Nebraska National Forest Oglala National Grassland Pine Ridge Ranger District Map
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Nebraska National Forest United States Department of Agriculture Oglala National Grassland Forest Service Pine Ridge Ranger District Travel Analysis Report 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). 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Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 1 Process ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Products....................................................................................................................................... 2 This Report.................................................................................................................................. 2 Step 1 – Setting up the Analysis ..................................................................................................... 3 Geographic Scale – Objective of the Analysis ........................................................................... 3 Interdisciplinary Team Members ................................................................................................ 3 Information Needs and Analysis Plan......................................................................................... 4 Step 2 – Describing the Situation.................................................................................................... 6 Step 3 – Identifying Issues .............................................................................................................. 8 Step 4 – Assessing Benefits, Problems, and Risks ....................................................................... 12 Resource Impacts ...................................................................................................................... 12 Human Use................................................................................................................................ 13 Economics ................................................................................................................................. 13 Step 5 – Describing Opportunities and Setting Priorities ............................................................. 15 Describing Opportunities .......................................................................................................... 15 Setting Priorities........................................................................................................................ 16 Step 6 – Reporting ........................................................................................................................ 18 Supporting Information ............................................................................................................. 18 Undetermined Roads ................................................................................................................. 18 Questions of Jurisdiction and Access ....................................................................................... 18 Data Inconsistencies.................................................................................................................. 20 References ..................................................................................................................................... 21 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 – Issues and Key Questions ............................................................................................... 8 Table 2 – Rating Matrix ................................................................................................................ 15 Table 3 - Specific Maintenance Opportunities for Resource Protection ...................................... 17 Table 4 - Questions of Jurisdiction and Misc. Access Considerations ......................................... 19 i APPENDICES Appendix A – Travel Analysis Summary Appendix B – Resource Comments Appendix C – Travel Analysis Road Rating Graphs ii INTRODUCTION Background In August 1999, the Washington Office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service published Miscellaneous Report FS-643 titled Roads Analysis: Informing Decisions about Managing the National Forest Transportation System (USDA 1999). The objective of roads analysis is to provide decision makers with critical information to develop road systems that are safe and responsive to public needs and desires, are affordable and efficiently managed, and have minimal negative ecological effects. In January 2001, the Forest Service published the Transportation Final Rule and Administrative Policy authorizing units to use, as appropriate, the road analysis procedure embodied in FS-643 to assist land managers making major road management decisions. In July 2003, the Rocky Mountain Region 2 published the R2 Roads Analysis Supplement to FS-643. This supplement supports Appendix 1 of Misc. Report FS-643 to be used in conjunction with that document. The R2 supplement is intended to provide guidance concerning the appropriate scale for addressing each question and the analysis needed. Roads Analysis for the Nebraska National Forest is being completed in two phases. The first phase was completed in 2003 when a Forest-wide Roads Analysis was completed to assessed National Forest System Roads maintained for passenger car use (USDA, 2003). The second phase is this current analysis of the remaining National Forest System Roads and may include selected unauthorized routes. The Roads Analysis documented in this report is undertaken to support the Travel Management planning effort. It is the intent of roads analysis to provide critical information to develop a road system that is safe and responsive to public needs and desires, is affordable and efficiently managed, has minimal negative ecological effects on the land, and is in balance with available funding for needed management actions. Some of the routes analyzed in this phase could be designated as trails. The Nebraska National Forest is currently developing a Travel Management Plan to implement the revised Land and Resource Management Plan (USDA, 2002) and the National Travel Management Rule (USDA, 2005). The Travel Management Plan will restrict motorized use to roads, trails, and areas designated open for motorized use, a “closed unless designated open” policy. This is a change from current management which has allowed motorized use except where specifically prohibited, an “open unless designated closed” policy. Public participation was first solicited for the Travel Management Plan with the scoping letter and Travel Management Proposed Action (USDA, 2007) mailed in December of 2007. Five Open Houses were held to provide additional forums for information exchange, public interaction, and comments. The open houses were held in several locations to provide the public access to a meeting for each Ranger District. In response to issues identified from public comments, alternative(s) to the proposed action are now being developed. Alternative(s) to the Proposed Action may propose designation of additional existing roads for motorized use. These additional roads are not managed as a part of the current System; most or all were user created; they fall within the “undetermined” group in our INFRA database; and they meet the definition of “unauthorized” as provided in the National Travel Management Rule (USDA, 2005). Roads analysis of these additional roads may be attached to this Roads Analysis as determined by the District Ranger. 1 A product of Travel Management Planning will be a Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for the public. The MVUM will identify roads, trails, and areas open to motorized use. Class of vehicle will be designated on the map, including distinction between roads open to Highway Legal Vehicles (HLV) Only and trails open to all motor vehicles (Highway Legal AND non-Highway Legal Vehicles). Note that the State of South Dakota licenses Off-Highway Vehicles/All Terrain Vehicles (OHV/ATV) for operation on public roads by licensed drivers 16 years and older. When licensed (both vehicles and operator), such vehicles would be Highway Legal Vehicles and would be allowable on all roads designated open to Highway Legal Vehicles only. Process Roads analysis is the six-step iterative process described in the Road Analysis Handbook (USDA, 1999). Additional guidance is provided in a supplement by the Rocky Mountain Region (USDA, 2004). As an analysis matures previous steps may be revisited, even revised,