Appellants including the Backcountry Skiers Alliance and a Steamboat Springs resident had asked the Routt Forest to alter the forest plan for failing to address conflicts between motorized and non-motorized winter recreationists. However, the Chief ruled that conflicts were site-specific issues that do not have to be addressed in forest plans. Both appellants wanted an additional management area prescription that prohibits motorized recreation assigned to other areas of the Forest. Currently, there is a voluntary separation of use on Rabbit Ears Pass. Signs are put up in the winter recommending that snowmobilers use the east side of the Pass and non-motorized recreationists the west side.
Volunteers provide flyers and education to all people using the area on the weekends.
The system worked well for about a decade until budget cuts forced the curtailment of the volunteer program by the Forest Service. At the same time, increased marketing by Steamboat and in snowmobiling magazines increased the motorized use of the pass. The Winter Task Force reincarnated the separation of use described above. However, the Steamboat resident claims that this is not working, and claims to have extensive photographic evidence of snow machine use in the non-motorized area. He plans to urge the Forest Service to prepare site-specific plans for limiting snowmobile use there and in other areas.