Shasta-Trinity National Forest Motorized Travel Management EIS

[Federal Register: August 8, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 154)]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - Forest Service

Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California; Shasta-Trinity National Forest Motorized Travel Management EIS

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Shasta-Trinity National Forest (Forest) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to disclose the impacts associated with the following proposed actions:
1. Prohibition of cross-country motorized vehicle travel (with the exception of snowmobiles) off designated National Forest System (NFS) roads, NFS trails and areas by the public except as allowed by permit or other authorization (Travel Management Rule, 36 CFR Part 212, Subpart B).
2. Amend the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Plan) to conform with the Travel Management Rule, Subpart B, by removing reference to OHV cross-country travel in the Forest Plan and include as a forest-wide standard ``Prohibit wheeled vehicle travel off designated roads and trails except for administrative use or uses under permitted activities or within designated areas.''
3. Add approximately 32 miles of existing unauthorized routes to the National Forest Transportation System (NFTS) as roads open to the public for wheeled motorized vehicle use by vehicle class and season of use.
4. Add approximately 11 miles of existing unauthorized routes to the NFTS as motorized trails open to the public for wheeled motorized vehicle use by vehicle class and season of use.
5. Restrict use below the high-water mark at Shasta Lake and Trinity Lake, (within the Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area) to only highway legal vehicles and provide a maximum speed limit of 15 miles per hour (mph).

DATES: The comment period on the proposed action will extend 30 days from the date the Notice of Intent is published in the Federal Register.
Completion of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is expected in January 2009 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is expected in July 2009.

Click here to read the complete Federal Register Notice