Elko Daily Free Press 6-7-10

County to form Travel Management groups

ELKO - Elko County Commissioners are seeking individuals and groups to help identify roads and develop alternatives for the U.S. Forest Service's Travel Management Plan.

The county plans to form two groups -the "Travel Management Road Identification Group" and "Travel Management Technical Group."

Forest Service staff are in the process of creating the plan and motor vehicle use maps for the Mountain City, Jarbidge and Ruby Mountain ranger districts in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

If national forest roads go unidentified, they won't be included on the maps and will be closed to motor vehicle use, according to a statement from the county.

Commissioners are seeking people to become involved in a "Travel Management Road Identification Group."

"Elko County is attempting to supplement the USFS data base by identifying these roads for inclusion to the plan and maps," according to the statement.

Tom Montoya, Mountain City district ranger, and Gar Abbas, Jarbidge and Ruby Mountains district ranger, were both unavailable to comment Wednesday.

The Forest Service has proposed the closure of a number of existing roads, dispersed campsites and cross-country travel, including for game retrieval.

Commissioners are also asking for assistance to create and develop an alternative to the proposed Forest Service action by forming the "Travel Management Technical Group."

"Elko County is attempting to develop the alternative and provide support data including but not limited to environmental, social, cultural, historical and economics," according to the statement.

Any individual or group interested in being involved in either group should contact Randy Brown at 738-6816 ext. 212 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or anytime (including Saturdays and Sundays) at 777-6824.