PUBLIC LANDS -- The Colville National Forest on Tuesday announced a 30-day public comment period on a long-awaied motor vehicle access plan for the south end of the 1.1 million acre northeastern Washington forest.

The South End Motor Vehicle Management Project involves the area between the Colville and Pend Oreille Rivers and between the towns of Cusick and Chewelah.

Read on for details.

The proposal includes allowing all vehicle types (highway and off-highway) to use some existing open roads (240 miles), constructing some new off-highway vehicle trails (2 miles), adopting some existing unauthorized off-highway vehicle trails (1 mile), opening some existing closed roads as off-highway vehicle trails (8 miles), and limiting where motor vehicles may go off roads for the purposes of dispersed camping.

Analysis of this proposed project is being documented in an Environmental Assessment (EA).

This EA is now available for public review on the forest website.

Copies also are available on compact disc or paper format at:

• Colville National Forest Headquarters, Colville, phone (509) 684-7000; toll free: (877) 727-8704; fax: 509-684-7280.

• Newport Ranger District in Newport, (509) 447-7300.

• Three Rivers Ranger District, in Kettle Falls, (509) 738-7700.

• Forest Information Office at the Bureau of Land Management, 1103 North Fancher, Spokane, WA 99212; phone (509) 536-1266; fax (509) 536-1275.

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