Next Week: Attend a Meeting on Road Access in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

The finalized travel management plan could impact road maintenance and access to places like Icicle Ridge within the Okanogan-Wentatchee National Forest. Photo by PhukenGruven.

Last week, the Forest Service released a Draft Environmental Assessment for Motorized Travel Management within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

Roads in the area lead to numerous popular recreation areas including Icicle Ridge, Lake Chelan, and many others.

Attend an open house to learn and ask questions

Five open houses have been scheduled within the next week to answer questions about the Draft Environmental Assessment and the process for commenting. Each open house will last from 5:00 pm until 6:30 pm.

Mark your calendars for a meeting near you:

• Yakima Valley Museum in Yakima on June 20
• Mercer Island Community Center on Mercer Island on June 21
• Kittitas County Event Center in Ellensburg on June 22
• Apple Annies in Cashmere on June 23
• Okanogan PUD, in Okanogan building on June 24
  
  

Shape the future of travel within the forest

You can submit your thoughts and comments in writing by July 8:

• Submit comments by mail to Mike Williams, Forest Supervisor, c/o Jennifer Zbyszewski, 24 West Chewuch Road, Winthrop, WA 98862.
• Electronic submissions are also accepted.

The Forest Service has proposed four alternatives including a "no action" option that would not require any changes to road and travel management within the forest.

The Forest Service has designated alternative B (see below) as the agency's preferred alternative. According to a Forest Service press release, this alternative “strikes a balance that continues to provide motorized access to National Forest System roads and trails while sustaining the health of National Forest lands and resources including soil, water quality and wildlife habitat.”

The full plan can be read on the Forest's website.

A table comparing the four proposals.