This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah boasts the “greatest snow on Earth” and for decades local residents and visitors have ventured into the Tony Grove/Franklin Basin area to ski, snowmobile and simply enjoy the beauty of the snow and mountains that Logan Canyon has to offer.

Over time, conflicts between motorized and non-motorized recreationists have developed. Ultimately, a fair distribution of recreation experiences within a limited area means both sides have to give a little.

The issues are not about acres. You'll read many articles on who has the most acres available to use and what is fair and what isn't. But that's misleading. Not every acre is equal. Instead, the issues center on quality of snow, family tradition, available terrain, existing parking, proximity to the community of Logan, and the list goes on. The Tony Grove/Franklin Basin has it all; it's the hotspot, the gem for winter recreation.

The conflict has a long history. Local newspaper articles describing the issues date back to 1975. The Forest Service responded to these growing conflicts and concerns in the Logan Ranger District in the 2003 Revised Forest Plan and its accompanying environmental impact statement. Still the conflict continued.

The issues are not easy to settle. If they were, a solution would have been reached years ago. To many, this is a place worth fighting for.

On the motorized side, machines have been engineered with more power, taking people over snow to places they've never been able to reach before. Speed has also increased.

On the non-motorized side, an ever-increasing quest to enjoy solitude and escape from the crowds and pollution of the city grows more important by the day. For many, untracked, deep powder is the answer.

Prior to March 2003, the entire area between Tony Grove Road and Franklin Basin Road was open to motorized and non-motorized visitors alike. In the 2003 RFP, the Forest Service recognized the need to address safety for snowmobiles by providing egress from popular play areas in the event of emergency needs or mechanical breakdowns.

At the same time, the Forest Service recognized skiers had safety concerns where motorized and non-motorized users share a limited area. Snowmobiles track up much of the powder and cause potential falls to skiers after a dusting of snow occurs over their tracks.

Potential collisions were a concern as well. Also, the skiers' winter experience was degraded by the increased noise, exhaust and tracks created from the increased number of machines in the area.

Both sides appealed the Revised Forest Plan decision in 2003. Since then, meetings to find a solution involving leaders from both recreation communities have been ongoing.

The culmination of their hard work and effort produced a proposed action and several alternatives for managing the area, which, in turn, were documented and analyzed in an environmental assessment by the Forest Service.

Based on that analysis, I made a decision on how to manage winter recreation in Tony Grove/Franklin Basin area.

The decision strives to balance the winter recreation experience for all visitors and considers the important issues: available access, types of terrain, untracked powder, crowding, safety, manageability of boundaries and wildlife issues.

What's fair? The determination is in the eye of the beholder. I do believe a balanced, reasonable decision was made that can be implemented on the ground and enforced. It's up to each visitor to have respect for others and understand that they share an area that is a gem for all types of winter recreation.

To view the decision and environmental analysis, go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/wcnf/ and read the details.

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* FAYE KRUEGER is the forest supervisor of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

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