Forest Service will reinforce law of the land

Illegal motorized travel a priority

The U.S. Forest Service wants people to know that law enforcement officers are out there—as in, the agency has officers on the ground in the Gunnison National Forest to enforce travel regulations and other forest rules.

With a decision on the new Gunnison Basin travel management plan due out in less than 30 days, travel rules are taking center stage, since some designations will change in the proposed travel plan.
According to Gunnison District Ranger John Murphy, “Illegal motorized travel on the forest will soon become a priority for our law enforcement officers. We are close to finishing our travel management planning and will soon be publishing Motor Vehicle Use Maps. These maps are new and will show where motorized travel is allowed, when it is allowed, and what types of vehicles are allowed on specific roads and trails.”
A news release recently distributed by the USFS lays it out in a nutshell. “The Forest is releasing this information to encourage responsible and legal use of the National Forest by recreationists,” said Murphy. “We want folks to enjoy their public lands; however, we also want to let those who do not comply know that arrests and prosecutions do occur.”
Lee Ann Loupe, External Communications Staff Officer for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, said the news release was sent at the request of Forest Service law enforcement.
“We want people out there recreating and having a good time, but at the same time we want them to comply with the rules and regulations that protect other people as well as natural resources,” said Loupe. “Some people don’t comply and they face the consequences.
“I don’t want to scare people, but everyone you meet on the National Forest isn’t law-abiding,” she continued. “We create laws for the safety of everybody. In that respect the law enforcement officers are doing what they are supposed to be doing on Forest Service land.”
The release mentioned two cases of illegal motorized travel and another instance involving illegal structures at the Crested Butte ski area. These infractions aren’t unique to the Gunnison National Forest, but were used as examples of cited incidents.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort Risk Manager/Mountain Planner Roark Kiklevich said other ski areas face similar issues regarding illegal structures. “The Forest Service is adamant that if we know about them, we have to destroy them,” Kiklevich said. Several years ago he and a tree-planting crew found an illegal structure between the International and the Silvanite trails, with camping equipment, kitchen set-up and all. He said the person had cut down 80 to 90 trees to build it. Kiklevich confiscated the equipment at the site, and left a note for the builder to pay him a visit. “He was smart and didn’t show up,” Kiklevich said.
Murphy spoke about the effects of illegal structures on public lands. “Illegal structures on National Forest lands are not a significant problem but are illegal and do cause resource impacts,” he said. “The impacts of these ‘smoke shacks’ include the cutting of trees, nails being put in trees, and building materials being brought in from off-site that are left on National Forest lands. These structures are oftentimes used for illegal drug use and pose a public safety concern for visitors at CBMR, as well as at other ski areas across the state.”
The Gunnison National Forest is not alone in dealing with these management issues, and Murphy wants the public to be informed.
“[Crested Butte] is not being singled out,” said Murphy. “It just so happens that there were several citations issued in the Crested Butte area during the latter part of the winter recreation season. We want to remind folks that law enforcement officers are present on the unit and are looking for folks engaged in illegal activities on National Forest lands.”