Public comment period for Travel Management Plan
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(along the Rocky Mountain Front) ends August 16.

Dear Email Sentry:

As the lead organization of conservation minded hunters and anglers, over the past two-years MWF has kept you informed of the threates and challenges to maintaining the quality public land habitats along the Rocky Mountain Front. Again, WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The Lewis and Clark National Forest (LCNF) has released the Travel Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the public lands within the Rocky Mountain Ranger District (RMRD). This draft includes five different travel plan alternatives. The public comment period will last 60 days ending on Aug 16.

Hunters and anglers and are very important in this process - our comments are essential in maintaining the kind of high quality habitats that sustain a diversity of game and non-game, backcountry hunting and fishing opportunities, and sound management of OUR public lands.

This new plan was developed when public outcry protested an inadequate 2002 Travel Plan. Seven thousand, mostly negative comments, were submitted regarding the 2002 document including many from hunters and anglers. That Plan was eventually scrapped and this new plan is now open for publiccomment.

The new plan has responded to the list of complaints filed in 2002 with a document that contains 5 "Alternative" Plans. Under ordinary circumstances, the agency picks a "Preferred Alternative" from the 5 options, however, in this 2005 Travel Plan, no "preferred" alternative has been chosen; the Forest is depending on the comment process to give them guidance.

Your comments will ensure that whatever Plan is adopted - it needs to protect Montana's fish, wildlife, hunting and fishing heritage, and the quality habitats needed to sustain them.

Please, consider the following:

- Alternative 3 contains the least amount of motorized access. Although previous Travel Plans allowed for motorized use of the Front, the nature of the topography has discouraged overuse of the area by ATVs. The main exception is the Badger-Two Medicine where off-road vehicle use has increased in recent times.

- Alternative 4 is based both on comments submitted by the public requesting greater separation of motorized and non-motorized travel, and on efforts by the agency to identify areas in which to focus motorized loop opportunities and other areas in which to emphasize enhancement of other resources. The agency also attempted to provide a mix of recreational opportunities throughout various geographic areas of the RMRD.

- Alternative 5 will protect Blackfeet Traditional District values in the Badger-Two Medicine area and has less motorized access than all Alternatives except for Alternative 3. In this Alternative, trails in the Badger Two-Medicine poriton will become non-motorized.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

First review the Plan. You can request a short-version overview of the plan from Dick Schwecke of the L&CNF at 406-791-7747 or you can view the plan online at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/lewisclark/projects/rockymtn_trav_plan/index.shtml#c1

Second, if you would like more information about the views of MWF on the alternatives, planning process or how to best word your comments, please call or email: Nathan Birkeland, MWF's Northwest (Rocky Mtn. Front) Coordinator: (800- 517-7256, nbirkeland@mtwf.org)

Third, send your comments by email BEFORE AUGUST 16 to comments-northern-lewisclark@fs.fed.us
indicating "RMRD Travel Plan DEIS" in the subject line or by US Mail to:

Spike Thompson, Forest Supervisor
Lewis and Clark National Forest
PO Box 869
Great Falls, MT 59403-0869

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact Nate Birkeland, nbirkeland@mtwf.org or Larry Copenhaver, lcopenhaver@mtwf.org at MWF at 1-800-517-7256.

The public lands along the Rocky Mountain Front are at a crossroads. The public agencies that manage them need our help, our guidance! PLEASE STAND UP AND BE COUNTED.

Thank you for standing up for Montana's fish, wildlife, and hunting and fishing heritage.

Larry Copenhaver
Conservation Director
Montana Wildlife Federation
Web-site: montanawildlife.com
[406]458-0227
[800]517-7256

This message is brought to you by the Montana Wildlife Federation ... Montana's largest, statewide wildlife conservation organization with over 7,000 members.