Vehicle restrictions planned for Bridgeport Ranger District

A proposal to restrict vehicles to designated routes in the Bridgeport Ranger District, in Mono, Douglas, Lyon and Mineral counties will be unveiled at a series of open houses starting 4-6 p.m. Monday at the Mineral County Library in Hawthorne.

"This proposal is in its early stages," said Forest Service project manager David Loomis. "Nothing is written in stone at this point and we are open to ideas about how we can improve travel management on the Bridgeport Ranger District."

The Bridgeport Rancher District manages about 1.2 million acres and 1,500 miles of motor vehicle routes. Most of the ranger district is open to cross country motor vehicle travel.

"The Bridgeport Ranger District is a great place to explore by motor vehicle," said Bridgeport District Ranger Cheryl Probert. "This project will help us sustain motor vehicle travel on the district into the future."

The current system of open cross country travel has led to a proliferation of new user-created routes. These routes can, in the wrong places and at the wrong times, cause environmental impacts, according to forest service officials. Streams, wildlife, vegetation, soil, and archaeological sites can all be damaged by unmanaged motor vehicle use.

Open houses are also 4-6 p.m. Tuesday at the Memorial Hall in Bridgeport and 6-8 p.m. Dec. 10 in the multi-purpose room of Smith Valley High School in Smith.

Officials are encouraging public comment on the proposal to add about 300 miles of existing motor vehicle routes to the system and restrict travel to designated routes. The proposal is in its early stages and the forest service is seeking comments by Dec. 31.

Maps describing the proposed action are available on compact disk by request or may be found at www.fs.fed.us/r4/htnf/projects/#bridgeport. Send e-mail to comments-intermtn-humboldt-toiyabe-bridgeport@fs.fed.us. Written comments can be sent to: Travel Management Team, Bridgeport Ranger District, HC62, Box 1000, Bridgeport, CA 93517.