T-07-14D
Forest Service Technology & Development Program
Recreation Project Proposal
— (FY 2007) —
Project Name/Title:
Traffic Equivalents for Off Highway
Recreation Vehicles Using Dirt and
Gravel Roads
Date: October
Submitted by:
17, 2005
John Bell, Engineering Staff; Tom
Suk, Lands Staff; & Jerry Ingersoll, Recreation
Staff
Unit: WO
Address: Inside Beltway (I-495)
Phone: Bell – 703-605-4612, Suk – 406-3293175, Ingersoll 202-205-0931
e-mail: Look in Directory
OVERALL PROBLEM / OBJECTIVE STATEMENT (Describe the problem, how the work is currently
being done, and why improvement is needed):
Under the National Forest Roads and Trails Act of 1964, the Forest Service is authorized to require
commercial users of National Forest System roads to perform maintenance made necessary by their road
use. Implementation of the law is through policy in FSM 7732, which requires commercial users to
perform maintenance “commensurate” with their use.
Most roads are used by more than one user. Thus, maintenance has to be shared amongst those users.
Under the policy, commercial users are responsible for their individual “commensurate” shares, and the
Forest Service is responsible for the “commensurate” shares attributable to Forest Service administrative
traffic and to recreation traffic.
In order to calculate commensurate shares, it is necessary to have equivalency factors between heavy
commercial vehicles (i.e. – 18 wheel 80,000 lb GVW log truck) and light vehicles (i.e. – standard pickup
truck). Obviously, a single trip by a heavy truck impacts a road much more than a single trip by a
pickup. Standard equivalency factors have been developed. These were last updated in the early 1990s
and are currently included in the model national cooperative road construction and use agreement
between the Forest Service and our “cost share” cooperators. The factors are also used for calculating
commensurate shares for timber sale contract and land stewardship contract road maintenance packages.
Since the factors were last updated, there has been significant growth in off-highway motorized
recreation. Many low standard system roads now see as much or more use by “~50 in. four wheel ATVs
(quads)” and motorcycles as they receive from ordinary light vehicles. This use is so significant that we
need to develop equivalency factors for this traffic in maintenance sharing calculations. No such factors
exist, and the traffic is not being included in calculations. The timber industry has recognized this
omission. It was specifically mentioned at a national meeting between the National Forests and Paper
Association’s Road Committee and the Forest Service October 12, 2005 in Portland, Oregon. One of the
action items from the meeting is for the Forest Service to develop factors. (Forest Service personnel at
the meeting who agreed to this include John Bell, FS HQ Engrg Roads O&M, Tom Suk, FS HQ Lands
R/W & Cost Share, Tom Pettigrew R-1 Regional Engr, and Richard Sowa R-6 Regional Engr.)
The Forest Service is about to issue a final rule restricting all motor vehicle use on National Forest Lands
to designated roads, trails, and areas as shown on a motorized use map. The designations will be made
through a public decision process. It is anticipated that significant traffic will be shifted from cross
country use to existing low standard System roads. This will exacerbate the need for equivalency factors.
Also, equivalency factors between OHV use and light highway vehicle use would be useful in advising
local decisions regarding motorized route designations where there are concerns about appropriated road
maintenance funds being insufficient to maintain roads for traffic.
PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT WORK (Describe your concept of the end product,
i.e., a new equipment design, a video production, a handbook, etc.):
The end product of the T&D Development work will be equivalency factors between various types of
OHV uses and ordinary light highway-legal vehicle uses for making commensurate share calculations.
At a minimum, the OHV categories should include motorcycles and maximum 50” wide four wheel
ATVs (Quads). At a minimum, the road types should include earth and gravel.
A good engineering report should suffice for the format of the output. The W.O. Lands and Engineering
Staffs will need to work with timber industry on implementation, which likely involves including the
equivalency factors in the national cost share agreement and the road maintenance handbook.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS (Describe how this project will reduce cost, save time, improve safety, increase
efficiency, or provide resource management):
The project is necessary to meet the legal (16 USC 537 and 36 CFR 212.5d) and policy (FSM 7732.03
and FSM 732.22) requirements related to commensurate share maintenance.
The project is also necessary for advising decisions on the designation of roads, trails, and areas for
motorized use under the forthcoming “Travel Management Rule”. That Rule is the primary agency
response to Chief Bosworth’s “Unmanaged Recreation” threat. (One of the “Four Threats”.) The rule
and the threat are found in numerous places in the the Strategic Plan and Executive Priorities.