I havent seen anything posted about this since the last round of comments was taken (2020). It is very important that we comment on this so that the best option is chosen for us as motorized users, both winter and summer users.
I went over the 4 proposed alternatives that the environmental assessment has in it. From what I can tell Alternative 1, which is no change from current standing on road classification/dates and over snow areas/dates, is the best option for the motorized crowd. Alternative 2, 3 and 4 would negatively affect access especially for over snow travel. Some of the alternatives would close over a hundred miles of roads/trails forest wide. One of the alternatives takes away nearly 1500 acres of motorized area for use for cross-country skiing. The other alternatives also change dates and allowed used on forest service roads/trails. Currently there are no beginning or end dates for snowmobiling on the Shoshone, just snow depth minimum and no resource damage.
ALTERNATIVE 1 IS WHAT WE WANT TO REMAIN AS THE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN!
I have heard that form letters submitted are counted as one, so we need to customize individual letters to have a larger voice.
Comments are due by November 18th.
These are the two websites with the information to read the full EA (474 pages) and to submit comments.
Environmental Assessment page with maps and appendix. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/shoshone/home/?cid=stelprd3846526
Comments need to be submitted here by the 18th. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/shoshone/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD962859
You can also directly email
On the EA page you can view the maps. Subpart C is the over snow travel portion. Subpart B is the summer roads. Alternatives 2 , 3 and 4 will close about 1500 acres SW and North of the brooks lake parking lot! (see subpart c Wind River) This is the area known as the falls/deception and pinnacles ski areas which has been informally a ski area for years. A better area for XC ski trails would be an area lower on the mountain that does no recieve as much snow where snowmobiles would not want to be anyways.
There is a lot involved in these proposals, but I feel that our best result would be for things to stay the way that they are now. I have a form letter from Wyoming State Snowmobile Association and they generally support Alternative 4 and im not sure why because they suggest changes to it. Alternative 4 allows class 2 OSV's which are tracked pickups/suv's on groomed trails which is not something we as snowmobilers want. Alternative 4 also changes the dates and minimum snow depth allowed for off trail travel. The High Lakes Wilderness Study area needs to remain open to over snow travel. The only good thing in alternative 4 is adding two ungroomed trails, one near sublette pass that is used as a trail anyways and one in the beartooths. We should all oppose the closure of the Line Creek Plateau RNA in the beartooths.
Im sure there is something I missed, feel free to add. Getting some of this information out on social media would be a wise idea.
I went over the 4 proposed alternatives that the environmental assessment has in it. From what I can tell Alternative 1, which is no change from current standing on road classification/dates and over snow areas/dates, is the best option for the motorized crowd. Alternative 2, 3 and 4 would negatively affect access especially for over snow travel. Some of the alternatives would close over a hundred miles of roads/trails forest wide. One of the alternatives takes away nearly 1500 acres of motorized area for use for cross-country skiing. The other alternatives also change dates and allowed used on forest service roads/trails. Currently there are no beginning or end dates for snowmobiling on the Shoshone, just snow depth minimum and no resource damage.
ALTERNATIVE 1 IS WHAT WE WANT TO REMAIN AS THE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN!
I have heard that form letters submitted are counted as one, so we need to customize individual letters to have a larger voice.
Comments are due by November 18th.
These are the two websites with the information to read the full EA (474 pages) and to submit comments.
Environmental Assessment page with maps and appendix. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/shoshone/home/?cid=stelprd3846526
Comments need to be submitted here by the 18th. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/shoshone/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD962859
You can also directly email
- send an email to SM.FS.shonfcomment@usda.gov with “Shoshone NF Travel Management Planning Project” in the subject line or
- via regular mail to Mark Foster (Environmental Coordinator), Shoshone National Forest, 808 Meadow Lane Avenue, Cody, WY 82414
On the EA page you can view the maps. Subpart C is the over snow travel portion. Subpart B is the summer roads. Alternatives 2 , 3 and 4 will close about 1500 acres SW and North of the brooks lake parking lot! (see subpart c Wind River) This is the area known as the falls/deception and pinnacles ski areas which has been informally a ski area for years. A better area for XC ski trails would be an area lower on the mountain that does no recieve as much snow where snowmobiles would not want to be anyways.
There is a lot involved in these proposals, but I feel that our best result would be for things to stay the way that they are now. I have a form letter from Wyoming State Snowmobile Association and they generally support Alternative 4 and im not sure why because they suggest changes to it. Alternative 4 allows class 2 OSV's which are tracked pickups/suv's on groomed trails which is not something we as snowmobilers want. Alternative 4 also changes the dates and minimum snow depth allowed for off trail travel. The High Lakes Wilderness Study area needs to remain open to over snow travel. The only good thing in alternative 4 is adding two ungroomed trails, one near sublette pass that is used as a trail anyways and one in the beartooths. We should all oppose the closure of the Line Creek Plateau RNA in the beartooths.
Im sure there is something I missed, feel free to add. Getting some of this information out on social media would be a wise idea.