Document text
Divergent road uses focus of forest forums By Paul Fattig The Forest Service wants to hear the public�s perspective on roads leading into the Cascade Range within the Rogue River National Forest. The agency is gathering comments through May 16 to assist its analysis of roads in the Butte Falls and Prospect ranger districts as well as in a portion of the Ashland Ranger District. The agency seeks input on social, cultural, economic or environmental issues pertaining to the roads, explained Joel King, ranger for the Butte Falls and Prospect districts. "This process incorporates the public�s input into scientific analysis," King said. "This input is critical for helping us understand the current uses and issues related to our forest road system." Specific information such as historical use, primary destinations and desired use of the forest roads is also being sought, he said. Three public meetings to gather input will be held next week. The first is set for Monday in the Butte Falls Ranger District headquarters in Butte Falls, followed by a similar session at the Prospect Ranger District office in Prospect on Tuesday. The final session will be Wednesday at the Windmill Inn, 2525 Ashland St., Ashland. All three sessions run from 7 to 9 p.m. A similar analysis will be made on roads on the west side of the Siskiyou National Forest beginning in May. That analysis will include forest roads in the Chetco, Gold Beach and Powers ranger districts. Next year, officials will conduct a roads analysis in the Siskiyou Mountains, which include the Applegate Ranger District and the remainder of the Ashland Ranger District. Another roads analysis for 2002 includes the Galice and Illinois Valley ranger districts on the east side of the Siskiyou forest. The goal of the project is to find a balance between providing adequate access to forests while minimizing the impact on the environment. The problem is that the agency receives only about 20 percent of the annual funding needed to maintain its existing 380,000-mile road system nationally, officials said. The public comments will not be used as part of an overall decision-making process but will help guide district rangers and others when they make site-specific road management decisions, said Mary Marrs, spokeswoman for the Rogue River and Siskiyou national forests. "We�re looking at existing data on how we can manage for roads," Marrs said. "The comments we get will be used as a tool when site-specific decisions are being made." Roads being looked at will include everything from official Forest Service routes to those built by individuals such as miners, she said. Comments can be sent by regular mail to: Rogue River and Siskiyou national forests, Roads Analysis, P.O. Box 520, Medford OR 97501. They can also be sent via e-mail to [email protected]. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.