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Off-roaders take toll on public land
Protecting desert poses big problem
Corinne Purtill
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 31, 2007 12:00 AM
For increasing numbers of Arizonans, the roar and rush of an off-road vehicle are just part of enjoying the desert landscape.
But when those tires veer into places they're not supposed to go, the desert suffers the consequences.
More people than ever are using off-road vehicles on Arizona's public lands. Registered off-road vehicles have increased more than fourfold in a decade, from 49,282 in 1998 to 237,953 through the end of June, according to the state Motor Vehicle Division.
But as interest in the activity has grown, so have the numbers of people breaking the law by veering from designated roads onto renegade trails. Environmentalists say the desert is suffering as a result of improper use of off-road vehicles, also known as off-highway vehicles because dirt paths often count as roads on public lands.
Off-road vehicles compress the desert soil, leaving less room for water to get in and seedlings to take root. When plants can't grow, erosion and runoff increases.
Tires can also crush plants, cultural artifacts and the underground habitats of animals like the desert tortoise.
It can take anywhere from 30 to 100 years for trails to recover naturally, land managers say.
Agencies are spending thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to restore the landscape from renegade vehicles. A shortage of law-enforcement officers across the state's vast public lands and a dearth of knowledge about off-highway regulations among riders mean few opportunities to correct or punish bad behavior.
Land managers, environmental advocates and responsible off-road enthusiasts are working together to manage such use so that people can enjoy their rides without destroying the desert.
They've got a big job ahead.
"Between a shortage of money, complete lack of education and a massive explosion of people using them, you got a problem," said John Koleszar, a conservationist and outdoorsman who has been working with off-road groups.
100 years from now
Volunteers spent 1,000 hours last winter digging up tire ruts and revegetating a creosote flat at Sonoran Desert National Monument, said Karen Kelleher, who manages the monument for the federal Bureau of Land Management.
As she showed off their efforts on a recent Saturday, an ATV and a dirt bike came tearing through the rehabilitated landscape, carving an illegal trail just feet from the legal marked path. They turned and rode back into the desert, leaving dust clouds in their wake.
Some riders said they're skeptical that their vehicles cause lasting damage.
"One hundred years from now, if they just let us have this little area, it's not going to have any long-term effect, is it?" Brendan Higgins, 18, of Chandler, said as he sipped from a water backpack after a motorbike ride through the monument.
Land managers and biologists say it will.
"The desert is so fragile that one person in a few hours can do quite a bit of damage," Kelleher said.
Lack of law enforcement
The chances of a misbehaving off-roader getting caught breaking the law are slim.
The BLM's Phoenix office has just four law-enforcement officers for 2.5 million acres of land. The State Land Department, which manages state trust land, has no law-enforcement officers of its own and relies on local agencies.
The U.S. Forest Service has 24 full-time law officers for six forests and an average of at least 50 forest-protection officers per forest who can write tickets for infractions.
Even with the manpower shortage, off-road-related activity still commands a sizable portion of law enforcement's time.
Rangers for Responsible Recreation, a coalition of former rangers and public-land managers organized by the environmental-advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, released statistics earlier this month showing that off-road vehicles were responsible for more than 600 law-enforcement actions on Arizona BLM lands from 2004 through May. In 2005, off-roading accounted for more law-enforcement actions on BLM land nationally than any other issue, according to PEER.
Lack of education is a big part of the problem, riders say.
Unlike cars or street-legal motorcycles, off-road vehicles don't require a license to operate. Vehicle dealers don't give out information to buyers, said Jeff Gursh of the Arizona Trail Riders motorbike club. Gursh has been working with off-road-vehicle dealerships to provide educational materials to people when they buy a motorbike or all-terrain vehicle.
Posted rules on the lands can be confusing, as well. BLM signs at popular riding spots say that riding is permitted on "designated and/or existing trails." However, not all designated trails are clearly marked. An illegal trail cut only a few hours before by a rogue rider may look like a designated trail to a rider who comes along later.
Responsible recreation
The off-roading boom is forcing land managers to scramble to keep up.
The death of House Bill 2443 this legislative session was a major disappointment to land managers, conservation groups and off-roaders alike.
The bill was a product of months of negotiation between those groups and would have created a license for off-road vehicles. The license-plate fees then would have paid for education and law enforcement.
Some senators balked at the idea of a user fee, to the bafflement of many longtime riders.
"I spend 6 or $7,000 bucks for a motorcycle, so what's $100 (for a permit)?" said Barry Krayer of north Phoenix. "That's the price of having fun."
With no help coming from the state, agencies and riders are getting creative.
Arizona State Parks is soliciting volunteers for an ambassador program that will train riders to patrol recreation areas, educate fellow riders and report problems to land managers.
Off-roading clubs have also been active in volunteer efforts to repair damaged areas, build fences around trailheads and other activities to help the agencies.
The Forest Service and BLM are both updating their trail systems to end confusion over which trails are legal and which aren't. Once the plans are finished, legal trails will be clearly marked and riders will know when they're riding on an illegal path.
Rangers for Responsible Recreation is calling for congressional help for a study to determine how off-road vehicles are affecting public lands and what can be done about it, said Matt Chew, a former natural-resource planner for Arizona State Parks and a member of the group.
"Responsible recreation may seem to be an oxymoron to some people, but we can't let that happen," Chew said.
