Boise National Forest changing travel plan

[Ten Bears]

Comments are due February 24th at the Boise National Forest, Mountain Home Ranger District concerning a proposal to prohibit indiscriminate OHV travel where such travel is currently allowed. That is a mouthful! What does it mean?

Currently there are some areas in the forest where it is legal to ride off the road or trail (even though it is not a smart thing to do). Those areas are designated "E" on the Forest Service Travel maps. When the travel plan was prepared, off trail/road travel was not an issue like it is today. In 1992 there were 14,383 OHVs registered which includes off-highway motorcycles. By 2002 that number had risen to 68,521!! If I recall, about 2/3rds of that number are estimated to be ATVs.

With that huge increase in OHVs, problems are bound to occur. The capabilities of the new machines make it very easy to go further easier. The temptation to 'try that hill' or go mudboggin' are just too strong for some to resist. Throw in the lack of real ATV trails and you have the making for trouble.

The Boise National Forest is proposing to eliminate 'indiscriminate motorized wheeled vehicle cross-country travel'. No more going off the road or trail for any reason other than camping or firewoord gathering within 300 feet of a designated National Forest System road or 100 feet of a designated NFS trail if open to motorized use. I think this will hit the hunters using ATVs pretty hard since this will mean they can not use their ATV to retrieve game directly.

Current road and trail rules will not change and established roads and trails that are not in the Forest Service inventory will remain open.

http://www.atvidaho.info/alerts.php?a_id=17

 

[Oak]

I think this will hit the hunters using ATVs pretty hard since this will mean they can not use their ATV to retrieve game directly.

OMG! How are the poor "hunters" going to retrieve their game?! How the hell did hunters retrieve their game before ATVs?

Oak

 

[JoseCuervo]

The temptation to 'try that hill' or go mudboggin' are just too strong for some to resist.

So now the ATV organziation is saying fat-assed ATV riders are of Weak Character?

I have always thought it was the machine, not the riders, as you can take a law abiding citizen and put them on an ATV, and you soon have a Law breaker.

 

[1_pointer]

Sounds like a step in the right direction. Now, they just need to take some road rehab lessons from the Clearwater NF!