Contributed by Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Susan Skalski regarding her recent, Motorized Travel Management Record of Decision.

Today, it is hard to find the road “less travelled.” In part, due to the impact of many people’s pursuit of creating their own less travelled road (or trail), every National Forest and Grassland in the nation has embarked upon the effort to designate roads and trails for motorized public use. Over the last two decades, the explosion in popularity of all kinds of vehicles with abilities to tread over all kinds of terrain began to threaten the health of the land in far too many places. We, public land managers, frankly have been overwhelmed trying to keep up with the impact of this use on the resources that we are required to protect. And this is despite the many wonderful volunteers, partner organizations and grant opportunities available to help.

Due to the proliferation of user created routes, the Forest Service developed a national policy in 2005 which requires that we designate roads and trails for public use in our National Forest Transportation System and prohibit cross-country travel (driving across National Forest with no existing road or trail). On December 3, I announced the culmination of that effort here on the Stanislaus National Forest in the Record of Decision for Motorized Travel Management. I believe it is a well-balanced decision that takes into account inventories, analysis, and professional judgment of resource professionals as well as many comments from individuals, clubs, organizations, Tribes, and local and other government entities. It is my best attempt, at this point in time, to recognize our important role in managing motorized recreation use—and the experience it provides to visitors--on this National Forest. And I know that anytime we think about changing or restricting access, it is near and dear to the hearts of each and every one of us who love this forest.

This has been a long and challenging road. Beginning with the signing of an agreement with the State of California in 2003 to utilize license and gas tax funds for the inventory and analysis of user created routes, we have been working collaboratively with many groups and individuals throughout our planning process. Locally, also in 2003, the Stanislaus Recreation Stakeholders formed due to the keen interest that discussions about the future of National Forest access generated. This diverse group comprises motorized user clubs, hikers, cyclists, nordic skiers, four county supervisors, tribal representatives, equestrian users, conservationists, private landowners, and permittees who met regularly to help guide the Forest Service through the process, sharing their insights and experience as frequent and passionate users of this National Forest. Additionally we have been listening, talking, writing, and meeting with numerous other representatives of recreation user groups; environmental groups; boards of supervisors; elected representatives; local, state and other federal agencies; and anyone who wanted to participate.

On behalf of the Stanislaus National Forest, I thank everyone who made time to be engaged in this process. The quality of this decision was made far better for motorized recreation opportunities, protection of natural and cultural resources, and “quiet” recreation, because of you.

While my decision reflects the end of the road in this particular planning process, it does not mean closure to future conversations about motorized use: when and where and what. We will continue to plan other kinds of projects, and changes to our road and trail system will be necessary to refine and improve what will be implemented with this decision. We will need an engaged public to share their perspectives, and to volunteer and partner with us to accomplish the mitigations from our recreation use to protect those special or rare, common or abundant resources on the Stanislaus National Forest. I could never fully know the specific places you cherish, nor what future generations will cherish.

But I do know that I must protect them today, and maintain options for the future.

Thanks to you, the roadmap to the future has begun.