Here is an update as to how my local Forest is going about the second part of travel management....They have held several open public meetings and had people mak maps with the roads and areas they use.  These will be compiled for later use (read when they produce the alternatives for closures)  On our Forest (Willamette) they said the yearly required maint. budget to fully maintain the entire road system to levels required by the classification of each road would be 5.9milloin.  They get about 1.5 million each year for the past 5 years or so.   And on the RAC, we are told budgets are going down for both BLM and USFS.

They would not come right out and say it, but the map marking and comment exercise will be used to keep open the road system that gets the most use, and at least 75 % of the rest of it will be closed.  They can then say that this is what the public uses and we kept that open in the lawsuits and objections to the closures.

Find out when your Forest is starting the second part of travel management and get involved or you WILL lose out.  Most all forests are in line to have this done by the end of 2016, and it will take at least a year to go through doing the alternatives, and the comments on a draft and bringing out a final and signing a decision.   That means they are working on it as you read this.........

I fear the 2nd faze is close all roads.. there are gates everywhere.. I live next to the El Dorado NF , they have managed to just about gate every road there is.. since when has public land become private???

To me if the gates open, I drive through it... if closed then a swear and go on to the next one..

    Unfortunately what's next is called 'Wilderness Area' along with 'No vehicles beyond this point'...That's a bummer.