Elko County officials seek hearing on Forest Service’s travel management plan
RENO -- The chairman of the national parks congressional panel is considering a request to hold a field hearing in Elko on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest's travel management plan for Elko County, where officials oppose proposed road closures and other measures.
Rep. Rob Bishop, who leads the House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, is working with Nevada Republican Rep. Mark Amodei to determine whether it's possible to schedule the hearing.
Elko County commissioners sent a letter asking Bishop, a Utah Republican, to hold the hearing before the U.S. Forest Service signs a record of decision approving the plan for use of motorized vehicles in the county. Commissioners strongly oppose road closures and a ban on cross country travel.
"(Bishop) is extremely sympathetic to the concerns of Elko County commissioners, and remains very concerned the travel management rule is being exploited by the Forest Service to close thousands of miles of routes that have been used for decades," said Melissa Subbotin, Bishop's spokeswoman. "He's going to work with staff and (Amodei) to see if the hearing is possible."
The county's request for the congressional field hearing was first reported by the Elko Daily Free Press.
The Humboldt-Toiyabe, which covers much of Nevada and a portion of California, has already approved travel management plans for other counties under its jurisdiction. Elko County is the last holdout.
Humboldt-Toiyabe Supervisor Jeanne Higgins declined to comment on the county's request for the hearing.
She said plans call for Elko County's travel plan to be formally approved in early November after she and two district rangers meet with commissioners the last week of October to discuss their concerns.
She said she initially wanted the record of decision signed by late September, but decided to postpone it until after meeting with county commissioners.
The two main sticking points concern a prohibition on cross country travel and creation of a map with a designated route system for the county, Higgins said.
