News Release
Cleveland National Forest
10845 Rancho Bernardo Road, San Diego, California 92127
Voice (858) 673-6180, Fax (858) 673-6192, CRS/TTY 711
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian Harris, Public Affairs Officer, 619-937-1462
Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact signed for Motorized Travel Management Environmental Assessment
San Diego, CA – November 18, 2008… Forest Supervisor Will Metz has signed the decision notice and finding of no significant impact (DN/FONSI) for the Cleveland National Forest Motorized Travel Management Environmental Assessment (EA).
“I selected Alternative 3 for implementation because it best meets the purpose and need for the project,” said Metz. The EA analyzed proposed changes to the Cleveland National Forest transportation system that would add roads for highway-legal vehicles, add motorized trails for a variety of vehicles classes, and revise the size of the Corral Canyon and Wildomar off-highway vehicle (OHV) areas. “Based on public input, the selected alternative was modified from the initial Alternative 3 that appeared in the EA that was released for comments in July – this modified alternative will not add any routes that intersect arroyo toad habitat or riparian conservation areas,” added Metz.
The selected alternative adds approximately 1 mile of existing, user-created trails and 5.2 miles of new trail construction to the Corral Creek OHV area, as well as approximately 1.27 miles of routes for highway-legal vehicles to the transportation system for dispersed recreation opportunities. In addition, 2 acre open riding area and several areas totaling 12.8 acres adjacent to existing and proposed trails will remain open in the Corral Canyon OHV area, and a 0.2-acre portion of the Wildomar OHV area will remain open for riding. All other OHV use in the Corral Canyon and Wildomar OHV areas will be restricted to designated routes. Implementation of this alternative will lead to the publication of a motor vehicle use map (MVUM) for each of the three ranger districts on the Cleveland National Forest. The MVUM will show which roads on the Cleveland National Forest are open for motorized use and which roads are closed.
The decision is subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215. To initiate an appeal, a written notice of appeal must be postmarked within 45 days of the November 16, 2008 publication date of the legal notice in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. If no appeals are filed within 45 days, implementation of the decision may occur on the fifth business day following the closure of the appeal period.
The Cleveland National Forest undertook this travel management analysis in accordance with the 2005 Travel Management Rule which requires each national forest to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use. The final product of this process is the MVUM.
After the MVUM is printed, the public is encouraged to remain involved in the identification of transportation routes because every year an updated version of the map will be printed. The Cleveland National Forest may make future decisions regarding existing unauthorized routes that have been identified throughout the last several years and which are not part of the current transportation system. Working with the Forest Service during this process is crucial because additional changes to motorized use on the Cleveland National Forest will require further data collection and environmental analysis.
To view the Cleveland National Forest DN/FONSI or the EA, and for more information on the Cleveland NF’s motorized travel management process, please visit the Cleveland NF website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland/projects.
-CNF-
Anabele Cornejo
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service- Cleveland National Forest
p.858-674-2985
f. 858-674-2967