Title 36
SECTION 294.23
294.23 Road construction and reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas.
§ 294.23 Road construction and reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas.(a) Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive. Road construction and reconstruction are prohibited in Idaho Roadless Areas designated as Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive. However, the Regional Forester may authorize a road to be constructed or reconstructed in an area designated as Wild Land Recreation, Special Area of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive if pursuant to statute, treaty, reserved or outstanding rights, or other legal duty of the United States.
(b) Backcountry/Restoration. (1) Road construction and reconstruction are only permissible in Idaho Roadless Areas designated as Backcountry/Restoration where the Regional Forester determines:
(i) A road is needed to protect public health and safety in cases of an imminent threat of flood, wildland fire, or other catastrophic event that, without intervention, would cause the loss of life or property;
(ii) A road is needed to conduct a response action under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or to conduct a natural resource restoration action under CERCLA, section 311 of the Clean Water Act, or the Oil Pollution Act;
(iii) A road is needed pursuant to statute, treaty, reserved or outstanding rights, or other legal duty of the United States;
(iv) A road realignment is needed to prevent irreparable resource damage that arises from the design, location, use, or deterioration of a road and cannot be mitigated by road maintenance. Road realignment may occur under this subsection only if the road is deemed essential for public or private access, natural resource management, or public health and safety;
(v) Road reconstruction is needed to implement a road safety improvement project on a road determined to be hazardous based on accident experience or accident potential on that road; or
(vi) The Secretary of Agriculture determines that a Federal Aid Highway project, authorized pursuant to Title 23 of the United States Code, is in the public interest or is consistent with the purpose for which the land was reserved or acquired and no other reasonable and prudent alternative exists.
(2) A responsible official may authorize temporary road construction or road reconstruction for community protection zone activities pursuant to § 294.24(c)(1)(i) if in the official's judgment the community protection objectives cannot be reasonably accomplished without a temporary road.
(3) The Regional Forester may approve temporary road construction or road reconstruction to reduce hazardous fuel conditions outside a community protection zone where in the Regional Forester's judgment the circumstances set out below exist. Temporary road construction or road reconstruction to reduce hazardous fuel conditions under this provision will be dependent on forest type and is expected to be infrequent.
(i) There is a significant risk that a wildland fire disturbance event could adversely affect an at-risk community or municipal water supply system pursuant to § 294.24(c)(1)(ii). A significant risk exists where the history of fire occurrence, and fire hazard and risk, indicate a serious likelihood that a wildland fire disturbance event would present a high risk of threat to an at-risk community or municipal water supply system.
(ii) The activity cannot be reasonably accomplished without a temporary road.
(iii) The activity will maintain or improve one or more roadless characteristics over the long-term.
(c) General Forest, Rangeland, and Grassland. (1) A forest road may be constructed or reconstructed or a temporary road may be constructed in Idaho Roadless Areas designated as General Forest, Rangeland, and Grassland, unless prohibited in § 294.25(e).
(2) Forest roads constructed or reconstructed pursuant to § 294.23(c)(1) must be conducted in a way that minimizes effects on surface resources and must be consistent with land management plan components as provided for in § 294.28(d).
(d) Temporary roads. (1) Temporary road construction must be conducted in a way that minimizes effects on surface resources, is consistent with land management plan components as provided for in § 294.28(d), and may only be used for the specified purpose(s).
(2) Temporary roads must be decommissioned upon completion of the project or expiration of the contract or permit, whichever is sooner. A road decommissioning provision will be required in all such contracts or permits and may not be waived.
(e) Road maintenance. Maintenance of temporary and forest roads is permissible in Idaho Roadless Areas.
(f) Roads associated with mineral activities. Road construction or reconstruction associated with mineral activities is provided for in § 294.25.