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Participate in any one of five upcoming meetings (virtual & in person) to engage with Inyo National Forest staff on important Winter Travel Planning.

Make your voice heard about how you would like to see the forest used in winter! 

What's happening?

The Inyo National Forest has announced outreach meetings to encourage collaborative discussion about Winter Travel Planning, which will formally begin later this year. This month, there will be two virtual meetings via Zoom (same content) and three Coffee with the District Ranger information/feedback events in person as follows: 

On Zoom (Please use this same link for both meetings)

• Tuesday, February 8^th , virtual meeting, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
• Thursday, February 10^th , virtual meeting, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm.

In Person

Saturday, February 12^th, Coffee with the District Ranger

• 10:00 am - 11:00 am Shady Rest Park, near OSV staging area, Town of Mammoth Lakes
• 11:00 am – noon, the Sherwins, propane tanks at the Sherwin Creek Rd.

Saturday, February 26^th, Coffee with the District Ranger

• 10:00 am - 11:30 am, Bald Mountain Road/Deadman Summit Staging Area

What can I do?

Please attend one or more of these meetings and share your thoughts with Forest staff.

It is important to engage early and often on this critical piece of travel management, which will inform, well into the coming decades, how the forest is used in the winter.

Points of Information and Opportunities for Advocacy

The official kickoff of analysis for Subpart C of Travel Management will begin with formal scoping later this year. Subpart C of the Travel Management Rule (36 CFR 212, Subpart C) requires the Inyo to designate roads, trails, and areas on Forest lands where Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) use is allowed in areas of the forest where snowfall is adequate.

As part of the process, the Forest must develop an Over-Snow Vehicle Use Map (OSVUM), which identifies the roads, trails and areas where OSV use will be designated. This map will be based on environmental analysis and public comment.

The Forest is required to consider how to minimize impacts to soils, water, vegetation, and other forest resources, and minimize harassment and disturbance to wildlife where OSV use occurs. 

Support Friends of the Inyo's advocacy efforts for a conservation-focused plan to encourage Forest to incorporate the best available science. Please ask the Forest Service to emphasize the minimization of impacts to the winter ecosystem and wildlife in their plan.

Please advocate for the Forest to produce, in addition to the OSVUM, an implementation plan that would include guidance on plans for staging areas, signage, education, and enforcement.

Please make your voice heard!