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Forest Service Hears Public Feedback For Rico-West Dolores Roads and Trails

United States Forest Service

San Juan National Forest officials answered questions at an open house on the Rico-West Dolores Roads and Trails plan Thursday night in Dolores.

The agency is taking public comments until June 20th about the plan, which offers five alternatives to address travel management, particularly regarding single-track motorcycle trails. Alternatives range from A, a “no-action” proposal that leaves things are they are, to E, which allows motorcycle use on the fewest trails. The agency did not identify a preferred alternative. One issue the Forest Service sought to handle was concerns about motorcycles riding through Rico en route from the Burnett Creek trail and road to Highway 145. NEPA coordinator Debbie Kill says Alternative B routed motorcyclists away from Rico, closing Burnett Creek to motorized use, but that prompted concerns, so Alternative C was developed to modify that proposal. The different alternatives also add some ATV trails and offer varying timing restrictions for motorized use. The four new alternatives include a road-maintenance plan that “decommissions” or “stores” certain roads to address resource issues or reduce maintenance costs. Decommissioned roads would be closed to all future use, while stored roads could be used by the agency at some point in time. Forest officials said they value public feedback and especially want comments that address specific issues and routes, because individual elements within the alternatives can be tweaked.

Gail Binkly is a career journalist who has worked for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Cortez Journal, and was the editor of the Four Corners Free Press, based in Cortez.
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