After finalizing a management plan for the Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest, the Forest Service will begin winter travel planning. Winter travel planning will help you decide which locations and activities to allow. This includes establishing wildlife corridors to minimize conflicts between humans and animals.
Regulating the use of snow vehicles is an important element of winter planning. Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA) Colorado Policy Manager Brittany Leffel works with ski resorts, backcountry guides, small businesses, and outdoor recreationists to propose plans for winter outdoor use zones.
“Many areas across GMUG that are very popular for snowmobile use have popular cross-country ski trails that typically run parallel to these popular areas,” Leffel told the Daily Planet. “We’re hearing some genuine concerns from a variety of user groups.”
WWA is advocating for GMUG to begin the winter travel planning process as soon as possible. In early October, the San Miguel Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) signed a letter written by WWA in support of both winter travel planning and addressing challenges related to snow vehicle use.
“This is really just the first step in that process, bringing together all the non-car stakeholders, from advocates to local governments to small businesses to owners,” Leffel said. To bring together “everyone on the other side of the woods… involved in winter travel planning.”
Before GMUG’s final forest management plan was approved, San Miguel County filed an objection to the designation of areas north of Ophir, Bear Creek, and Bridalveil Falls for Winter Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) motorized use. was. The county’s concerns stem from avalanches in the area. Many of the motorized areas proposed in the plan cross the avalanche path.
“Not only are we providing avalanche mitigation on the south slope just north of Ophir, but we’re also providing road safety as the road goes up the overpass,” said Starr Jamison, director of natural resources and climate resiliency for San Miguel County. “There are safety concerns because we have secured the facility.” He spoke at the BOCC meeting on October 3rd.
San Miguel County voted in favor of changing the scoping designation for winter recreation opportunities in Bear Creek, Bridal Veil and North Ophir to “semi-primitive non-motorized.” This will allow local district rangers to manage the permitted motorized use zone and allow Telluride Helitrax to operate within this zone in accordance with current permits.
In response to San Miguel County’s objections, the Forest Service wrote: “Under the National Protocol for Establishing Recreation Opportunity Settings, which includes consideration of existing travel decisions and preferred future management options, these areas will be able to provide desired winter recreation opportunities to semi-primitive motor vehicles. must be set up and managed.
Specific winter travel plans in GMUG forests may help regulate the use of vehicles on snow. The first step in winter travel planning is to create a winter recreation opportunity spectrum (ROS) map. This details existing access and helps determine future use areas. Extensive assessments help planners identify which areas are suitable for motor vehicle travel, where sensitive wildlife habitat is located, and where potential conflict zones are located (e.g. where parking occurs). will help you.
Some stakeholders have raised concerns about safety as snow vehicles will be able to travel further into areas previously inaccessible.
“One of the biggest concerns is the new technology of wood sleds and where people can actually go with the machines,” Jamison said.
GMUG already has localized winter recreation plans in place, including at Red Mountain Recreation Area.
One of the ultimate goals of winter planning is to create a map similar to summer vehicle use. This map shows which routes are open for snowmobiles, cross-country trips (or Scandinavian trips), and which routes are passable. The zone contains important wildlife habitat.
WWA also collects data from snowmobilers, Nordic skiers, backcountry skiers, and more to determine which users are using which areas. Locally, Leffel analyzed popular zones such as Head, Molas Pass and Red Mountain Pass.
Leffel encouraged the Forest Service to address snow vehicle planning at a forest-wide level to ensure all forests in the area apply the same rules and regulations.
“Taking a whole-forest approach makes the process more fair,” Leffel says. “Each forest has its own needs and users, so what you see in Telluride is not the same as what you see in Grand Junction, Gunnison, Crested Butte, etc. We strongly believe that it is beneficial to work on this rather than doing it in parts as one forest.”
