Roads still closed, where is our money going?

[bobcat]

This BS is unheard of in ID! roads are cleared and open always!!

........................and the hunting is much, much better too. Even with ATV's.

Of course the hunting is better. Idaho has 19 people per square mile, while Washington has 104 people per square mile.

It also makes sense that people in Idaho would have more freedom to drive more places with less restrictions than we have in this state.

It's simply a matter of having much fewer people, which correlates to a much lower impact on natural resources.

[baldopepper]

Many Idaho roads are kept open because of livestock operations in the back country-we don't have as many free range cattle or major sheep operations in this state as Idaho does. 

[CAMPMEAT]

This BS is unheard of in ID! roads are cleared and open always!!

........................and the hunting is much, much better too. Even with ATV's.

Of course the hunting is better. Idaho has 19 people per square mile, while Washington has 104 people per square mile.

It also makes sense that people in Idaho would have more freedom to drive more places with less restrictions than we have in this state.

It's simply a matter of having much fewer people, which correlates to a much lower impact on natural resources.

We have about 7200 people for right around 7000 sq miles here...

[gasman]

If you want an area to be roadless, to the NP or Wilderness, plenty of roadless areas there, Oh wait, I for got, you don't wan to travel that far to be in a roadless area so you want less roads to accommodate your needs, SORRY, MY BAD

Not sure if you're talking to me or not but the last thing I'm concerned with is how far I have to drive to hunt. I have made 5 trips to the Blues this year plus a trip to Colville. Can't get much further than that from here.

No, not dirrected at you specifically 

[Terry Dean]

Milk Creek is finally open

[Expedition Scout]

Very interesting to read the argument for and against maintaining roads... but this forum represents one user group and we can't even agree which is better (more or less open roads). everyone needs to realize that there are a dozen other user groups that are in the same boat, arguing over the same issue or advocating for closed roads and some of them are much larger than hunters. So, as you can imagine, more people want more closed roads than hunters.

Additionally, you need to look at it from the Fed side. They are still dealing with funding issues from the Gov shut down a few years ago and additional cuts each year until 2016. That means only the worst/most pressing roads get attention and others are closed due to funding shortfalls.

The worst year is still to come!!

[timberfaller]

Yes! this has been a interesting read!

To all you "less road" people, THANKS, WHAT did I ever do to YOU???   If it weren't for roads my hunting days would be over.  My disability(logging and cattle) payments don't cover the "gas" cost to travel all over the state or outa state.  Come tell me to my face, "just get out and hike, you'll enjoy the outdoor experience more".   If I could afford a ATV, it would become as important as my hunting firearms.

AND YES I know there are abusers, but there are those who NEED extra help staying with the hunting sport!!

I just spent two days in the Bee Hive area,  Mt bikers, Dirt bikers, target shooters all the while I was trying for a deer.   I wish I could get to areas where I used to log in!!!  Oh that's right, they burned up this year AGAIN Little Bridge Cr.

Road maintenance is not a "cost" issue its a "worker" issue, my wife spent a lot of years in a USFS office.  USFS wants only "paper pushers" and BIGGER "Regional offices".  YOU also have to "understand" the USFS has been "taken over" by the environmental movement(known as the Employee's Union) We call them "greenies" for short!! 

OUR timber industry started "failing" when "imported" was cheaper then domestic and "access denied" became the norm.  Then a new batch of College grads who'd been brainwashed into thinking THEY could save the planet from the evil loggers and miners and Farmers AND joining Green Peace didn't get them to their pre-conceived GOALS for saving Mother Earth(hippie rag for those who never heard of it)! 

Some of you on here are to YOUNG to remember the glory days of Green Peace.   YOU don't hear much about them anymore, WHY?   They figured it OUT, that instead of "protesting" it would be easier to get "educated" and the Feds. being who they are, would  HIRE them and put them into positions that made "decision's"!! Wall-la!!! problem solved   Welcome to today's USFS 

Rant over, going to bed!!
 

[huntrights]

Closing and/or decommissioning roads (removing them from the landscape) definitely has impacts on hunting and hunters.  From the point of view of some physically fit and capable hunters in their late teens to those in their fifties, this may not be a big deal.  Hike in and hike out with an elk or deer quarter strapped to their freighter frame, and making 5 or 6 round trips – no problem for some.  Some hunters in this category seem to like the idea of closing and/or decommissioning roads so they can have that canyon or mountainside all to themselves.  It’s nice not to see other hunter orange wandering into your ideal and “private” hunting area. 

However, all hunters should try to look at the bigger and more important picture.  New hunter recruitment and hunter retention is critical to ensuring our hunting heritage and traditions continue for generations to come.  If hunter numbers decline, our hunting heritage will most definitely be suffocated and destroyed by anti-hunting/animal-rights zealots and environmental extremists.  Our strength is in our numbers and our resolve to protect our hunting heritage (rights).  New hunter recruitment comes primarily from youth and women; hunter retention means keeping older hunters participating in hunting activities.  We should also be very cognizant of promoting and supporting hunting opportunities for people that have disabilities; remember there are many wounded warriors that fought for our freedoms.  It shouldn’t take too much thought to understand if access to good hunting territory is cut off to those that may be less physically capable (i.e. youth, women, and older hunters), then new hunter recruitment and hunter retention will suffer.  If we don’t maintain and grow our numbers with new hunter recruitment and hunter retention, our hunting heritage will wither away.  This is what the anti-hunting zealots and environmental extremists would love to see. 

It should also be noted that road closures tend to create severe “parking lot” situations at hunt area access points; this is not good for hunters or hunting.  Even with existing roads, there is plenty of land out there to hike into for those adventurous hunters that are physically able and that desire a mountain canyon all to themselves.

It is not as if thousands of miles of new roads are being built; we know the opposite is true with excessive road closures and decommissioning.  We should promote keeping what we have not only to encourage new hunter recruitment and hunter retention, but for many other very important reasons (Read the letter provided via the link).  Jamie Herrera Beutler’s Roads to Trails proposal should be promoted and supported.  Please read her letter to Janine Clayton, Forest Supervisor of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
http://herrerabeutler.house.gov/uploadedfiles/janine_clayton_forest_roads_analysis.pdf

Related articles:

“Herrera Beutler addresses future of Gifford Pinchot roads”
http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/mar/28/1ce-herrera-beutler-addresses-gifford-pinchot-road/

“Herrera Beutler Calls For Turning Forest Roads To Trails”
http://www.opb.org/news/article/herrera-beutler-calls-for-turning-forest-roads-to-trails/

[theshade]

i dont think its a matter of closing roads as more of the reality that there is'nt any money to maintain the thousands of miles of roads that exist now.

[huntrights]

You need to read about "Roads to Trails".  Roads can be closed, but they don't have to be destroyed.  Destruction is costly and a total waste.  "Roads to Trails" keeps the road beds available for future use.  While it is a "trail", the road bed still provides reasonable access to hikers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts.

[Terry Dean]

Their needs to be a damn like button

[logger]

The f.s is sitting on millions of acres of funding, it's just like any big gov. agency they can piss money down the drain and have zero to show for it. I feel that their maint. program needs a major overhaul, if you neglect the roads then what is at the time a maint. item becomes major reconstruction for the simple fact that they didn't spend 50cents then so to fix it they have to spend 5 bucks now which they will cry they don't have have the funding. I deal with them everday and holy crap they have a oligist of some sort for every damn thing under the sun!