Four wheelers, beware!

[Elkhunter]

Four wheelers, beware! The U.S. Forest Service has announced plans for better regulations for vehicle use in the National Forest and Grasslands. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth says teh Forest Service has seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of 4-wheel vehicles and dirt bikes in the last decade, and has decided there needs to be a policy to ensure a sustainable system of routes in areas designated for motorized use in the future. He says that as off-road vehicles have become more popular and more accessible than ever. He says the Forest Service supports this type of use, but it must be managed carefully to protect the values for future generations. The new travel management policy requires each National Forest and Grassland to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas that are available for motorized use, and prohibit travel off of those designated routes. Local units will seek public input and cooridinate with Federal, State, County and local governmental entities as well as Tribal governments before making any decisions regarding particular roads, trails or areas.

 

[ELKCHSR]

Thats great...

 

[Elkhunter]

Yes it is great, but they will also keep the older illeagal roads open so there are some roads for the ATV, bikers, and dirt bike crowd to use as they said the damage has already been done. That is wrong. That may not be in the short article above, but it was in the article I read yeasterday. I think that if the roads made were made illeagally, they should also be closed down and restored. There are far too many of those trails and roads for the good of the land and wildlife already, so I don't see a need to add to the old FS Road use maps with additional roads.

 

[Oak]

How many ATV users agree with the bolded part of the story below?


Article Last Updated: 11/03/2005 02:35 AM

Forest Service shifts its ATV mandate

To contain the growing number of off-road vehicles, foresters must invoke a “closed unless designated open” policy.

By Steve Lipsher
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com

The U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday unveiled a new rule intended to corral the growing herd of off-road vehicles by requiring local foresters to specify which routes are open rather than which ones are closed.

The new "closed unless designated open" policy is intended to unify the law throughout the country and keep ATVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles on approved, sustainable routes.

"The goal is to improve opportunities for motorized recreation and still ensure the best possible care of the land," Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth said in a conference call with reporters.

After consulting with user groups and citizens over the next four years or so, each national forest will create a list of routes that should remain open to motor vehicles and close off the rest, Bosworth said.

While off-road groups hailed the rule for bringing nationwide consistency and for potentially allowing existing illegal routes to be incorporated into the trail system, conservationists were wary that without any money dedicated for maps, signs and enforcement, the problems of illegal routes will continue.

"They understand that off- road vehicles are one of their biggest problems, but they just don't have the resources remotely to begin doing this. Unless they're going to send some money over to this program area, I don't see in the real world how they're going to make any difference," said Vera Smith, conservation director for the Golden- based Colorado Mountain Club, an organization of about 10,000 backcountry enthusiasts.

More powerful and ubiquitous than ever before, ATVs have nearly tripled in number in the past decade, and more than a million off-road vehicles are now sold annually. The machines have attracted loyal followings but deep criticism for their noise and potential for environmental destruction.

Clark Collins, executive director of the Blue River Coalition, representing 1,200 off-road clubs and businesses, said the new rule will encourage motorcyclists and ATV drivers to stick to appropriate routes because it presents a uniform policy nationwide to be depicted on maps and trail signs.

The most dramatic changes in use under the new rule will occur in roughly half of the 155 national forests that currently allow for off-trail, cross-country travel under the "open unless designated closed" doctrine - none of which are in Colorado.

"Colorado is such a fast-growing, urbanized state that we've had to move in that direction for some time," said Francisco Valenzuela, dispersed-area manager for the agency's Rocky Mountain region.

In the White River National Forest, where planners have held off releasing an updated travel-management plan until the new rule was announced, the policy for years has been "closed unless designated open."

Even so, more than 1,000 miles of illegal trails in that forest alone were considered for continued use under the travel-management plan now set for release in the spring, said forest planner Wendy Haskins. "What we're looking for is what is the best network, what is the best road and trail system that we can maintain that serves the public and also minimizes impacts on the land, whether it's authorized or unauthorized," she said.

 

[Elkhunter]

It was something along those lines that I read yesterday. Close them all down!