Officials have finalized details on what roads and trails will be open to hikers and motorists in Colorado’s vast White River National Forest.
Forest managers have seen plenty of setbacks over the years to the so-called Travel Management Plan, which was released today. The decision on what routes can be used was based on public input. And it was guided by Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams. He says coming up with the final version was “difficult” because it meant balancing conflicting concerns on certain trails.
“In the end, I chose this alternative because I believe it provides the greatest good for the greatest number of users—both motorized and non-motorized—in the long run,” he says.
The plan laid out by Fitzwilliams lists just over 500 miles of system routes that will be decommissioned.
The public now has 45 days to appeal any details included in the plan. Fitzwilliams says the number of comments will dictate how quickly the forest service moves forward with educating the public on new rules, printing signs, and enforcement.
