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Document douglascountywi_gov_doc_e7277ef296

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This document was prepared as an amendment to the Douglas County Forest Access Management Plan. It contains important supporting material and supplemental information relevant to the work presented in the Plan. GUIDELINES FOR TOTAL OPEN ROAD DENSITY & DISTRIBUTION Douglas County Forest The following table provides objectives for open road density and upper limits for total road density on the Douglas County Forest and is designed to provide resource managers direction with respect to access management planning and designating road uses. The open road density objectives are goals that the Department plans to target for each integrated resource management unit (IRMU) based on its overall area classification. The objectives are ranges of acceptable density measures with the density average, the overall target. For example, if an area falls under or over the objective average and the existing road density is still within the objective range, roads may or may not be opened up or closed to reach the objective average. However, if an area is less than the objective range, new road construction and/or opening up roads will be explored. Conversely, if an area is greater than the objective range, road closures and/or decommissioning activities will be investigated. This table should be used in conjunction with the “Three Area Classification System” map included in the Access Management Plan. The IRMU’s displayed in column 2 of the table should be used in conjunction with the “Integrated Resource Management Units” map included in the Douglas County Forest Comprehensive Land-Use Plan 2006-2020. Although quantitative objectives are not included in the table, road distributions and proximities will also be considered along with the road density measures. Roads designated as open to public motorized use will be uniformly distributed throughout integrated resource management units to the greatest extent possible given resource conditions and other IRMU objectives. The Department will target accessing the greatest amount of area with any given road density measure, thus minimizing area overlap between adjacent accesses. Open and Total Road Density Objectives Area Classification Classification system for managing motorized recreational opportunity on the Forest. Integrated Resource Management Units Identified units of Forest land. Open Road Density Objectives Miles of road per square mile of County Forest land open to public motorized use (HV and/or OHV). Does not include roads under other jurisdiction. Total Road Density Objectives Total miles of open and closed roads per square mile of County Forest land. Does not include roads under other jurisdiction. Low Motorized Area Includes the Spruce River Block, Poplar River Block, Coppermine Block, Pokegama River Block, Douglas County Wildlife Management Area Block, St. Croix Wild and Scenic Riverway Block 3, 11, 15, 23, 26, 27 0.0 to 1.0 mile/square mile. 0.5 mile average. Up to 5.0 miles/square mile. Moderate Motorized Area 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 24 1.0 to 2.0 miles/square mile. 1.5 mile average. Up to 5.0 miles/square mile. High Motorized Area 1, 2, 4, 16, 20, 21, 22, 25 2.0 to 3.0 miles/square mile. 2.5 mile average. Up to 5.0 miles/square mile.