Human-Powered in the Sierra Nevada

Winter travel planning is a legally-mandated process by which each national forest in the country is required, with public input, to designate specific areas and trails where snowmobiles and other motorized over-snow vehicles (OSVs) are allowed to travel, with the remainder of the forest open only to human-powered travel. This process is currently underway on seven national forests in California — the first forests in the nation to undergo this kind of planning.

Our goal is to ensure that these forests — encompassing 4.7 million acres of public land — have in place balanced winter management plans that provide quality recreation opportunities for both non-motorized and motorized winter recreation, minimizing conflict between users and impacts to wildlife and resources.

Helping your local forest draft these plans is YOUR opportunity to protect high-value non-motorized experiences (backcountry skiing and riding, Nordic skiing, ice climbing, winter mountaineering, family snowplay, snowshoeing, etc.) in the Sierra Nevada, and to influence how YOUR backcountry is managed.

Sign up below to receive customized action alerts, follow us on Facebook or Instagram, or stay tuned to these pages to find out what comes next on which forest and how you can help us advocate for balanced solutions in those areas you care most about.

Timeline At a Glance

Here is the current estimated timeline for winter travel planning on national forests in the northern Sierra Nevada (click on the forest name for more details):

• Stanislaus National Forest (completed):
  • After six years of meetings, field trips, 670 individual comments from individuals and organizations, dozens of maps, reams of documents, and more meetings — the Stanislaus National Forest completed its Over-Snow Vehicle Use Designation Project. The final signed Record of Decision was released July 13, 2021.
  • Click here for our take on the final plan: not great, but better than what had been status quo, with some important preliminary protections established for wildlife and quiet recreation.
  • On October 13, 2021, the Sierra Snowmobile Foundation, Blue Ribbon Coalition, the American Council of Snowmobile Assoc. and others filed a lawsuit against the United States Forest Service. Click here to see the complaint.
  • The official Over-Snow Vehicle Use Map (OSVUM) that reflects the new designations is available here (pdf).
• Lassen National Forest (completed):
  • The first National Forest in the country to begin winter travel planning after the OSV Rule was finalized in 2015 finally published an OSV Plan in June, 2022. Click here to access the project page and review the plan, map, and supporting documents.
  • The new plan does not designate OSV use in many, but not all, of the areas WWA and our partners worked to protect for quiet recreation, including the McGowan National Recreational Trail, Elam Creek/Carter Meadow, the West Shore of Lake Almanor, and the West Shore of  Eagle Lake. Click here for our detailed analysis of the new plan.
  • Next, the Forest Service will publish an OSVUM – hopefully in time for the 2022-2023 winter season.
• Plumas National Forest:
  • A draft Record of Decision (ROD) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) were published on August 19, 2019.
  • After 17 hours of virtual “objection workshops” in May 2021, an official objection resolution meeting was held on June 3, 2021.
  • On July 12, 2021, the regional Reviewing Officer issued a letter of review.
  • We hope to see a final plan and Record of Decision (ROD) in 2022.
• Eldorado National Forest:
  • The Eldorado released its Draft Record of Decision and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on October 31, 2018. The Forest Service held an objection meeting in March 2019.
  • We hope to see a final plan and Record of Decision (ROD) in 2022.
• Tahoe National Forest:
  • The Tahoe published a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) on February 6, 2019. The Forest Service held an objection meeting in May 2019.
  • We hope to see a final plan and Record of Decision (ROD) in 2022.
• The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is also working on a winter travel plan. Although the LTBMU is in the same neighborhood as the 5 forests listed above, its winter travel planning process is not part of the same coordinated effort outlined above. However, we are also actively engaged in travel planning on this forest. The LTBMU published a Proposed Action on September 2019, and public comments were accepted through December 9.
• The Inyo National Forest published the final approved version of its new Inyo National Forest Land Management Plan in October 2019. The forest has begun pre-scoping work for Subpart C NEPA process and has committed to publishing a proposed action before the end of 2022.