What is the purpose of a Forest Service Road?
Jan 09, 2002 · The backlog of deferred road maintenance and reconstruction needs on Forest Service roads is $8.4 billion. This backlog is due to the age of the arterial and collector roads (three-fourths are over 50-years old), heavy use, and the lack of regular maintenance. c.
Why are Forest Service roads not fully maintained?
Proper location and construction of roads will provide for safety, longer operating periods, lower maintenance and operating costs, and minimal impacts to forest resources. Servicing as many acres of forest with as few roads as possible is a sound method of reducing impacts to forest resources from road construction.
What are the benefits of forest road construction guidelines?
Rehabilitation of forests or tree cover on previously forested land becomes increasingly important throughout the tropics. The history of rehabilitation projects, however, cannot yet boast of being highly successful. In this study:Review of forest rehabilitation initiatives - Lessons from the Past, CIFOR and partners aim to provide an overview of the history of rehabilitation efforts in six ...
What are the different levels of maintenance for National Forest System roads?
The Forest Service publishes a variety of map products to help you plan your next adventure or enjoy your next visit! National Overview Maps . We've released the next generation Interactive Visitor Map! Visitor Map 2.0, provides the public with an online view of Forest Service roads, trails, recreation sites, wilderness areas, and wild & scenic ...
What is the USFS?
Among many of the functions of the United States Forest Service (USFS) is the development and maintenance of Forest System roads that are relied upon by USFS and the public. The USFS uses these to maintain its forests, aid in fighting forest fires, allow public use, and other functions.
What is the USFS travel management rule?
The key point of the USFS's Travel Management Rule is that motor vehicle use on National Forest System Lands is restricted to designated routes which are shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs). All routes not on the MVUMs should be marked as private.
Where can I find MVUM?
Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) identify specifically where USFS allows use of their roads by public motor vehicles. They are available for a small fee in hard copy online, are free at USFS offices, or can be found online in PDF format.
Is MVUM inaccurate?
MVUMs may be inaccurate or out of date, and roads may vary in quality over seasons depending on the climate (rain/snow). Particularly, some roads in Maintenance Level 3 may have attributes that are closer to Off-Road / Not Maintained than Street.
What is the purpose of the 2001 Roadless Rule?
The intent of the rule is to provide lasting protection for inventoried roadless areas in the context of multiple-use management.
What is the size of a National Forest Atlas?
National Forest Atlases are full color atlases, containing 8.5-inch by 11-inch topographic quadrangle maps at 1 inch to the mile scale and are available for many of the forests in California.
How to travel in the forest?
Stay on open forest roads. Travel only on off-highway vehicle designated routes. Cross-country travel is prohibited. Obtain a Motor Vehicle Use Map for specific information on your forest. Comply with signs and barriers, and leave gates as you found them.
How old do you have to be to drive an all terrain vehicle?
Follow vehicle regulations. Children under 8 years of age may not operate all-terrain vehicles or motorcycles. An operator under 16 must have constant supervision by an adult over the age of 18. No passengers are allowed on all-terrain vehicles, unless vehicles are designed to carry passengers.
Why do horses spook?
Horses spook when they see an unfamiliar object, especially one which moves quickly and quietly. Control your speed at all times and approach turns in anticipation of someone around the bend. Reckless riding and high downhill speeds are not appropriate. Wear your helmet and protective gear.
What is the Forest Service?
For many years the U.S. Forest Service was considered one of the best federal agencies to work for. To those who don’t know, the service originated as a conservation agency, devoted to watershed protection and sustainable timber harvest. Until the 1930s, management of our national forests was mostly custodial.
What is the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest?
Square-mile clearcuts graced the covers of conservation-oriented magazines. Shoring up the northwestern tier of Greater Yellowstone, the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest represents a key part of the ecosystem's connectedness to wildlands farther north. Image courtesy imgur user Fredlyfish4.
Why is morale important?
Morale is as important, whether it involves government service or a private company. A place to work with great morale not only attracts people ...
Where is Mesa Falls?
Mesa Falls tumbles in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest of eastern Idaho carrying water that began in the high country of neighboring Yellowstone National Park. Image courtesy Zechariah Judy. A second morale-buster involves changing or conflicting mandates, priorities and direction.
Who was Herbert Kaufman?
In 1960, Herbert Kaufman finished his great work on the Forest Service titled The Forest Ranger. Kaufman said you have to have several attributes to be a ranger. You have to be willing to conform to policy and regulation.
What is the Shoshone National Forest?
It is one of the first national forests in the country, growing out of the original Yellowstone Timberland Reserve. Image courtesy Viplav Valluri.
Is Beartooth Highway scenic?
Here is the Beartooth Highway considered one of the most scenic drives in the world . Image courtesy US Forest Service. The problem rests in what the centralized “service centers” were set up to do, and this did not include specific tasks that can only be done at the local level.
Background
- General 1. Does the proposed policy apply to other public or private lands? The policy affects only roads on National Forest System lands. The policy directs the Forest Service to undertake a scientifically-based roads analysis procedure on each forest before constructing, reconstructin…
Motor Vehicle Use Maps
Maintenance Levels
Editor Discretion
USFS to Waze Classification Mapping
Road Naming Conventions
USFS Places For Waze
- The key point of the USFS's Travel Management Rule is that motor vehicle use on National Forest System Lands is restricted to designated routes which are shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs). Only routes on the MVUMs should be entered into Waze as driveable roads. Of those roads and trails, only those accessible by passengers or 4x4 vehicles should be mapped. USFS s…
Editing Resources
- The US Forest Service classifies maintenance of National Forest System roads by five levels: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Maintenance level 1 roads are closed to motor vehicle use.Maintenance level 2 roads are maintained for high-clearance (4x4, off-road) vehicles. Maintenance level 3, 4, and 5 roads are maintained for passage by standard passenger cars during the normal season of use. Picking th…