AGENCIES WORK TOGETHER TO MANAGE MOTORIZED ACCESS

by: Chip Corsi, Regional Supervisor The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is responsible for managing Idaho's fish and wildlife resources. We are primarily population managers, meaning that we set seasons, bag limits, etc. Except on IDFG owned lands, we are not habitat managers. Successful fish and wildlife population management is very dependent on having quality habitat for the species we are trying to manage. Thus, we work closely with the Forest Service on federal lands (and other land managers/owners on other lands) to ensure that habitat quality is good enough to meet the public's demands for fish and wildlife populations capable of supporting hunting, fishing, and other fish and wildlife based recreation. We also work with these entities to ensure that habitat for rare species is adequately protected to avoid issues such as endangered species listings. While access for motorized vehicles affects a large number of species, IDFG input to the Forest Service on road issues most commonly focuses on elk and fish issues. Research conducted in Idaho (including within the Coeur d'Alene basin), Oregon, Montana and other western states shows a clear cause and effect between high density of roads open to motorized travel and declines in elk numbers and herd composition. Elk are highly valued by sportsmen and wildlife viewers, and elk hunting contributes significantly to local economies. In the Panhandle, we are able to maintain long general seasons, and an either sex elk season, in large part because of road closures the Forest Service has enacted at IDFG request. Road closure requests are made not to eliminate motorized access, but to manage it to provide blocks of habitat where elk have a reasonable level of security. In the Panhandle, this typically means open road densities of about 1.5 miles or less of open road per square mile to meet publicly desired elk management goals. From a fisheries standpoint road management issues are more closely tied to the effects that many roads have on the stability of stream channels and/or as barriers to fish passage. For instance, roads adjacent to streams typically result in a confined stream channel, loss of streamside vegetation, and increased sediment getting into the stream. High road densities contribute to flash flooding, and require resources for maintenance that the Forest Service and other land managers don't have. Streamside roads also mean greater access for fishermen, creating the potential for over-harvest if special regulations, such as catch and release or size restrictions, are not enacted. For example, the streams in the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe systems, with numerous streamside roads, are managed with either catch and release or special size limits. The Little North Fork Clearwater, which has few roads, has neither type of regulation. Improved road management by land managers, such as the Forest Service, has allowed folks in the Panhandle to enjoy high quality elk hunting and fishing opportunities, while still providing lots of public access, motorized and otherwise to enjoy these resources. It also helps to reduce costly road maintenance, and afford protection from the need for endangered species listings. During 2003, states in the northwest avoided an ESA listing for westslope cutthroat trout in large part because management agencies could point to land management activities, including road management, that allow westslope cutthroat trout to thrive. Road closures are not just something implemented by the Forest Service at IDFG request. In some instances, the Forest Service will close a road for reasons unrelated to fish and wildlife. Road closures are often seasonal to prevent damage to road surfaces. Many timber companies and the Idaho Department of Lands close roads (often only seasonally) of their own accord, to prevent resource damage and costly road repairs. The IDFG works with Idaho Department of Lands on road closures where there is a need for fish or wildlife purposes. While not likely to be of comfort to someone who feels closed out of a favorite spot, the fact remains that motorized access to National Forest and other lands is substantial and widespread. Road densities on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest are among the highest for any National Forest in the country. In many cases trade-offs are made to benefit motorized access at the expense of fish and wildlife based recreation, because multiple use mandates and widely varying public desires demand it. The IDFG recognizes that many hunters and fishermen have divergent opinions about motorized access, and takes that into consideration when making road closure recommendations and requests to the Forest Service and other land management agencies. The bottom line is that the Department is "responsible" for many road closures in the sense that we make recommendations and requests for road closures to the Forest Service for fish, wildlife, and recreation purposes. The Forest Service is responsible in the sense that they actually make the road closure rules, and they are the primary agency charged with enforcement - in part because the Forest Service has a legal obligation to consider fish and wildlife as part of their multiple use mandate. I hope this explains why and how the IDFG plays a role in road closures on National Forest lands. I would encourage those with an interest in motorized vehicle access to participate in the Forest Plan revision process to express your concerns and offer solutions to this important issue.