Elko panel seeks to block forest service road plan

The Elko County Commission is trying to find a way to block or at least postpone the U.S. Forest Service's pending plan to regulate use of national forest roads and close some it determines are redundant or damaging to the environment. The commissioners directed the district attorney's office this week to research legal options to prevent the agency from moving forward with its Travel Management Plan for most of the northern and eastern parts of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. They also said they intend to request the Forest Service to complete a more thorough environmental impact statement in reviewing the proposed plan instead of a less detailed environmental assessment. Commissioner Demar Dahl said on Wednesday that the comment period was about to close and they only have maps that "hardly anyone can read." County planner Randy Brown said Forest Service officials "have not conducted themselves in a manner in which we can offer any good comments."...Las Vegas Review-Journal