Independent Study Examines Travel Planning

The Institute for Environmental Negotiation at the University of Virginia conducted a national assessment of the Forest Service’s off-road vehicle travel management planning process. Several of Wildlands CPR’s staff were interviewed for the report, which identifies challenges facing land managers. All are exacerbated by the difficulty inherent in coordinating travel planning throughout the National Forest System:

• Interpreting the Travel Management Rule
• Limited time & resources
• Understanding and documenting current conditions
• Public involvement
• Leadership and commitment
• Motor vehicle use map
• Enforcement
• Specific Technical challenges

To overcome these challenges, the authors propose dozens of approaches, ranging from clarifying the original intent of the travel planning rule, to forming partnerships and leveraging funding, to making the process more transparent and inclusive, to improving enforcement. The report is most
useful for forests in the early stages of travel planning. For the full report, visit: www.virginia.edu/ien/docs/National%20Assessment%20of%20TMP%20-%20Full%20Document.pdf