Last Post 04 Sep 2016 10:47 PM by  JON STEINER
USFS Roads
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ARTHUR WAUGH
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18 Jul 2014 10:07 AM

    If you are using USFS roads, go to any office of the National Forest you are in and get a copy of the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM).  These are free, so no excuse to not have them in the rig, and for each Forest you visit.  This will show the road system that is open for motorized travel.

     

    It is up to the user to know where they are and if the route they are on is open for use.  They are not required to post routes as open, as the policy now is "closed unless posted opn", and the map serves as the posting of open routes.  They are not even required to put road number signs up, though most do/are.

     

    Most Forests have completed the first phase of their Travel Management Planning, but the second phase is starting now, and that will close way more roads to get down to their "sustainable" level with the budgets they have for upkeep.

    ADAM ANDREWS
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    08 Aug 2014 01:08 PM
    The Forest roads belong to us, the tax payers...The roads should be re-opened OR the USFS should get 0 (zero) Tax payer dollars. Tell that to your Congressman...Of course you'll be wasting your time if your Congressman is a tree hugging Communist.
    JAMES AU
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    08 Aug 2014 02:38 PM
    There's so much open land out there. Wide open stretches of trees and open grassland. It's near impossible to tell where BLM leaves off to National Forest and then to State Land, or even these huge private ranches. They weave in and out and the signs, where there are signs that are not rusty and illegible or shot up, say entering this National Forest and then a few miles down the dirt road say "leaving" National Forest. And then, on top of all that we're looking for signs of gold and enjoying exploring . . . and trying not to get lost . . . or for the seniors, trying to remember where we went and where we were supposed to go.
    At this point, I'm happy that a forest ranger comes along once in awhile and either helps me to get where I'm going or tells me where I "should" be going in my UTV.
    BRANDON JOHNSON
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    24 Nov 2014 06:21 PM
    Thanks Arthur... good information to know!
    ARTHUR WAUGH
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    25 Nov 2014 10:12 AM

    Here is an update as to how my local Forest is going about the second part of travel management....They have held several open public meetings and had people mak maps with the roads and areas they use.  These will be compiled for later use (read when they produce the alternatives for closures)  On our Forest (Willamette) they said the yearly required maint. budget to fully maintain the entire road system to levels required by the classification of each road would be 5.9milloin.  They get about 1.5 million each year for the past 5 years or so.   And on the RAC, we are told budgets are going down for both BLM and USFS.

     

    They would not come right out and say it, but the map marking and comment exercise will be used to keep open the road system that gets the most use, and at least 75 % of the rest of it will be closed.  They can then say that this is what the public uses and we kept that open in the lawsuits and objections to the closures.

     

    Find out when your Forest is starting the second part of travel management and get involved or you WILL lose out.  Most all forests are in line to have this done by the end of 2016, and it will take at least a year to go through doing the alternatives, and the comments on a draft and bringing out a final and signing a decision.   That means they are working on it as you read this.........

    Tony Agricola
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    12 May 2016 02:44 PM

    I fear the 2nd faze is close all roads.. there are gates everywhere.. I live next to the El Dorado NF , they have managed to just about gate every road there is.. since when has public land become private???

    To me if the gates open, I drive through it... if closed then a swear and go on to the next one..

    ADAM ANDREWS
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    26 Aug 2016 07:03 PM

        Unfortunately what's next is called 'Wilderness Area' along with 'No vehicles beyond this point'...That's a bummer.

    JON STEINER
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    04 Sep 2016 10:47 PM
    For those of you who use GPS devices, the USFS has MVUM maps that can be downloaded onto the GPS.
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