The Bureau of Land Management has begun implementing the Murphy Subregion Travel Management Plan on approximately 233,000 acres of public lands between Reynolds Creek and Oreana. The plan took more than two years to complete and was developed with broad public involvement to address the impacts of various types of travel on other uses and resources in the area. It designates roughly 850 miles of routes as open for motorized travel and closes another 420 miles of routes, many of which were redundant or conflicted with other authorized land uses in the area. 

 

In December certain trailheads and unauthorized off-highway vehicle (OHV) play areas in the subregion were fenced off to help ensure protection of sensitive species plant populations such as the Mulford’s milkvetch. In February the BLM began signing designated routes and rehabilitating those closed under the plan. A trail dozer tilled up surfaces compacted by repeated riding. Raking and seeding followed to establish or re-establish vegetation. Trenches, moguls, and earthen tank trap barriers were created to discourage riders from using the closed routes. Hand-crews will perform maintenance on 160 miles of single-track trails as needed.

 

Detailed maps showing the designated route system will be available this fall. Until then, recreationists are expected to comply with use guidelines posted on signs throughout the area. “We want to create an enjoyable trail system that is sustainable over the long term,” said Ryan Homan, outdoor recreation planner for the BLM Owyhee Field Office. “Implementing the Murphy plan will help us accommodate the multiple and varied uses of these lands while also protecting the area’s natural and cultural resources.” 

 

The Murphy Subregion Travel Management Plan was finalized in April 2009. The Subregion, which draws thousands of OHV enthusiasts from throughout the Treasure Valley, is a portion of the BLM Owyhee Front Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). The SRMA was designated in the 1999 resource management plan for the BLM Owyhee Field Office. A similar plan is in place in the 28,000-acre Wilson Creek Travel Management Area south of Marsing. The BLM has also implemented travel management plans in the Challis Field Office in eastern Idaho and at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.

 

During development of the Murphy plan, the BLM held four public meetings, met with user groups representing a variety of recreational uses including motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and four-wheel drive riders, equestrians, mountain bike riders and hikers, and gathered input from local, State and Tribal authorities. Issues and concerns identified within the planning area included the impact of various forms of travel on sensitive plant species, cultural sites, wild horses, agricultural uses, and habitat for golden eagles, big horn sheep, sage-grouse. Additional concerns were expressed about soil erosion, riparian areas and water quality, trespass on private property, and unauthorized play areas, hill climbs and unsustainable routes. Management actions and route closures in the plan address these concerns.

 

“We look forward to continuing to build relationships with Owyhee County, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe, and our public land users as we implement this plan,” said BLM Boise District Manager Aden Seidlitz. “By communicating, working together closely, and being good neighbors, this area can remain open to responsible OHV use for years to come.”

 

Travel on the public lands – whether motorized or non-motorized, on roads and trails or cross-country – is a resource the BLM manages along with numerous others. Nationwide, the BLM has undertaken comprehensive travel and transportation management that considers travel a means of access to public lands, and develops TMPs that address all travel-related resource uses. Public involvement is integral in developing the TMP for a particular area and is essential to putting a plan successfully into action day-to-day.

 

The BLM manages more land -- 253 million acres -- than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.