| | St. Joe Ranger District Releases Travel Management Plan Proposed Action
Oct 31, 2008United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service
NEWS RELEASE Idaho Panhandle National Forests
St. Joe Ranger District
222 S. 7th, Suite #1
St. Maries, ID 83861
(208)245-2531
DATE: October 31, 2008
FOR DETAILS CONTACT: Mary Price (208) 245-2531
Jodi Kramer (208) 765-7235
St. Joe Ranger District Releases Travel Management Plan Proposed Action
ST. MARIES, ID (October 31, 2008) - The St. Joe Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is seeking comments on the proposal for the new Travel Plan for the St. Joe Ranger District. The Proposed Action has been developed through collaboration with a focus group formed by interested forest users, other members of the public, organizations, and other agencies. "The Proposed Action is the starting point to providing the best mix of public access opportunities on the St. Joe Ranger District. However, if comments indicate we need to consider another alternative, we will review those comments in the development of the Environmental Analysis (EA). I look forward to receiving your comments so that we can develop the best possible Travel Plan for the St. Joe." remarked District Ranger Chuck Mark.
The scoping period will last 45 days and your comments will be most helpful if received by DECEMBER 15, 2008. Public open houses will be held in November to explain the Proposed Action, answer questions, and provide an opportunity to submit comments. These open houses will be held at the following locations from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm:
November 17th - Cataldo Canyon Elementary School (Going west on I-90, take Exit 34 (Rose Lake-St. Maries), turn right and cross the Interstate, then right on East Canyon Road for 1.2 miles. Turn left at East School House Loop and the school is about one-third mile ahead.)
November 18th - Avery Community Center
November 19th - St. Maries High School Multi-Purpose Room (Call the district office for directions)
November 20th - University Inn Best Western on 1516 Pullman Road in Moscow, ID
Under the 2005 Travel Management Rule, each National Forest will designate roads, trails, and areas that will be open for public use. We will also designate the type of wheeled motorized vehicles that are allowed to use these routes and publish this information on a Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). Once the map is published, cross-country wheeled motorized vehicle use will be prohibited.
The St. Joe Ranger District is divided into 6 maps for the Proposed Action. A copy of the Proposed Action and these maps are available at: www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/stjoe/travelplan. Hard copies may also be viewed at the following offices: St. Joe Ranger District office in both St. Maries and Avery, Coeur d' Alene River Ranger District in Smelterville, the Supervisor's Office in Coeur d' Alene, and the Palouse Ranger District in Potlatch.
After the end of the scoping period and after all of the comments have been reviewed, work will begin on the EA, which will include analysis of a No Action Alternative (the existing condition), the Proposed Action Alternative, and possibly other alternatives to address issues identified from the Proposed Action and scoping process. A decision notice documenting the details of the new Travel Plan is anticipated to be complete in the fall of 2009, followed by the publication of the Motorized Vehicle Use Map by 2010.
Please mail or hand-deliver written comments to the Travel Plan Team, St. Joe Ranger District, 222 S. 7th, Suite 1, St. Maries, ID 83861. Office hours are Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Comments may also be faxed to (208) 245- 6052 or emailed to comments-northern-idpanhandle-stjoe@fs.fed.us. Comments submitted electronically are best submitted in MSWord or RTF format.
If you have any questions about the Proposed Action or the process, please contact District Ranger Chuck Mark or Team Leader Mary Price at (208) 245-2531. Additional information, along with the focus group information is also available on the internet at www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/stjoe/travelplan. 11/20/08 - St. Joe Travel Plan Open House - Moscow 11/19/08 - St. Joe Travel Plan Open House - St. Maries 11/18/08 - St. Joe Travel Plan Open House - Avery 11/17/08 - St. Joe Travel Plan Open House - Rose Lake St. Joe Ranger District Releases Travel Management Plan Proposed Action - press release [details] Idaho Panhandle NF - St. Joe District |
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