SEELEY LAKE - Winter is not here yet and the Seeley Lake Ranger District will be providing some flexibility in the wheeled vehicle access on roads that normally are scheduled to close Dec. 1.
“The district recognizes the public desire for vehicular access to enjoy their National Forests if conditions permit,” said Seeley Lake District Ranger Rachel Feigley. “This fall, snow has not accumulated enough to support snowmobiling, mushing, skiing or other uses allowed on our winter trails. We want to continue to allow the public access where roads are dry and where resource damage will not occur, until such time as weather dictates conditions conducive to these activities.”
On Dec. 1, Seeley Lake Ranger District employees, in partnership with the Seeley Lake Driftriders Snowmobile Club, are normally flipping signs on Forest Service roads to indicate the change from wheeled vehicle use to snowmobile use. When Mother Nature cooperates, ground conditions are conducive to winter activities and the road system becomes a trail system.
On years when these dates do not align with weather conditions, the December date may appear arbitrary, Feigley noted. She said the Seeley Lake Ranger District is proposing to allow snow levels and road conditions to dictate road closure and subsequent trail opening.
The public is asked to be cognizant of road conditions and use their judgment while traveling on these roads if they do encounter wet conditions.
Feigley said, “minimizing resource damage and associated road maintenance costs is a high priority for the district. We hope that our communities and forest visitors can understand these concerns -- extra funding is required to fix rutted and damaged roads, taking away from other priority work and can cause negative consequences of increased sediment in streams.”
The Seeley Lake Ranger District and the Driftriders Snowmobile Club will continue to work together and flip signs based on road conditions and snow levels. Therefore, the public is asked to be aware that this decision may change literally overnight.
Anyone with questions related to access changes is asked to contact the Seeley Lake Ranger District at 406-677-2233. Over-the-Snow Vehicle Use Maps (OSVUM) maps are free and available at the Ranger Station. Knowledge and use of this map is important and forest visitors should be aware of and familiar with these maps.
The district hopes to provide this flexibility on an annual basis and Feigley said the district appreciates the public’s cooperation and input associated with the effort.
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