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Draft Proposal

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Purpose of Workshops

Solicit additional input Reconnect with those who provided input Identify if some important points or

coordination was missed Improve our proposal Resolve as many conflicts as possible in

order to have best proposed action to move into NEPA

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Route Designation

Requires designation of roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use by vehicle class and, if appropriate, by time of year. (36 CFR 212.51)

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Existing Condition (miles)

 

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Existing Open Forest Road System (corrected) 4,552 659 533 1,258 1,246 587 269

Existing Motorized Trails (ATV <50") 15 0 5 10 0 0 0

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Roads (miles) – Existing vs Draft Proposal

 

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Existing Open Forest Road System (corrected)

4,552 659 533 1,258 1,246 587 269

Proposed open Forest Road System

3,417 508 364 933 1,047 369 196

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Road details

(miles of road)

GNF BR GW QUE RES SC WIL

Open to all motor vehicles 3,122 425 338 847 1,014 316 182

Open to highway legal vehicles only 25 0 0 4 18 3 0

Open by time of year (seasonal) 3 0 1 1 1 0 0

Open for Administrative Use or by Written Authorization 264 83 22 81 14 50 14

New road construction 3 0 3 0 0 0 0

Closed to all motor vehicles 1,022 146 155 313 196 185 27

Open roads converted to ATV and Foot Trails 116 5 17 12 3 37 46

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San Francisco River - above Mule Creek

Existing condition – Gila NF LMP “Manage the area above Mule Creek to

remain open to entry (motorized vehicle use) year-round.”

Proposal Change from an area to a route

designation Open to all motor vehicles Parking available off of designated route

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ATV (miles of trail) – Existing vs Draft Proposal

 

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Existing Motorized Trails (ATV <50”)

15 0 5 10 0 0 0

Proposed ATV Trails 176 5 34 5 28 58 46

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ATV details (miles of trail)

GNF BR GW QUE RES SC WIL

Roads converted to ATV trails

128 5 29 0 11 37 46

User-created ATV routes converted to ATV trails

38 0 0 0 17 21 0

Existing ATV trails closed to motorized use

5 0 0 5 0 0 0

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Non-designated roads

Converted to non-motorized trails (21 miles)

Considered for future decommissioning (1,022 miles)

Maintained for future management needs (example: fuelbreaks, pipelines)

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Dispersed Motorized Camping

Limited motor vehicle use off of the designated system for dispersed camping. Tools are available that may provide for

dispersed camping in response to local situations.

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Motorized Dispersed Camping

 

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Existing dispersed camping sites (# sites)

148 0 64 8 38 0 38

Proposed dispersed camping sites (# sites)

148 0 64 8 38 0 38

Fixed distance corridors 300 feet (miles) (each side of open roads designated for motorized dispersed camping)

1,716 206 213 470 522 192 113

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Parking

Parking is allowed Along motorized roads; In designated areas; A “terminal facility” which is includes such

things as parking areas, turnouts, trailheads

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Parking (cont.)

Parking is allowed Where it is safe to do so without damage

to Forest resource or facilities (36 CFR

216.54); Within one vehicle length from the road

side; Parking is only prohibited by State law,

traffic sign, or by order (36 CFR 216.54)

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Motorized Big Game Retrieval (MBGR)

Some tools are available to provide for the use of motor vehicles for big game retrieval

Regional Forester has coordinated with New Mexico Game and Fish regarding allowing big game retrieval and if so under what conditions.

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MBGR (cont.)

In collaboration with NM Dept Game and Fish, MBGR will be limited to: Mobility Impaired (MI) certified hunters Deer and elk hunts ATVs with 4 wheels, less than 50” in

width and seat that is straddled by a rider

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MBGR (cont.)

MBGR apply to hunters with: Valid Mobility-Impaired Card from the State of

NM Game and Fish A valid deer or elk hunting license for specified

game units associated with the Forest (15, 16A, 16C, 16D, 21A, 22, 23)

Legally harvested and properly tagged elk or deer

Limited to a fixed distance of 1 mile either side of a road designated for motorized use

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Special Forest Products (ex. pinyon, mushrooms, pine cones, live plants)

Forest products will be available via permit process

Permits will specify if, when, and where motorized vehicle use is authorized

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Fuelwood

Gila will provide fuelwood in specifically designated fuelwood areas

Fuelwood will be available via permit process

Fuelwood permits will specify if, when, and where motorized vehicle use is authorized

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What can you do?

Review the draft proposal Provide input to assist in improving the

proposal It will be most useful if your input is received

by October 31st

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Thanks for attending