The NM Cross Country Ski Club traditionally has organized annual yurt trips to Spruce Hole Yurt or Grouse Creek Yurt.  The Over the Snow Travel Management Plan submitted by the USFS will have a great impact on the ability of snowmobiles to travel freely in the areas around the above mentioned yurts. This will mean increased noise levels, ruined ski trails, parking lots clogged with trailers and general overuse by motorized traffic in a backcountry area that is normally reserved for either cross country skiers or snow shoers.  

Please speak out and reflect in your comments how you have enjoyed this area and would like to see it preserved for future generations.  

Take some time out to attend the July 20th Zoom Meeting in order to submit your public comments regarding the Rio Grande National Forest winter travel plan.  See QR code below to scan regarding the Zoom.  

Public comments deadline is July 29th, 2026.  Please click on Submit your Comment below.  





Mary Kaye Gallagher
VP, NM Cross Country Ski Club


Winter Wildlands is having meetings to help people comment effectively on the winter travel planning DEIS. There will be a zoom meeting we can attend on July 20, Please see below.  The other meetings are in person in communities near the Rio Grande NF (but unfortunately, no meeting in Chama)

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Your voice is needed! Rio Grande National Forest Publishes Draft Winter Travel Plan.

Hi Mary Ann,

 

The Rio Grande National Forest is one step closer to making one of the most important winter management decisions in decades. The Forest is proposing a designated system of routes and areas for over-snow vehicle (OSV) use across the 1.8-million-acre Rio Grande National Forest. This will determine where people snowmobile, backcountry ski, snowshoe, and enjoy winter landscapes across the forest for years to come. It would become the first OSV plan in Colorado to comply with the 2015 Travel Management Rule and EXPLORE Act. 

 

Now is your opportunity to help shape the final plan. The Forest Service is accepting public comments through July 29th, 2026.
 
 

Why This Matters

The Rio Grande National Forest is home to some of Colorado's most iconic winter recreation opportunities—from the Continental Divide Trail and Wolf Creek Pass to Chama Basin. It also contains important winter habitat for Canada lynx, elk, mule deer, and countless other species that rely on healthy winter landscapes.

What's Included in the Draft Plan?

The Forest Service has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) evaluating four alternatives for managing winter travel on the the Rio Grande National Forest. The plan would transition to a "closed unless designated open" system, where routes and areas for motorized over-snow vehicle use are clearly identified on an Over-Snow Vehicle Use Map (OSVUM).

Each alternative takes a different approach to balancing winter recreation, wintering wildlife, and natural resource protection.

 

After reviewing the DEIS, Winter Wildlands Alliance, alongside our partners in Colorado and New Mexico, is advocating for Alternative 4 because it offers the most balanced approach to winter recreation. It maintains motorized access while expanding protections for wildlife, reducing recreation conflicts, and designating nearly 400,000 additional acres for non-motorized recreation.

Visit our website for guidance on drafting an effective comment, and consider attending one of our community workshops to learn more about the proposal before the July 29 deadline.

Thank you,

 

Brittany Leffel

Colorado Policy Manager

bleffel@winterwildlands.org 
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Winter Wildlands Alliance is the national nonprofit organization working to inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes.

 

www.winterwildlands.org


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