Inadequate Implementation

of Motorized Travel Restrictions

Are any routes actually closed to motorized use?

People driving in the Pryors may only drive on routes designated for motorized use on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). It “is the responsibility of the user” to know where these designated routes are, and are not, “regardless of the presence or absence of signs.” (Click to see excerpt from MVUM.)»
Nevertheless Custer NF has installed many road number signs to help people find their way on designated roads. Unfortunately there are numerous unmarked junctions and indefinite ends of routes in the Pryors. CNF has done far too little to indicate to responsible OHV users routes they should not drive or where they should stop driving. These locations are also a strong temptation to the many irresponsible (“bad apples”) who know how inadequate law enforcement is in the Pryors.

Both of these problems are illustrated by the examples below.

Junctions on Stockman Trail
An OHV driver traveling either up or down Stockman Trail (#2850) comes to one of two unmarked “Y” junctions. In each case one of the branches is motor-legal but the other is not. The two illegal options join (forming a “triangle junction”) and continue on a track which is closed to public motorized use to protect resources. How is the responsible OHV driver to know which route is legal? The MVUM shows nothing of the junctions. There is no sign, barrier, or other indication of a closure on the ground. And both forks show approximately equal wear. How many responsible users unknowingly take the illegal forks? How many “bad apples” drive the illegal route knowing they are extremely unlikely to be caught? And if they are they can just claim they didn’t know.

Junction on Red Pryor Divide Road
The not-motor-legal track leaving Stockman Trail (described above) joins with the Red Pryor Divide Road (#2091) at another unmarked “Y”. This “Y” has all the same problems as the “Ys” on Stockman Trail.

Roberts Bench
The Pryors Coalition recommended that the track on Roberts Bench (#20972) remain non-motorized for quiet hikers. But Custer NF decided to open it to motorized use. Deeply buried in the 600 pages of the Final Environmental Impact Statement are a couple obscure notes indicating that only the first ½ mile (or 0.59 miles) is designated for motorized use, and that the designation ends at a fence. But the MVUM shows only a road of unspecified length ending at some unidentified point. The photo shows that there is no indication on the ground that this is the designated end point. A responsible OHV rider can not be expected to know to stop at this point. In fact she has two choices: 1. drive through the gate (responsibly reclosing it), or 2. bear left along the obvious track beside the fence. Both of these choices violate the regulations. Hikers recently observed obvious full sized vehicle and ATV tracks wandering around Roberts Bench at least a mile beyond this designated end point.

Tie Flat
Route #2104 on Tie Flat has a junction with route #21041. At the junction the continuation of #2104 has no sign indicating it is the motor-legal route. But #21041 has a standard route number sign like all motor legal routes. A very responsible and conscientious OHV driver might be puzzled if he notices the final “1” on the route sign. #2104 is on the MVUM, but #21041 is not. But #2104A is on the MVUM. Maybe it is a “typo” on the sign or on the map. It is a well used two track so “lets go.” After 0.42 miles the driver finds signed route #2002A which is also on the MVUM, and another #21041 sign indicating the way back to #2104.

But #21041 is in fact the ONLY designated NON-motorized route in the (USFS) Pryors! It would be difficult for either a hiker or an ATVer to know this unless they read the table buried in Appendix C of the 600 page Environmental Impact Statement. There is no indication on the ground that this is not a motor-legal route. (And the standard sign suggests that it is motor legal.) There is no indication on the ground that there is a hiking trail anywhere! The hiking trail continues for a little over a mile past the #21041/#2002A junction. But there is no sign, and no trail can be seen on the ground. You must know it is there and bushwhack and brush beating up the hill to find it.

Bear Canyon
Update: A major flooding event during spring 2011 washed out this route in the bottom of Bear Canyon. BLM has temporarily closed and barricaded the route 1/2 mile before the USFS boundary. So this problem temporarily moot.

The route up the bottom of Bear Canyon has always been closed to motor vehicle use north of the BLM/USFS boundary – but the closure was not enforced so a well used vehicle track has developed. The gate is now locked and there is an “Unauthorized Trail” sign. This route is not “designated” for hiking, but the “Unauthorized Trail” sign only applies to “Wheeled Motorized Use.” It is in fact a nice hike, but Custer NF has made it intimidating to hikers with the lock and sign. Why not have a sign inviting hikers, and a gate allowing hikers, but not OHVs?

Temporary or Emergency Closures
Some high elevation routes in the Pryors have Season of Use (SOU) restrictions to prevent damage when the ground is wet and muddy. The SOU designated in the Travel Plan is not realistic considering Montana winter and spring weather. For four years in a row (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) Custer NF has had extended emergency closures of these routes for a month or more after the designated opening date.

The problem is that neither the regular Seasonal Closures nor the Emergency Closures are signed on the ground at the points of closure. There are no signs at all on the ground to indicate the regular closure points. The photos illustrate the problem with emergency closures.

The only indication of the 2010 emergency closure on route #2091 (Red Pryor Divide Road) was this small sign. The sign was about 5 miles before the actual closure point and about 3 miles outside Custer National Forest on BLM land. The location of the sign is not even on the map of the temporary closures. And the BLM number and name for the road are different from the USFS number and name. Five miles is a long way on these 4WD roads.

At the actual point of the closure shown in the photo there is no sign or other indication that the route is closed at that point. Only people very knowledgeable about the Pryors would know this was the point they should stop. Conditions beyond this point justified the emergency closure.

We asked CNF to “place emergency road closure signs at the point of closure on the roads in the Pryors” CNF responded that “Placement of the temporary information signs for the road closures was intended to inform forest visitors as they entered the area, rather than after they have committed to traveling a route for a mile or more and then finding out that the route is closed.” That is a good reason for putting a sign where they did, but in no way satisfies the need for a sign at the point of closure.

More Junctions
Two more examples of illegal road “Ys” in the Pryors with no indication that they are illegal. A log or several rocks across the road would help.