New plan takes effect for snow machines
After the denial of six appeals, the Flathead National Forest is implementing a controversial plan that determines when and where snowmobiles can go on the forest.
The Winter Motorized Recreation Plan, in development for the last six years, is the 24th amendment to the Flathead's long-range forest plan.
According to a forest press release, the plan allows continued use on 91 percent of the trails and terrain that has been historically used by snowmobiles, or about 787,000 acres, from Dec. 1 through March 31.
Of this area, 52,400 acres will be open for an extended season on four areas of the forest:
. Groomed routes in Canyon Creek of the lower North Fork area are open through April 15;
. 3,100 acres on the Swan Range east of Swan Lake at Sixmile, open through April 30;
. 17,500 acres south of Marias Pass in the Challenge/Skyland area, open through May 15;
. 31,800 acres in the Lost Johnny area west of Hungry Horse Reservoir, open through May 31.
The six appeals objected to the plan for a range of reasons.
Snowmobiling advocates opposed the plan's prohibition of snowmobiles in other parts of the forest; conservation organizations objected to the extended seasons on grounds that they violate previous forest plan provisions aimed at protecting grizzly bears emerging from their dens in the spring.
The appeals were filed by the Flathead Snowmobile Association, Montanans for Multiple Use, Montana Snowmobile Association, Swan View Coalition and Winter Wildlands Alliance, Friends of the Wild Swan, and Bill Yunck.
A regional appeal panel in Missoula considered the appeals and determined that Forest Supervisor Cathy Barbouletos made a reasoned decision and complied with all laws, regulations, and policy.
However, litigation is likely over Amendment 24, which was derived from a settlement agreement reached between the forest, the Montana Snowmobile Association and the Montana Wilderness Association several years ago.
Four motor-vehicle winter use maps are available that display areas open for snowmobiling on the forest. Snowmobilers are urged to carefully review the new maps for the timing and location of areas open for winter motorized recreation activities on the Flathead National Forest.
The new maps replace the previous pink-and-white forest snowmobile maps released in January 2002.
Maps are posted at trailheads and are available at local Forest Service offices and on the forest's Web site:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/flathead.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com