SF Forest Proposal Would Limit Use of ATVs
Santa Fe National Forest officials unveiled a proposal on Thursday that would cut in half the roads available to motorized travel and practically eliminate off-road or off-trail use of motorized vehicles.
And then they stepped back to brace themselves for public reaction.
“I understand that every time we make a big change, people are really emotional about it,” said Forest Supervisor Daniel Jiron. “We’re trying to leave Santa Fe National Forest for future generations in the best shape possible.”
The public outcry already has been heard for at least two years, the time that has lapsed since local officials first started work to conform with motorized travel regulations issued for forests nationwide. People who use the forest — including off-road trails that appeared through usage but never were official routes — complained that their recreational opportunities were being closed down, while those who oppose the noisy machines, especially in areas where they live, have said not enough was being done to keep them out of the forest.
Jiron said he expects to hear more of the same, even though Forest Service officials tried to develop the plans by taking into account input they’ve gotten so far from the public.
On Glorieta Mesa, where there has been controversy over ATV use, no cross-country travel will be allowed, but there will be “minor” camping corridors and one loop trail where motorized vehicles will be allowed, Jiron said.
“We’ve tried to do our best in balancing competing interests,” he said.
Near Cañada de los Alamos east of Santa Fe, Forest Road 79 will remain open, but only to highway-legal vehicles, according to Dolores Maese, public affairs officer. Some residents there had complained about motorized recreational traffic around the small village.
Under the law, Jiron noted, roads that lead to private land, which dots much of the forest, have to remain open. Some of those roads have been left open to highwayappropriate vehicles, but closed to ATVs and motorcycles, he said. That also means, he noted, that people who complained about such vehicles around their private land also will not be able to use their own ATVs there if others are banned.
The proposal, which will be amended further after opportunities for public comment, will:
Keep 2,309 miles of road open to motorized vehicles. The Santa Fe National Forest now is either number one or number two, depending on what miles you count, in the western region for the density of roads in the forest, according to Michael Frazier, a Forest Service officer who helped develop the proposal. Currently, the forest has 4,924 miles of road open to motorized use, with 4,477 miles getting actual use, he said.
“We have two or three roads going to the same place,” Jiron said. “People still will be able to get firewood, pick piñon, go to a dispersed camping site and tend their livestock.”
Have 247 miles of trails available for motorized use. Of those trails, 105 miles will be open to ATVs and motorcycles, while 142 miles will be motorcycle-only. Currently, the Forest Service estimates that 300 miles of trails are designated for motorized use, but the public has been using up to 591 miles of trails.
Restrict off-road use to 21,149 acres, with all but 50 acres of that consisting of corridors to frequently-used camping areas that are not formal campsites developed by the Forest Service. That constitutes about 1.4 percent of total forest land. Current rules allow cross-county motorized travel on 53 percent of Forest Service land, although it actually occurs on about 16 percent of the land, Frazier said.
People would be allowed to drive from 150 to 300 feet off 508 miles of road and eight miles of trail in order to set up a campsite. Right now, that’s allowed along 4,924 miles of road and 300 miles of trail — pretty much the whole forest that isn’t a designated wilderness area, in other words — but actually happens mainly along 450 to 600 miles of roads and trails, according to Frazier.
No rules have been in place limiting where people can drive in order to retrieve killed game. Rules under consideration for other types of off-road travel will apply to this use, also.
The proposal got a good review Thursday afternoon from Cyndi Tuell of the Center for Biological Diversity, based in Tucson.
“To us it looks like the forest has taken a really good first step at preserving open space, allowing space for quiet recreation, protecting the forest for future generations and allowing people to get into the forest without having to hear off-road vehicles everywhere they go,” she said.
Forest Service officials will issue a formal notice of the proposed regulations either today or soon after, according to Julie Bain of the Forest Service. A 45-day period will follow to gather relatively informal public comment in order to set the scope of major issues that should be considered in an environmental impact analysis of the proposed rules, she said.
Comments will continue to be accepted during the eight to 12 months during which a draft environmental impact statement will be developed. After that, another 45-day public comment period will occur. A final decision is not expected until next year.
You can find copies of the proposal, along with detailed maps, at:
The Web site www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/travelmgt
The main Forest Service office in Santa Fe, 1474 Rodeo Road, or at ranger offices throughout the district.
Area libraries, which will be getting CDs with information on the proposal. They already should be available at the Southside and Main libraries in Santa Fe, as well as the Carnegie Library in Las Vegas, according to Bain.
