Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Lands Trails topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forest Service draft clears path to reopen Wabasha/Robinson Canyon as 50‑inch ATV trail, county to maintain access
Summary
County committee members said a Forest Service draft decision would reopen the Wabasha/Robinson Canyon alignment as a 50‑inch‑wide ATV trail, a designation that would allow a NEPA categorical exclusion and speed reopening while limiting wider vehicles.
An item on the Resource Development Committee agenda on May 7 came into focus when committee members summarized a Forest Service draft decision to reopen the Wabasha/Robinson Canyon alignment to motorized recreation. An unidentified committee member said the Powell Ranger District, via a district ranger identified in committee discussion as Christopher Worley, has prepared a draft decision and plans to present it to county commissioners before signing.
The most consequential detail is the planned trail standard: "let's open this as an ATV road 50 inches wide for now," the committee reported, citing the district ranger’s proposal. Committee members said that treating the alignment as a 50‑inch ATV trail — rather than a full road — would allow the route to be categorized as a trail and be excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) travel‑management analysis. That categorical exclusion, they said, shortens the approval timeline and reduces the risk of extended federal review.
Committee members discussed how access will be controlled and maintained. The county would maintain the two‑track alignment, they said, and the Forest Service will install a 50‑inch gate on the trail with a separate standard‑width gate beside it to preserve maintenance access. Speakers described intentional "pinch points" at the route ends to deter vehicles wider than the 50‑inch designation. One committee member warned that while the 50‑inch standard enables quicker opening, some local users will find it limiting because it excludes wider UTVs, trucks and jeeps.
Several members said designating the route as an ATV trail is a first step, not a final determination. "This does not preclude us getting a road in the future," one member said, adding that converting a trail to a road later would likely require reopening the Forest Service travel‑management process and could be more difficult. The committee discussed that the county will continue to pursue broader access where feasible but that the current decision aims to restore use quickly while preserving future options.
District Ranger Christopher Worley was described as willing to present the draft decision to the county commission in person before signing. Committee members said they will coordinate with Forest Service staff to confirm any final conditions and to schedule a presentation for the commissioners.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the decision during the meeting; members treated the item as an informational update and next‑steps coordination. The Forest Service draft decision and any signed document will be considered at a future commission meeting when district staff present in person.
