SILVER CITY, NM; June 28, 2016 - For Immediate Release - The Travel Management Rule (TMR) will go into effect across four districts of the Gila National Forest on July 1. The TMR is mandated across all national forests and prohibits motor vehicle use off designated routes and roads. The four districts where TMR will begin are Quemado, Reserve, Wilderness and Black Range.

TMR will not occur on the Glenwood and Silver City Ranger Districts in 2016. These districts are working to complete resource surveys and obtain concurrence from the State Historic Preservation Office before TMR will go into effect. The motor vehicle use map (MVUM) is the legal document displaying the roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use on the forest. The MVUM is free of charge and will be available at Gila National Forest offices.

GǣThe Travel Management decision for the Gila National Forest is a change in use of the forest as cross-country travel will no longer be allowed. Time and education will be needed as the process moves forward,Gǥ said Gila Forest Supervisor, Adam Mendonca.

In November of 2005, the Forest Service published final travel management regulations in the Federal Register requiring each National Forest or Ranger District in the nation to designate roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicles.

Travel Management Fact Sheet

• The Gila National Forest's Travel Management Decision was released in June 2014 and the decision was upheld by Southwestern Deputy Regional Forester Gilbert Zepeda Sept. 2014.
• Alternative G was chosen as the preferred alternative.
• Implementation is scheduled to begin July 1, 2016 on the Quemado, Reserve, Wilderness and Black Range ranger districts.
• TMR will not go into effect on the Glenwood and Silver City Ranger Districts in 2016 as these districts continue to work on surveys and reports to obtain concurrence with the State Historic Preservation Office.
• The motor vehicle use map (MVUM) is the legal document displaying the roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use on the Forest.
• The decision keeps open 3,334 miles of road.
• The decision increases motorized trail opportunities from 16 to 179 miles.
• The decision maintains a three-acre area for motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle use on the Reserve Ranger District.
• The 908 miles of roads closed are generally -+ to 1 mile in length. Some of these roads had signs of little to no use, some had cultural or natural resource concerns and some were parallel to each other and ended near the same locations. Closed roads will be accessible for emergency response.
• Forest users can go anywhere if on foot or horseback. Only the use of motorized travel is restricted to the designated open travel routes.
• Hunters are allowed to drive up to 300 feet from either side of roads with a designated corridor to retrieve their big game.
• Fuelwood cutters can use their motorized vehicle within designated cutting areas to gather their fuelwood.
• Concerns and/or comments about the decision should be forwarded to the appropriate District Ranger.
• The decision is not set in stone. We will be open to having discussions regarding adjustments to previous decisions when there is new information or opportunities to consider.

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