transportation management

OHV Use In Red River

The Carson National Forest, Questa Ranger District, has been given the task of creating a Transportation Management Plan that directly addresses the trail system around Red River. Currently the Ranger District has three proposed alternatives to their original plan:

Alternative One

Alternative Two

Alternative Three

On August 31, 2009 the Red River Town Council met to discuss the proposed Transportation Management Plan. The Council signed a resolution to support Alternative Two, with reservations, and the following changes:

Original: Remove 2 miles of existing 100-foot corridor (for a total of 34 miles) for the purpose of dispersed camping and downed big game retrieval.
• Change: Maintain and improve 2 miles of existing 100-foot corridor (for a total of 34 miles) for the purpose of dispersed camping and downed big game retrieval.

Original: Close 11 miles of road district wide. The roads are in the vicinity of Midnight Meadows, Mallette Canyon, Bitter Creek, Cerro Negro, Pioneer Creek, Deer Mesa, Pinabete, and Middle Fork due to lack of access through private lands and/or resource concerns.
• Change: Maintain 11 miles of road district wide. The roads are in the vicinity of Midnight Meadows, Mallette Canyon, Bitter Creek, Cerro Negro, Pioneer Creek, Deer Mesa, Pinabete, and Middle Fork due to lack of access through private lands and/or resource concerns.

Original: Prohibit motor vehicle use from January 1 to April 30 on approximately 71 miles of designated roads in the vicinity of Cebolla Mesa, Pioneer Creek, Foster Park and Forest Road 488 for soil and water and wildlife habitat protection. Forest Road 9 in the Cebolla Mesa area would be open year-round.
• Change: Prohibit motor vehicle use from January 1 to April 30 on approximately 71 miles of designated roads in the vicinity of Cebolla Mesa, Pioneer Creek, Foster Park and Forest Road 488 for soil and water and wildlife habitat protection. Forest Road 9 in Cebolla Mesa area would be open year-round. Over the snow vehicles for personal and commercial use will be exempt.

Original: Prohibit motor vehicle use from January 1 to April 30 on designated roads in the vicinity of Midnight Meadows for wildlife winter habitat security and from May 1 to June 15 for elk calving habitat protection.
• Change: Prohibit motor vehicle use from January 1 to April 30 on designated roads in the vicinity of Midnight Meadows for wildlife winter habitat security and from May 1 to June 15 for elk calving habitat protection. Over the snow vehicles for personal and commercial use will be exempt from January 1 to April 30.

Please see the attached cover letter from the US Forest Service regarding your comments to the proposed plan, as well as the letter that Mayor Linda Calhoun will be sending to the US Forest Service on behalf of the community of Red River.

The Town of Red River encourages everyone to submit a letter with their comments to:

Forest Supervisor
Attn: Transportation Management
Carson National Forest
208 Cruz Alta Road
Taos, NM 87571