A federal rule to be issued Wednesday requires plans for where snowmobile and other motorized over-snow travel will be allowed on national grasslands and forests.
Foresters in Colorado long have posted rules for motorized vehicles at heavily used areas, such as Rabbit Ears and Vail passes. But this rule will force managers of each national forest and grassland to work with communities to designate appropriate roads and trails while also protecting water, soil and wildlife.
“We recognize the importance of recreation on the national forests and that motorized vehicles are an appropriate recreational use. That use must be managed, though, to ensure we are providing opportunities for other, nonmotorized forms of recreation while caring for our natural resources,” Forest Service spokesman Larry Chambers said.
Forest officials in the Rocky Mountain region will assess current plans and the result will be consistency, said Jim Bedwell, director of recreation, lands and minerals at the Forest Service’s regional headquarters in Denver.
Until now, planning for over-snow travel using snowmobiles, snow bikes and other vehicles has been optional, Bedwell said.
Snowmobilers “will understand better where they can go. Right now, it’s kind of hard to figure that out,” he said. “And people who don’t want to be around the noise and smells of motorized vehicles also will be able to figure out where they may want to go — if they chose not to be mixed” with motorized users.
Nationwide, the Forest Service has allowed motorized vehicles from motorcycles to logging trucks on 200,000 miles of roads and 47,000 miles of trails through forests. Local land managers now are expected to create separate maps for over-snow vehicle travel.
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com
