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OGr.529 Travel Management Travel management, which plays an important role in every Forest resource program, remains one of the most controversial elements in forest management. Since the 1984 Plan was developed, motorized and non-motorized forms of travel have increased and become more diversified. The advent of mountain bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the growing popularity of four-wheel-drive vehicles and snowmobiles, and increasing non-motorized uses such as hiking, backcountry skiing, and snowshoeing, all are competing for the same land base. As travei on the Forest increases, the impacts to resources become more pronounced and conflicts between users occur more frequently. The Forest needs to determine the proper balance in the type, extent and levels of Forest transportation facilities and use in order to resolve user conflicts and adequately protect resources. Other concerns in this revised plan include evaluation of utility sites and corridors and improved monitoring of transportation facilities. Traditional travel management issues remain the same in this revision of the Forest Plan. The Forest must continue to: . maintain road and trail facilities to meet land management objectives and resource program needs . acquire needed rights-of-way for management purposes and public access to NFS lands . implement seasonal and permanent restrictions to protect wildlife and/or limit degradation of roads and trails . provide a full range of trail opportunities in coordination with other jurisdictions and private landowners, both on and off NFS lands. Recreation Management Recreation has become the predominant use of the Forest. As the number of visitors to the Forest has increased, so have the type and extent of uses. Mountain biking, snowshoeing, rafting and kayaking, rock climbing, caving, and the use of A TVs are among recreation uses that have grown dramatically since development of the 1984 Forest Plan. Traditional pastimes such as hunting, fishing, and four-wheel-drive travel have also grown, with a parallel increase in the number of outfitters and guides that serve these activities. In addition, the Forest's popular downhill ski areas have evolved into internationally known four-season resorts that attract visitors throughout the year for a variety of pursuits. In the backcountry, the Forest's 19 mountain huts are frequented by more visitors each year; additional huts have been proposed to accommodate increased demand in both winter and summer. Based on recreation use reported by all national forests, the White River National Forest has ranked fifth in the Nation. The Forest manages 16 percent of the NFS lands in Colorado, but hosts 31 percent of the State's recreation use on these lands. Since the 1984 Forest Plan was prepared, overall recreation use on the Forest has more than doubled. Visitors are coming from farther away, they visit more frequently, and their -- 9-