A drastic increase in overnight use of the iconic Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen has led the U.S. Forest Service to propose a management plan to mitigate what officials say are mounting environmental impacts.

The Forest Service said Thursday that the plan is in response to public calls for action “regarding the ongoing resource degradation and land management challenges.”

Overnight visits to the area’s top 10 trails have increased 115 percent since 2007.

The management plan, if implemented, would establish use thresholds for camping zones. If a sustainable use level is exceeded, a mandatory overnight permit system and other mandates — including a fee system — could be implemented, the Forest Service says.

Kate Jerman, a spokeswoman for the White River National Forest, said the plan represents a framework under which land management decisions will be made going forward.

“We have been monitoring and collecting visitor use data in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness for many years,” Kay Hopkins, recreation planner for the White River forest, said in a statement. “Every year visitation is record-setting and every year we are seeing more resource damage and in general a lack of ethical behavior from visitors.”

The Forest Service says impacts to the wilderness area have included wildlife habituation to trash and campsites, tree cutting, fire scars, trash, human waste, and campsite hardening and proliferation.

Officials issued a forest order requiring the use of approved bear-resistant containers for storage of all food, garbage and attractants in the entire wilderness area.

“Outreach and education efforts about appropriate wilderness conduct have been extensive and exhaustive, dating as far back as 20 years,” the Forest Service said in a news release. “Trailhead data demonstrates that the majority of visitors to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness are either from the Front Range of Colorado or outside of the state of Colorado, and despite widespread education efforts, degradation is still occurring.”

The Forest Service is seeking comments on the plan, which can be submitted via mail, fax, electronically or in person to: Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor, c/o Erin Carey, Project Leader, 620 Main St., Carbondale, CO, 81623.

Electronic comments, including attachments, can be submitted here.