Travel Analysis Report United States Department of Cajon Place Off-Highway Vehicle Use Agriculture Forest Service January 2013 Mountaintop and Front Country Ranger Districts, San Bernardino National Forest San Bernardino County, California For More Information Contact: Tom Hall, Environmental Coordinator San Bernardino National Forest [email protected] 909-382-2921 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.) 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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 0 San Bernardino National Forest Cajon Place Off-Highway Vehicle Travel Analysis Process TABLE OF CONTENTS Setting up the Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 2 36 CFR 212 .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 FSM 7712 ............................................................................................................................................................. 3 FSH 7709.55 Chapter 20 ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Objectives and Priorities ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Describing the Situation ................................................................................................................................................ 5 San Bernardino National Forest Land Management Plan ......................................................................................... 5 Social and Economic Environment ........................................................................................................................... 6 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 Transportation Atlas ........................................................................................................................................... 11 Heritage Resources ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Physical ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Soils and Watershed ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Fire and Vegetation Management ...................................................................................................................... 16 Wildlife and Plants ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Forest Management ............................................................................................................................................ 19 Identifying Issues ......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Public Values and Uses ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Heritage .............................................................................................................................................................. 24 Ecosystem Elements and Function ......................................................................................................................... 25 Wildlife and Plants ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Soils and Watershed ........................................................................................................................................... 26 Fire and Vegetation Management ...................................................................................................................... 26 Commodity Uses and Values .................................................................................................................................. 27 Urban Development and Forest Linkages ............................................................................................................... 27 Special Area Designations ...................................................................................................................................... 27 Assessing Benefits, Problems, and Risks .................................................................................................................... 29 Describing Opportunities and Setting Priorities .......................................................................................................... 30 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................................... 31 Appendix A – TAP Maps ............................................................................................................................................ 33 Appendix B – 2005 Roads Analysis Process ............................................................................................................... 42 Appendix C - FSH 7709.55 Chapter 20 ....................................................................................................................... 69 1 San Bernardino National Forest Cajon Place Off-Highway Vehicle Travel Analysis Process Setting up the Analysis On August 11, 2003, the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service entered into a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) with the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. That MOI set in motion a region-wide effort to ―Designate OHV roads, trails and any specifically defined open areas for motorized vehicles on maps of the 19 National Forests in California by 2007.‖ On November 9, 2005, the Forest Service published final travel management regulations in the Federal Register (FR Vol. 70, No. 216-Nov. 9, 2005, pp. 68264-68291). This final Travel Management Rule requires designation of those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use on National Forests. Only roads that are part of a National Forest Transportation System (NFTS) may be designated for motorized use. Designations are made by class of vehicle and, if appropriate, by time of year. The final rule prohibits the use of motor vehicles off designated National Forest System (NFS) roads, NFS trails and areas, as well as use of motor vehicles on roads and trails that are not specifically designated for public use. Prior to 1989 when the San Bernardino National Forest (Forest) first designated a system of Off- Highway Vehicle (OHV) routes, National Forest System (NFS) lands were managed as open to cross-country motor vehicle travel, resulting in unplanned, unauthorized, roads and trails. Unauthorized routes generally are developed without environmental analysis or public involvement and do not have the same status as NFS roads and NFS trails included in the NFTS. Nevertheless, some unauthorized routes are well-sited, provide excellent opportunities for outdoor recreation by motorized and non-motorized users and would enhance the NFTS. Other unauthorized routes are poorly located and cause unacceptable impacts. Only NFS roads and NFS trails can be designated for motorized vehicle use. In order for an unauthorized route to be designated, it must first be added to the forest transportation system. On the Forest, there is a designated system for motor vehicle use and travel off of designated routes is prohibited and enforced by Forest Order. The existing system designated for motorized vehicle use was reconfirmed, with public input, through the land management process and Record of Decision of April 2006. The 2006 San Bernardino National Forest Land Management Plan (Forest Plan) prohibits motor vehicle travel off designated NFS roads and trails and limited areas that are designated for vehicle use (Forest Plan, Part 3, S35, pp. 8-9). In 2005, the Forest completed an inventory of unauthorized routes on NFS lands as described in the MOI and identified approximately 457 miles of unauthorized routes. Beginning in 2006, the Forest