An updated travel management plan in Montana's Bitterroot National Forest closes off more than 180,000 acres of forest land to access by mountain bike riders, snowmobilers, ATV and motorcycle riders. Those acres of land are now designated as Wilderness Study Areas and Recommended Wilderness Areas.
An additional 355 miles of roads are now closed to motorized travel.
In total, snowmobile access is cut by 205,000 acres in the Bitterroot National Forest. Snowmobile access area in Montana's Bitterroot National Forest dropped from 748,840 acres to 543,840 acres.
West Fork District Ranger Ryan Domsalla is quoted in an article here saying, "The national forest is still open to the public. This doesn't preclude people from going to a certain area. It just restricts their mode of travel.
The new travel plan and maps are available at www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot
