Department of Agriculture May 12, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Modoc National Forest (Modoc NF) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to disclose the impacts associated with the following proposed actions: 1. The prohibition of cross-country motorized vehicle travel (with the exception of snowmobiles) off designated NFS roads, NFS trails and areas by the public except as allowed by permit or other authorization. 2. Add approximately 339 miles of 1170 existing unauthorized routes to the current system of National Forest System (NFS) roads and motorized trails open to the public for wheeled motorized vehicle use by vehicle class, including seasonal closures on approximately 20 miles of 74 of the added routes. 3. Make the following changes to existing NFS roads: a. Prohibit use seasonally on approximately 313 miles of 214 existing NFS roads. b. Allow non-highway legal vehicle use on approximately 147 miles of existing NFS roads where such use is currently prohibited. c. Close NFS road 46B29HB (road along Boles Creek between Clear Lake and Steel Swamp) to public use. 4. Amend the Modoc NF Land and Resource Management Plan (Modoc LRMP) for areas not covered under the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment by removing the objective ``Keep over 87% of the Forest open to OHVs (Modoc LRMP p. 4-11)'' and numerous standards and guidelines in the LRMP regarding keeping areas open for OHV use and include as a forest-wide standard ``Prohibit wheeled vehicle travel off designated roads and trails except for administrative use or uses under permitted activities''.