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Group in southwest Colorado sues forest service over trails |
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Friday, December 30, 2011 09:59 |
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By KIMBERLY BENEDICT, CORTEZ JOURNAL
The controversy over travel management in the San Juan National Forest has landed in federal court via a lawsuit filed by the Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
At the heart of the suit is the CBHA’s assertion that the forest service has unlawfully authorized off-road vehicle use on 14 trails — 80 miles — in the Rico-West Dolores travel management area. The Rico-West Dolores area covers 244,550 acres, encompassing federal lands surrounding Bear Creek, Taylor Mesa, and around Rico and Dunton, Black Mesa and Stoner Mesa.
The Rico-West Dolores travel management plan was initiated in 2008, and a plan was unveiled in September 2009. The plan was reversed in December 2009 for failure to properly analyze impacts of the plan. Due to other priorities, the forest service returned the Rico-West Dolores landscape to 2005 travel management rules. Officials intend to begin work on the plan again in 2012.
The CBHA complaint states the 14 trails at the heart of the lawsuit are closed to motorized vehicles under the San Juan Public Lands Draft Management Plan and yet “the Forest Service has permitted and encouraged the use of two-wheeled ORV’s (i.e., motorcycles) on these trails.” The 14 trails in question consist of two major trail networks, Calico and Bear Creek, as well as Ryman Creek and Stoner Creek.
The lawsuit claims OHV use on the 14 specific trails violates the National Environmental Policy Act due to a lack of an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment, violates the National Forest Management Act and the management plan for the San Juan National Forest, and violates Executive Orders 11644 and 11989, both of which address motorized vehicle use on public lands.
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