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Jul 27, 2006 5:44 pm US/Mountain
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Colorado National Forest Unveils Travel Plan
By Judith Kohler, Associated Press Writer
DENVER (AP) ―
The White River National Forest, encompassing some of the country's premier ski resorts and eight wilderness areas, released a proposal Thursday to reduce growing conflicts among hunters, off-road drivers, hikers and cyclists.
The long-awaited travel management plan for the sprawling forest contains four options, ranging from little change to closing some trails and roads to motorized vehicles.
Forest managers recommended one that would separate different activities by designating trails for certain uses, although the likely outcome will be a blend of alternatives.
"We're trying to accommodate all these users and reduce some of the conflicts that are occurring," said Wendy Haskins, a forest planner and head of the team that wrote the draft environmental impact statement on the travel plan.
The goal is to provide recreation opportunities while still protecting the resources, Haskins added.
The White River Forest covers nearly 2.5 million acres in nine counties in central Colorado, stretching from about 60 miles west of Denver into the western part of the state. The forest, bisected by Interstate 70, draws 9.6 million visitors a year, making it the nation's busiest.
Haskins said the number of conflicts has jumped between cross country skiers and snowmobilers and hikers and all-terrain vehicles, which increasingly are able to drive to more remote parts of the forest.
U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth has said the growing illegal use of off-road vehicles is one of the greatest threats to forest health across the nation, carving new trails and contributing to erosion and the spread of noxious weeds. A new national rule requires forests to write plans for motorized vehicle travel in the summer.
The White River forest has identified about 1,000 miles of unauthorized trails, either old logging roads never designated for recreation or others blazed by recreationists.
Off-road enthusiasts want to keep as many trails open as possible, saying the majority are responsible and as entitled as others to enjoy the forest.
Forest officials will take public comments on the plan over the next 90 days.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)