access to Retrieve Downed Big Game: Recognizing that any
OHV use off designated roads and trails has the potential to stimulate
additional unintended use and subsequent habitat degradation, the Santa
Fe National Forest proposes to limit the use of motor vehicles to
retrieve downed game to designated routes only. No corridors to
retrieve big game with a motorized vehicle are being proposed.
Responsible Official: The Responsible Official is the Forest
Supervisor, Santa Fe National Forest, 1474 Rodeo Road, P.O. Box 1689,
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1689.
Nature of Decision To Be Made: Based on the environmental analysis,
the forest supervisor will decide: (1) Which roads, trails, and areas
will be designated for motorized use by the public by vehicle class and
time of year; (2) where to designate motorized access for dispersed
camping; and (3) whether to designate motorized access to retrieve
downed game; and (4) what forest plan amendments to adopt.
Scoping Process: This notice of intent initiates the scoping
process that guides the development of the draft environmental impact
statement. The Forest invites written comments and suggestions on the
proposed action, including any issues to consider, as well as any
concerns relevant to the analysis. The Forest encourages electronic
correspondence on this proposed action. Forest staff will also conduct
a series of public meetings:
1. Mora-Cleveland area: Monday, July 28, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., CHET
Fire Department, Highway 518, Cleveland, New Mexico.
2. Coyote: Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., Coyote Elementary
School, W. Highway 96, Coyote, New Mexico.
3. Las Vegas: Wednesday, July 30, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., West Kennedy
Hall, NMHU, University Avenue, Las Vegas, New Mexico.
4. Jemez: Thursday, July 31, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., Valles Caldera
Conference Room, 18161 Highway 4, Jemez Springs, New Mexico.
5. Rowe-Pecos area: Saturday, August 2, 2008, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.,
Pecos Middle School Cafeteria, N. Highway 63, Pecos, New Mexico.
6. Pe[ntilde]a Blanca: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m.,
Pe[ntilde]a Blanca Community Center Gym, 778 Highway 22, Pe[ntilde]a
Blanca, New Mexico.
7. Glorieta, Eldorado, Ca[ntilde]oncito, Hondo area: Wednesday,
August 6, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., Hondo Volunteer Fire Department, 645 Old
Las Vegas Highway, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
8. Cuba: Thursday, August 7, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., Cuba Senior Center,
16A Cordova Street, Cuba, New Mexico.
9. Santa Fe: Tuesday, August 12, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., Unitarian
Universalist Congregation, 107 W. Barcelona Rd., Santa Fe, New Mexico.
10. Los Alamos: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., Fuller
Lodge, 2132 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, New Mexico.
11. Espa[ntilde]ola: Monday, August 18, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m.,
Espa[ntilde]ola Ranger Station, 1710 N. Riverside Drive,
Espa[ntilde]ola, New Mexico.
12. Rio Rancho: Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., Destiny
Center, 4401 Northern Blvd., NE., Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
13. Albuquerque: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 6-8:30 p.m., UNM
Conference Center, Room B, 1634 University Blvd., NE., Albuquerque, NM.
The meetings set aside time for informal discussions, a
presentation, map review, and asking questions.
Contacts at Ranger Districts: The district rangers listed below can
answer site-specific questions on the proposal. Coyote Ranger District:
Francisco Sanchez, (575) 638-5526. Cuba Ranger District: Jim Eaton or
Derek Padilla, (575) 289-3264.
Jemez Ranger District: Linda Riddle, (575) 829-3535. Pecos/Las
Vegas Ranger District: Steve Romero, (505) 757-6121 or (505) 425-3535.
[[Page 41030]]
Espa[ntilde]ola Ranger District: Sandy Hurlocker, (505) 753-7331.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be a minimum of 45 days from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in
the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the comment period so that comments and
objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it
can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the final
environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21.
Dated: July 2, 2008.
Daniel J. Jiron,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E8-16374 Filed 7-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
