Save Moab – Win a Custom GasGas Dirt Bike + VIP Trip to Moab – Click Here

Prevent Closures in the Panhandle National Forest Kaniksu Unit in Idaho

Sep 13, 2022

Categories: Action Alert | Idaho | Image | Link | Snowmobile | USFS
Why you should submit here, even if you already have elsewhere!

We keep them honest. If everyone only comments through the government/agency site, we have to take their word on how many comments were received. By submitting through BRC, we create an independent record of our community’s response that can’t be buried or under-reported.

We protect your voice. If this fight ends up in court, having our own record of submitted comments means we don’t have to wait a year or more for a government agency to turn over documents. We can move quickly with proof that thousands of you spoke up.
We keep you in the loop. When you comment through our site, we can send you updates on what comes next. If you only use the government/agency site, you’re depending on them to tell you what happens next — and they won’t.

Double coverage matters. Even if you’ve already commented through the government/agency site, submitting through ours makes your voice count twice — once in their system, and once in ours. That way they know the OHV community is watching and tracking every move.

For years, BRC has been trusted to run action alerts like this. Thousands of members and supporters have used this system effectively to defend access to public lands. This isn’t about collecting your info — it’s about building the strongest, most transparent record possible to hold agencies accountable.

Why you should submit here, even if you already have elsewhere!

We keep them honest. If everyone only comments through the government/agency site, we have to take their word on how many comments were received. By submitting through BRC, we create an independent record of our community’s response that can’t be buried or under-reported.

We protect your voice. If this fight ends up in court, having our own record of submitted comments means we don’t have to wait a year or more for a government agency to turn over documents. We can move quickly with proof that thousands of you spoke up.

We keep you in the loop. When you comment through our site, we can send you updates on what comes next. If you only use the government/agency site, you’re depending on them to tell you what happens next — and they won’t.

Double coverage matters. Even if you’ve already commented through the government/agency site, submitting through ours makes your voice count twice — once in their system, and once in ours. That way they know the OHV community is watching and tracking every move.

For years, BRC has been trusted to run action alerts like this. Thousands of members and supporters have used this system effectively to defend access to public lands. This isn’t about collecting your info — it’s about building the strongest, most transparent record possible to hold agencies accountable.

The Panhandle National Forest in Idaho is updating their Over Snow Vehicle (OSV) Travel Management Plan for the Sandpoint Ranger District, Bonners Ferry Ranger District and Priest Lake Ranger Districts. The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to create several areas of use including: OSV Open year long, OSV open seasonally and closed to OSV use. Currently there are 735,597 acres that are open year round to OSV users – meaning no calendar-based restrictions. The proposal would leave 144,731 acres open with no calendar-based restrictions. The rest of those acres would only be open to OSV use from either November 16-March 31 or December 1-March 31. Greatly impacting the amount of days within a year OSV users can access over 600,000 of land.

Below are the areas proposed to be closed to OSV use. Only gray will be available open OSV use.

Areas are recommended to be closed due to recommended wilderness, research natural areas, big game concerns for denning activities for grizzlies, and concerns for caribou habitat.

Two areas will be open seasonally from Dec. 1st- March 31st until motorized access standards are met and then will be open year long. These areas are the Roman Nose area in the Selkirk Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone, and the Moose Lake area in the Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly.

BlueRibbon recommends that using dates of operation is typically arbitrary and capricious. Conditions and standards change from year to year and aren’t consistent based on a date. A National Park Study in Yellowstone showed that OSV use didn’t have any significant impact on wildlife within the park. USFS should be using best available science and active management strategies rather than closure. We believe USFS should develop an alternative that allows for date-based restrictions to be modified if warranted by conditions on the ground.

Another major concern that you will see from the table above is the loss of OSV routes. Approximately 32 miles will be closed to OSV users. OSV use is a huge economic player in this part of Idaho and the USFS should be doing everything in its power to protect these economic opportunities.

Comments on this plan are due September 15, 2022 and will hopefully be used to change the proposed action to a more OSV friendly proposal. Please add your voice to ours using the tool below. If you have specific knowledge about any elements of this plan, please include them by customizing your comment.

Our work to protect access to snowmobiles on our national forests is generously supported by the SkiDoo P.A.S.S. program. Our field work, policy analysis, and public outreach on this planning effort was supported by a SkiDoo P.A.S.S Grant.
Our work to protect access to snowmobiles on our national forests is generously supported by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association.

Appreciate What We Do?

It takes a team of people to investigate, review, advocate and litigate in order to protect your rights to public lands. Please consider donating today so we can defend your ground.

Tax-Deductible Donation
Latest Articles
Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act Re-introduced in Congress

Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act Re-introduced in Congress

Oct 7, 2025

This week legislation was introduced in the United States Senate that would guarantee motorized access to our public lands for Americans with disabilities. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and John Curtis (R-UT) have just introduced the Outdoor Americans With...

More Articles »

Categories