Show B12 Sanpete Messenger Sanpete Wednesday December 22 2004 Valley Edition Messenger-Gunniso- n Sports enthusiasts question forest service road plans By Suzanne Dean Puhhsher Ml !f II 1) Rqirescn Imm the Sniete County At ess Minigcmcril Commitlee wd outdoor enthusiasts expressed iiii'cs reset sitions at a meeting Thursday S orest ahout the let Semte s jtmjioscd i Iism bullion iikI trails in the Muddy ol rnjil l)i image ol the Marili laSal orest lorest olliuilthat the whole x tint ol the held at the hearing piiblu lall was to gather ( enieilieldCity public input before deciding which roads and trails will lie included iri tin oiest Serwce'soH’iciil system ami vvlial uses w ill he permitted on the routes Written tommenls will be ai i epletl until the end of Hut he road and trail analysis lor the Muddy haulage is the first in a lies ol studies that will cover eat h ii or drainage in the nalioiul loiesi explainer! Diane M Cote a vr 'elation seciih-in the SanX‘te )i Uriel oil ice in phraim Site was al the healing representing Sanpete iik angel Join Shore xplaimng the goal ol the studies ( ole said "We have more mails than we tan allord to maintain Wlial do we want to keep'' Wlial do we want to conveit to Hails ' We need to get some control " She also said the agency is lomemed about Al Vs tearing up vegetation and that travel needs to lie n gul tied in order to gel a handle on the piohlem he Muddy Drainage study area encompasses about SO(XK) acres on the lerron side of 2 Mile Canyon which is under the jurisdiction of the l erron District National fice of the lorest However because the Sanpete County border does not illr iw the plateau summit perfectly (it dips down along the western slofx- in several places) much of the area covered in the road and trail analysis is in Sanpete County Presently the study area contains about SO miles of classified roads and 00 miles of classified trails 7 here are also scores of unclassified routes including trails A "classified” route is a route s the Forest Service officially rently open to all vehicles would be designated for AT Vs or mountain bikes only Al the same time about 35 miles ol currently unclassified road- and H( miles of classified trails would be added to the classified system Most of the concerns expressed at the meeting were about proposals to restrict roads that have been open to all vehicles includdrive cars ing jeeps and and trucks to ATVs Sanpete County's Access Management Committee a panel to appointed by commissioners watchdog public land access recomsues "has consistently mended that roads that accommodate four continue to do so unless there's a significant safety or environmental risk” said (lien Zumwalt Fountain Ciieen a committee member and owner of Big Fine Sports in Fairview Reclassification of jeep roads for AF'V use "makes me feel like I'm Rosa Parks and can’t get on the bus” said Shcrwin Sorensen of and takes responsibility for Use classifications include “open to public travel” “administrative use only" "classified Al V trail” “si n g e rac k Ira a nd “I oothorse trail" ( )! the 50 miles of roads in the Muddy Drainage 25 miles are open to all types ol vehicles Under the proposal presented at the hearing about 22 of the 50 miles of roads in the Muddy would be "obliterated” meaning the f Service would wipe them off its maps and wouldn't regulate or maintain them anymore About 0 miles out of the f0 miles of classified trails would also be obliterated Another 20 miles of classified roads would be reclassified for seasonal use while 2 more miles would fie changed to “administrative use only” Some roads cur “My recreation opporle asked tunity is being curtailed" drive why AIVs and vehicles couldn't share the same loads “'I liese roads have been jeep roads lor general ions" said Viigil Cash of lphraim Four enthusiasts object to being “locked out of a road they're used (iunnison to using" Misha Nyman district ranger for the erron District said proposed reclassifications were based on user desires and stale road standards among other criteria She explained the state has standauls including standard widths lor roads used by ecps and AI Vs In us at Visit South Main in Manti ATM Leading the Wag to Christmas reclassifying roads "we’re following the state law" she said "We are heat mg you when y u say you want all roads to be open to all sies of velm les” she added "but we have customers who don't want that” Sorensen asked if the objective m obliterating roads was to assemble at least 5(HX) acres ol roadless area the minimum acreage requited for wilderness designation Nyman replied “I can tell you that wasn't a consideration" oiest officials said inl’oi illation about ptoposed road classification in the Muddy would be Naposted on the tional Forest web site at http: Hermansen’s Mill wishes all our customers and employees a most joyous Holiday Season ww Comments may be mailed to National Finest erron District PO Box 310 Feiron I JT 84523 hey may also be emailed either to: Is led us niiivnnti)( l o BUY ONE GET ONE FREE iiit O' GOilOO’SIUm! ’VY-'- Buy two and Requires Rebate Looking for great stocking stuffers? 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