Funding bill would delay Forest Service route designations

The U.S. Forest Service would not be able to designate routes off-limits to motor vehicles for the rest of this year if the House-passed FY 2011 Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) passes. The House sent the rest-of-the-year measure to the Senate, which is currently working on a two-week extension of temporary funding of the federal government through March 18. The 2005 Travel Management Rule, which the resolution would suspend through the end of the fiscal year in September, requires each national forest or ranger district to determine which roads are open to which type of motor vehicles at different times of the year...more