Inyo National Forest Draft Travel Analysis Report Available

Public Meeting Next Week

The Inyo National Forest announces the release of the Draft Travel Analysis Report (TAR) and is soliciting your input on the findings. The draft report, its appendices, and maps can be viewed on the Inyo National Forest website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprd3834316.

As a reminder, a public meeting to share the report is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm at the Cerro Coso Community College, 4090 W Line St, Bishop, California. Forest staff will explain how the Draft TAR was developed, answer questions about the Travel Analysis Process (TAP), and share maps and findings of the Draft TAR.

TAP is mandated by the 2005 Travel Management Rule and requires that forests provide a safe, financially and environmentally sustainable road system. TAP fulfills the requirement in Subpart A of the 2005 Travel Management Rule that requires forests to use a science-based roads analysis process to help identify the minimum road system.

TAP does not produce a decision, but rather a set of recommendations. Therefore National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is not required and the process is not subject to objection. Your input, however, will help make this analysis more accurate and complete.

Input will be most useful if received by May 18, 2015. Email comments can be sent to comments-pacificsouthwest-inyo@fs.fed.us with the subject line “TAP comments”. Input can be faxed to (760) 873-2486. Hard copy comments can dropped off at the Forest Service Supervisor’s Office during normal business hours (8:00-4:30, Monday through Friday), or can be mailed to Erin Noesser, Inyo National Forest, 351 Pacu Ln. Suite 200, Bishop, California 93514.

Comments will be most helpful if they include specific information or suggestions: for example, information about risks or benefits of specific roads. We would also appreciate any corrections of information in the draft report, suggestions about improving the analysis process, and suggestions about any future changes to specific roads. The TAP does not consider routes that are currently not on the National Forest Transportation System, nor does it consider motorized or non-motorized trails. Comments that focus on existing open National Forest system roads will be the most useful.