On May 16, 2025—nearly seven years after the Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA), San Juan Trail Riders, and Public Access Preservation Alliance filed suit—the federal court issued its decision upholding the U.S. Forest Service’s Rico-West Dolores Roads and Trails Project. This brings closure to a long and hard-fought legal effort to defend reasonable motorized access in the San Juan National Forest.
The Forest Service’s project, finalized in 2018, reduced motorcycle trail mileage from 114 miles to 84 miles and imposed seasonal limitations on motorized use—from June 1 through October 31. While the agency claimed these changes were intended to balance recreation with conservation, we challenged the closures and restrictions as unnecessarily limiting long-standing public access to important singletrack trails—contributing to an overconcentration of use in fewer areas as demand continues to grow.
In addition to our case, environmentalist groups including WildEarth Guardians, San Juan Citizens Alliance, Dunton Hot Springs Inc., and Sheep Mountain Alliance filed a separate lawsuit seeking even greater restrictions to protect elk habitat.
While the court acknowledged valid concerns on both sides, it ultimately ruled that the Forest Service followed proper legal procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Forest Management Act (NFMA). The court found that the agency had taken a legally sufficient “hard look” at environmental impacts and that its decision was not arbitrary or capricious.
This outcome is mixed. While we are disappointed that the decision does not restore access to the 30 miles of trail lost in the final plan, we are relieved that the court also rejected the additional closures and seasonal restrictions requested by the conservation groups.
The ruling brings clarity and finality to the travel management effort in the Rico-West Dolores area and underscores the importance of continued advocacy, engagement, and legal vigilance to protect our access to public lands.
Given the outcome of the court’s ruling, our organizations do not anticipate seeking further legal recourse and will instead focus our efforts on future advocacy and partnership opportunities.
See the complete ruling here: 250516 Rico West Dolores Order