Please see news release below.
Thank you,
Jackie
Jacqueline C. Banks
Public Affairs Officer
Kaibab National Forest
928-635-8314
cell 928-606-7490
jcbanks@xxxxxxxxx
Williams Ranger District To Implement Travel Management June 15
WILLIAMS, Ariz. – The Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest will implement the Travel Management Rule tomorrow – Wednesday, June 15. The Travel Management Rule requires all national forests and grasslands to designate a system of roads for motorized use, and to prohibit all motor vehicle use off the designated system.
Forest planners undertook a lengthy process to determine what roads were most important to the various user groups, what areas were most in need of protection, and what members of the public had to say. Implementation of the Travel Management Rule is the culmination of this several-year-long planning process on the Williams Ranger District.
“The big change is that people are no longer allowed to travel cross country with their motorized vehicles,” said Williams District Ranger Martie Schramm. “Up until this point, people have been able to drive off of roads with their motor vehicles, and that was impacting the natural and cultural resources of the forest. Travel management will help us balance the public’s enjoyment of motorized travel with the best possible care of the land.”
Under the new system, visitors can still drive on most of the same roads they had previously. Certain roads have been closed to address specific resource concerns, but the majority of forest roads are still open to motorized vehicle use.
The key to understanding the motorized transportation system is the Williams Ranger District Motorized Vehicle Use Map, which can be used in conjunction with the Kaibab National Forest visitor map. These maps are available free to the public at the Williams Ranger District office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, (928) 635-5600, or at the Williams and Forest Service Visitor Center, which is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days per week, at 200 W. Railroad Ave., Williams, (800) 863-0546.
The Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest is expected to implement the Travel Management Rule in August, while the North Kaibab Ranger District is still in the planning phase and does not yet have an expected implementation date.
Additional information about the implementation of the Travel Management Rule on the Williams Ranger District is available on the Kaibab National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/kaibab/tmr. The Motorized Vehicle Use Map is also available through the website. If you discover errors on the Motorized Vehicle Use Map, notice problems with road signs on the Williams Ranger District, or have any comments about travel management generally, please visit the website and complete the “Travel Management Implementation Comment Form.”
For additional information, please contact the Williams Ranger District office at (928) 635-5600.
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