Protecting desert poses big problem
Corinne Purtill
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 31, 2007 12:00 AM
For increasing numbers of Arizonans, the roar and rush of an off-road vehicle are just part of enjoying the desert landscape.
But when those tires veer into places they're not supposed to go, the desert suffers the consequences.
More people than ever are using off-road vehicles on Arizona's public lands. Registered off-road vehicles have increased more than fourfold in a decade, from 49,282 in 1998 to 237,953 through the end of June, according to the state Motor Vehicle Division.
But as interest in the activity has grown, so have the numbers of people breaking the law by veering from designated roads onto renegade trails. Environmentalists say the desert is suffering as a result of improper use of off-road vehicles, also known as off-highway vehicles because dirt paths often count as roads on public lands.
Off-road vehicles compress the desert soil, leaving less room for water to get in and seedlings to take root. When plants can't grow, erosion and runoff increases.
Tires can also crush plants, cultural artifacts and the underground habitats of animals like the desert tortoise.
It can take anywhere from 30 to 100 years for trails to recover naturally, land managers say.
Agencies are spending thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to restore the landscape from renegade vehicles. A shortage of law-enforcement officers across the state's vast public lands and a dearth of knowledge about off-highway regulations among riders mean few opportunities to correct or punish bad behavior.
Land managers, environmental advocates and responsible off-road enthusiasts are working together to manage such use so that people can enjoy their rides without destroying the desert.
They've got a big job ahead.
"Between a shortage of money, complete lack of education and a massive explosion of people using them, you got a problem," said John Koleszar, a conservationist and outdoorsman who has been working with off-road groups.
100 years from now
Volunteers spent 1,000 hours last winter digging up tire ruts and revegetating a creosote flat at Sonoran Desert National Monument, said Karen Kelleher, who manages the monument for the federal Bureau of Land Management.
As she showed off their efforts on a recent Saturday, an ATV and a dirt bike came tearing through the rehabilitated landscape, carving an illegal trail just feet from the legal marked path. They turned and rode back into the desert, leaving dust clouds in their wake.
Some riders said they're skeptical that their vehicles cause lasting damage.
"One hundred years from now, if they just let us have this little area, it's not going to have any long-term effect, is it?" Brendan Higgins, 18, of Chandler, said as he sipped from a water backpack after a motorbike ride through the monument.
Land managers and biologists say it will.
"The desert is so fragile that one person in a few hours can do quite a bit of damage," Kelleher said.
Lack of law enforcement
The chances of a misbehaving off-roader getting caught breaking the law are slim.
The BLM's Phoenix office has just four law-enforcement officers for 2.5 million acres of land. The State Land Department, which manages state trust land, has no law-enforcement officers of its own and relies on local agencies.
The U.S. Forest Service has 24 full-time law officers for six forests and an average of at least 50 forest-protection officers per forest who can write tickets for infractions.
Even with the manpower shortage, off-road-related activity still commands a sizable portion of law enforcement's time.
Rangers for Responsible Recreation, a coalition of former rangers and public-land managers organized by the environmental-advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, released statistics earlier this month showing that off-road vehicles were responsible for more than 600 law-enforcement actions on Arizona BLM lands from 2004 through May. In 2005, off-roading accounted for more law-enforcement actions on BLM land nationally than any other issue, according to PEER.
Lack of education is a big part of the problem, riders say.
Unlike cars or street-legal motorcycles, off-road vehicles don't require a license to operate. Vehicle dealers don't give out information to buyers, said Jeff Gursh of the Arizona Trail Riders motorbike club. Gursh has been working with off-road-vehicle dealerships to provide educational materials to people when they buy a motorbike or all-terrain vehicle.
Posted rules on the lands can be confusing, as well. BLM signs at popular riding spots say that riding is permitted on "designated and/or existing trails." However, not all designated trails are clearly marked. An illegal trail cut only a few hours before by a rogue rider may look like a designated trail to a rider who comes along later.
Responsible recreation
The off-roading boom is forcing land managers to scramble to keep up.
The death of House Bill 2443 this legislative session was a major disappointment to land managers, conservation groups and off-roaders alike.
The bill was a product of months of negotiation between those groups and would have created a license for off-road vehicles. The license-plate fees then would have paid for education and law enforcement.
Some senators balked at the idea of a user fee, to the bafflement of many longtime riders.
"I spend 6 or $7,000 bucks for a motorcycle, so what's $100 (for a permit)?" said Barry Krayer of north Phoenix. "That's the price of having fun."
With no help coming from the state, agencies and riders are getting creative.
Arizona State Parks is soliciting volunteers for an ambassador program that will train riders to patrol recreation areas, educate fellow riders and report problems to land managers.
Off-roading clubs have also been active in volunteer efforts to repair damaged areas, build fences around trailheads and other activities to help the agencies.
The Forest Service and BLM are both updating their trail systems to end confusion over which trails are legal and which aren't. Once the plans are finished, legal trails will be clearly marked and riders will know when they're riding on an illegal path.
Rangers for Responsible Recreation is calling for congressional help for a study to determine how off-road vehicles are affecting public lands and what can be done about it, said Matt Chew, a former natural-resource planner for Arizona State Parks and a member of the group.
"Responsible recreation may seem to be an oxymoron to some people, but we can't let that happen," Chew said.
