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Winter Travel Management

Plumas National Forest

Final OSV Plan Released

Plumas NF has released a Final EIS and Draft Record of Decision for its Over Snow Vehicle Use Designation project. The selected alternative makes modest gains for non-motorized winter recreation, increasing the percentage of the forest closed to snowmobiles from a paltry 3% to a more reasonable 29%. The plan closes several areas popular with skiers, such as the Black Gulch area east of Spanish Peak and Bucks Lake Wilderness and land south of the Plumas Eureka State Park including most of Mount Washington. However, some areas where conflicts occur between skiers and snowmobilers were left open to motor vehicles, and the plan does not protect most of the Pacific Crest Trail within the forest, allowing snowmobiles right up to the edge of the trail.

Snowlands will be submitting objections to some aspects of the plan in an effort to improve it. Objections are due by October 5, but in order to submit an objection, you must have commented on the Draft EIS and Proposed Action, and you may only object on issues for which you previously commented.

Our objection will include these issues:

You can learn about the Plumas plan and access the plan documents from their OSV project page.