Happy Friday!
Thanks,
Jackie
Jacqueline C. Banks
Public Affairs Officer
Kaibab National Forest
928-635-8314
cell 928-606-7490
jcbanks@xxxxxxxxx
Kaibab National Forest Releases Decision
on Williams Ranger District Travel Management Analysis
WILLIAMS, Ariz. – The Kaibab National Forest has released the final Williams Ranger District Travel Management Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice, which are available on the forest website at http://fs.usda.gov/goto/kaibab/wrd_tmr.
Based on public comments and the analysis done by resource specialists, Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams has selected Alternative 3 as the alternative to implement. It will allow travel on approximately 1,114 miles of roads on the Williams Ranger District and will have the following additional actions:
Prohibit motorized travel off of designated routes on the Williams Ranger District.
Close about 380 miles of currently open roads.
Add about 16 miles of roads to the designated road system. (This includes eight miles of formerly closed roads and eight miles of user-created routes.)
Add about 18 miles of short spur roads to the designated system. (These routes have historically served as access to dispersed camping sites and other activities.) This equates to over 70 short spur roads throughout the district which will reasonably accommodate motorized dispersed activities.
Allow the limited use of motor vehicles within one mile of all designated system roads (except where specifically prohibited) to retrieve a legally hunted and tagged elk during all elk seasons as designated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and for 24 hours following the end of each season.
o Only one vehicle (one trip in and one trip out) will be allowed per harvested animal.
o Hunters will be required to use the most direct and least ground disturbing route in and out of the area.
o Motorized big game retrieval will not be allowed in existing off road travel restricted areas, or when conditions are such that travel would cause damage to natural or cultural resources.
o Motorized vehicles will not be permitted to cross riparian areas, streams and rivers except at hardened crossings or crossings with existing culverts.
Implementation of the Williams Travel Management Project also requires the district to produce a Motorized Vehicle Use Map that will show the open road system. These maps will be available to the public, free of charge, once they are produced.
According to Williams District Ranger Martie Schramm, the analysis and public involvement in the travel management planning process have been extensive.
“We started this process in 2006 and have worked with many individuals, agencies and organizations besides doing extensive internal analysis of our road system and natural and cultural resources,” Schramm said. “While the public participation and analysis work took time, we feel we have a better product because of it.”
Those who provided comments during the comment period are eligible to appeal the Williams Ranger District travel management decision. The appeal must be filed (regular mail, fax, email, hand-delivery, express delivery or messenger service) with the appropriate Appeal Deciding Officer. Submit appeals to:
Corbin L. Newman Jr., Regional Forester
Appeal Deciding Officer
333 Broadway SE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Fax: (505) 842-3173
Email: appeals-southwestern-regional-office@xxxxxxxxx
If hand delivered, the appeal must be received at the above address during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MDT, excluding holidays). Electronic appeals must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), Adobe (.pdf), or Word (.doc). The appeal must have an identifiable name attached to it. Verification of identity will be required. A scanned signature may serve as verification on electronic appeals.
Appeals, including attachments, must be in writing, fully consistent with 36 CFR 215.14, and filed (postmarked) within 45 days following the date the legal notice is published in the Arizona Daily Sun.
If no appeals are filed within the 45-day time period, implementation of the decision may occur on, but not before five business days from the close of the appeal filing period. When appeals are filed, implementation may occur on, but not before, the 15th business day following the date of the last appeal disposition.
For additional information, please visit the Kaibab National Forest website at http://fs.usda.gov/goto/kaibab/wrd_tmr.
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