Forest Service Releases Draft Assessment for Trail Project

SAN BERNARDINO >> The San Bernardino National Forest has completed a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) for the May Valley Non-Motorized Trail Project. The May Valley Project proposes to add non-motorized trails and trailheads to the National Forest Transportation System and rehabilitate unauthorized trails in the May Valley area on the San Jacinto Ranger District. The analysis is documented in this Draft EA in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other relevant federal and state laws and regulations. This report discloses the predicted direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects that would result from the proposed action, the no action alternative and action alternatives developed in response to issues raised during public scoping. This project encompasses approximately 5,500 contiguous acres in the May Valley area and is bounded by: Highway 74 and Hurkey Creek County Park to the south; Apple Canyon Road and the community of Bonita Vista to the east; San Jacinto Wilderness and the community of Idyllwild to the north; and, Highway 243 and McCall Equestrian County Park to the west. You can view the Project documents online on the San Bernardino website, http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/sbnf/landmanagement/projects The mission of the US Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the US Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the United States, of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.