Forest travel plan appeals nixed by feds

The U.S. Forest Service has shot down all appeals to its off-road-vehicle management plan for the Stanislaus National Forest, to the chagrin of several local critics. The plan is designed to govern motorized travel patterns in the forest for years to come. It could be implemented this spring, according to the Forest Service. The plan — needed to implement a 2005 federal travel rule — has been in the works for several years. Among other things, it prohibits travel on hundreds of miles of unauthorized off-road routes within the forest. But it also enters 137 miles of such routes into the official Forest Service route system. This has resulted in critics from all sides attacking the plan. The appeals came from a variety of groups from across the state for various reasons. Some said the plan’s restrictions are too stringent, while others said the plan goes too easy on off-road-vehicle users. Locally, the plan was appealed by several entities, including Tuolumne County, Tuolumne County Sportsmen, the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center and the Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and Environment. Supervisor Teri Murrison said Friday she was disappointed the county’s appeal was rejected. But, she added, the county has other options. “I think we’ve exhausted our administrative remedies,” she said. “But I think there’s probably some opportunity to take this further.”...read more