The United Snowmobile Alliance, Off-Road Business Association, One Voice and the United Four Wheel Drive Association generally support a slightly modified version of Alternative 2 of the Shoshone National Forest Proposal.
These organizations support keeping the High Lakes Wilderness Study Area open to snowmobiling as proposed by Alternative 2.
They also vigorously opposed to closing the northern and eastern portions of High Lakes as is proposed by Alternative 3.
Snowmobiling in Winter Travel Plan
We also support adding the new ungroomed Ghost Creek trail to Painter’s Store in the Beartooth Areas and adding the ungroomed trails in the Sublette Pass area near Togwotee Pass to your mapped trail system since they’ve actually existed and been signed on the ground for decades.
The above Organizations are submitting these comments to provide general information on a wide range of issues including extensive scientific information around the behavior of snow under a variety of conditions.
This information has been developed as a result of our involvement in the development of numerous Resource Management Plans (“RMP”) throughout the western United States and our more than decade of involvement in the litigation and subsequent travel management plan settlement efforts around the California OSV grooming program across 5 forests in Region 5.
Our desire is to provide high quality information for decision making early in the process in the hope of avoiding many of the pitfalls we have encountered in the California planning efforts.
The Organizations submit that this information will become critically necessary to defending Alternative 2 of the Proposal as the travel management process moves forward.
Read Shoshone National Forest Comments
This information is also provided as the Shoshone National Forest has provided exceptional winter recreational opportunities for the public for decades without a large amount of controversy. These opportunities have drawn users from Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and numerous other states and Canadian provinces.
Shoshone National Forest Plan Scientific Information
The Organizations are submitting these comments to supplement the input of local clubs and to assist the planners in developing a first-class science-based management plan that continues to provide recreational opportunities in a high-quality manner.
The Organizations submit that these opportunities will only become more valuable with the passage of time given the growing population of communities in and around the Shoshone National Forest.