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no more trails say its not so

Off-roaders may be tied to trails
Forest riders who go cross-country would be outlaws

Published July 08. 2004 7:30AM

BY BILL THOMPSON
STAFF WRITER

OCALA - Federal foresters proposed a new regulation on Wednesday for
off-highway vehicles in national forests and grasslands in an effort to cut
down on habitat destruction caused by outlaw trail riders.

The proposed regulation will force 176 federal recreation areas around the
country to identify individual systems of designated trails, roads and areas
where motor vehicles will be allowed to travel.

The bottom line for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts is that "cross country
travel won't be allowed once this rule becomes final," said Jack Troyer,
regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service's Intermountain Region and
leader of the agency team that developed the new rule.

Troyer and other officials who participated in a nationwide conference call
announcing the rule on Wednesday acknowledged that the agency's attempt to
establish something that now doesn't exist - a consistent policy regarding
off-highway vehicles, or OHVs, that puts the Forest Service on the same page
across the country - might create a ruckus in some areas where OHVs can
travel cross-country unfettered.

But the announcement seems to hold little impact on Florida, home to three
national forests, including the nearly 400,000-acre Ocala National Forest.

That's because OHV trail networks were already in the works for them.
Roberta Moltzen, deputy regional forester for 13 states across the South,
said agency staff in Florida will simply "keep on with what they've been
doing" in defining those areas.

Denise Raines, Forest Service spokeswoman in Tallahassee, said
environmental-impact guidelines, including for OHV use, have already been
set for the Osceola National Forest near Lake City.

A similar document for the Ocala National Forest is expected to be completed
next month, although it will cover only about half of the forest. The review
of the rest of the forest should be finished next year.

The Forest Service has already banned some OHV activity in the Ocala
National Forest. In January, a rule went into effect limiting unlicensed
OHVs to daylight use only, defined as 90 minutes or less before sunrise and
not later than 90 minutes after sunset.

Overall, the 155 national forests and 21 federal grasslands already have
guidelines pertaining to OHV use, officials said. But those rules vary as
widely as the areas they serve.

The purpose of the new proposal is to protect federal lands by preventing
the proliferation of impromptu "user-created" roads and trails left by the
small percentage of outlaw visitors taking part in the explosion of OHV use
on federal lands, Troyer said.

While OHV users made up only 5 percent of the total number of visitors to
national forests and grasslands in 2002, their overall numbers had swollen
from 5 million in 1972 to 36 million in 2000.

OHVs include motor vehicles designed or retrofitted primarily for
recreational use off road, such as minibikes, amphibious vehicles,
snowmobiles, motorcycles, go-carts, motorized trail bikes and dune buggies.
It also includes sport utility vehicles and all-terrain vehicles.

Troyer acknowledged that enforcement will be a problem, largely because of
constraints on the agency's $4 billion annual budget. But the Forest Service
will rely on volunteers and other users to help report violators.

Raines said the current "spaghetti system of trails" in the Ocala National
Forest needs to be straightened out and structured to protect animal habitat
and environmentally sensitive areas and to help other visitors who seek
tranquility to enjoy the forest.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed rule. Such comments may be
sent to: Proposed Rule for Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle
Use, Content Analysis Team, P.O. Box 221150, Salt Lake City, UT 84122-1150.
Remarks will be accepted by e-mail to or by fax to (801) 517-1014.

Troyer said the individual forests and grasslands will each develop a "user
map," which will become the governing document of OHV use in those areas.
While some may finish defining their OHV areas in as little as a year,
others could take up to four years. And the public will be allowed to make
its input known for each one.

"Designated routes, local decision-making is really at the heart of what
we're trying to do," Troyer said.

Bill Thompson covers county government and can be reached at 867-4117

The purpose of
the new proposal
is to protect federal lands by preventing the proliferation

of "user-created" roads and trails left by outlaw visitors taking part in
the explosion of OHV use on federal lands.

Re: no more trails say its not so

On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 13:51:53 GMT, "KC" <kcmidget@cfl.rr.com> wrote:

>Off-roaders may be tied to trails
>Forest riders who go cross-country would be outlaws

Sounds good to me....

John Davies
http://home.comcast.net/~johnedavies/
'96 Lexus LX450
'00 Audi A4 1.8T quattro
Spokane WA USA

Re: no more trails say its not so

i would like to see any police or national park service vehicle
attempt to get near me, much less pull me over off-road in my lifted
jeep - they'd be stuck in the first mud puddle or pile of pebbles
while i leave them in the dust

stupid cops

Re: no more trails say its not so

Around here the buggers use a chopper And they drive Jeeps!!!....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Joshua Nelson wrote:
>
> i would like to see any police or national park service vehicle
> attempt to get near me, much less pull me over off-road in my lifted
> jeep - they'd be stuck in the first mud puddle or pile of pebbles
> while i leave them in the dust
>
> stupid cops