01/12/10

Trails Planning as part of the Framework for Sustainable Recreation

Introduction:

Over 152,000 miles of national forest system trails provide opportunities for communities to connect and enjoy their national forests. These trails provide a multitude of experiences for both non-motorized and motorized trail users. As forests completed Travel Analysis, which focused primarily on roads and motorized trails, they and their communities recognized the need for comprehensive trail planning. In early 2010, the Washington Office convened a group of trail experts to develop guidance for trails planning in the Agency.

The goal of trail planning is to create a relevant and sustainable (environmentally, economically, and socially) national trail system that provides community benefits and creates citizen stewards. This goal supports Forest Service strategic guidance for recreation as outlined in the “Framework for Sustainable Recreation.”

Travel Analysis:

The 2005 Travel Management Rule provided an opportunity for every national forest to analyze roads and motorized trails in order to reduce impacts from unregulated motorized use. While some forests included non-motorized trails in this analysis, most did not.As Travel Analysis concluded, many forests also wanted a way to prioritize newly designated motorized trails (e.g., roads that were converted to motorized trails). Several “lessons learned” from Travel Analysis are incorporated in trail planning:

  • Start with an open invitation to participate so that everyone feels a part of the process.
  • Set realistic expectations and sideboards so participants can fully understand the situation and provide meaningful input.
  • Provide accurate data, especially on maps.
  • Focus on the larger landscape rather than a specific route so participants can see the bigger picture and not focus on a particular ‘loved’ trail.
  • Use a current-situation analysis tool to communicate with the public about resources, what can be maintained, what cannot, and one that shows the limiting factors for a Forest.

Status:

  • A core team has been convened to expand and clarify Travel Analysis direction (FSH 7709.55, Chapter 20) to be directly applicable to the national forest trail system (motorized and non-motorized) and to incorporate principles of the Framework for Sustainable Recreation such as sustainability, community engagement, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
  • In July 2010, the core team met with engineers, data specialists, and representatives from multiple disciplines (e.g., wildlife, wilderness, heritage) to further define trail planning discuss needed documentation, and identifydata analysis tools.
  • In the fall of 2010, the core team conducted interviews with several national forests and trail experts across the country to determine data analysis tools needed for trails planning. The core team is meeting in January 2011 to begin developing these tools.
  • Threenational forests have agreed to be “learning forests” for testing and refining trail planning tools. The team will be working directly with these forests in 2011. We are working with regional forest staff to identify other “learning forests”.

Success Factors:

  • Exhibit inclusiveness, openness, and transparency with partners, other agencies, and communities.
  • Demonstrate a clear tie to community benefits.
  • Recognize the value of using a collaborative approach for trails planning.
  • Use simple tools.
  • Use data from corporate databases.