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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels July 10, 2004 Forest Service considers revamping off-road vehicle rules By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings The U.S. Forest Service may require national forests across the country to designate systems of roads, trails and areas for off-highway vehicle users. OHV users then would be restricted to those systems. The proposal - now subject to a two-month public comment period - comes as the Forest Service grapples with a surge in the popularity of all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles and dune buggies. "OHVs are a great way to experience the national forests, but because their popularity has increased in recent years, we need an approach that will sustain natural-resource values through more effective management of motor vehicle use," said Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth. "The benefits of improving OHV use include enhanced protection of habitat and aquatic, soil, air and cultural resources. The Forest Service wants to improve its management by balancing the public's enjoyment of using OHVs with ensuring the best possible care of the land." Nationally, the number of OHV users has increased from 5 million in 1972 to 36 million in 2000, according to Forest Service figures. As it stands, the agency lacks a clear, consistent policy for managing OHV use, with some national forests and grasslands restricting OHV use to designated systems and others allowing wider use, Forest Service officials said. A local model Locally, the Prospect Ranger District north of Medford could provide a model for the development of OHV systems. The district created a system of roads and trails in the 1990s with help from state highway taxes and cooperation from OHV users, according to Prospect and Butte Falls District Ranger Joel King. "It's a great family experience. OHVs are restricted to just the trail system, but there are 250 miles of it," he said. "There's some great scenery and it's a well-maintained place for people to go. A lot of times on weekends we'll see people with young children, camping and riding their quads and having a great time. We had an elderly couple in their 70s riding one quad and then having tea around the campfire." The system is monitored by a hydrologist to prevent erosion and is patrolled frequently, with users who stray outside the system receiving tickets, according to King. "What we've done since the beginning is patrol it regularly. We also get great cooperation from the local OHV club. They regulate their own members," he said. Other ranger districts might have some difficulties replicating the Prospect experiment, King said. "We did have the full cooperation of the local OHV club and the state, which provided the money. The money is not a bottomless pit. That is a limiting factor," he said. Other ranger districts and national forests also might have steeper terrain that is less appropriate for OHV use, King said. Effects vary across land Resource damage from OHVs is not a major problem on the Ashland Ranger District, according to District Recreation Specialist Steve Johnson. In part, the popular Prospect system draws OHV users to that area. Additionally, much of the Ashland Ranger District is steep and densely forested and the Ashland Watershed in the southern portion of the district is closed to motorized vehicles, Johnson said. A consistent national policy would help eliminate confusion for OHV users, he said. "Some national forests are open to all OHVs unless they are posted as closed, and others are closed to OHVs unless posted as open," Johnson said. "Consistency is really important. It's really good to have consistency across forest boundaries and regional boundaries." Across the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, damage to natural resources from OHVs varies widely, according to Rob Shull, recreation, engineering and lands staff officer for the combined national forests. The worst problems occur on the Siskiyou side, where there are no designated routes, he said. Some irresponsible OHV users enjoy "mudding," off-road driving that can change the drainage patterns in meadows and dry them out, according to Shull. "Right now, we see people driving through town with a vehicle plastered in mud as if it's a badge of honor," he said. "I'll be working with communities, schools and the media to change that to a badge of shame." Motorcyclists and ATV drivers who compete to reach the highest point on a hill leave behind linear tracks that become eroded gullies, while some high-rise sport utility vehicle drivers have been known to post images on-line of groups of vehicles using streambeds as rock challenge courses, Shull said. Creating designated systems for OHV users is bound to be challenging and controversial, he noted. "My strong interest is that we identify and develop sites collaboratively, with the primary driver being protection of resources. We need to allow OHV users to have a quality experience in areas that can withstand the use," Shull said. "There will be some conflicts. We'll be working with communities collaboratively - with those who wish to use these vehicles and those who wish to protect resources. The issue will be polarized and we'll be making some tough calls. But since every other place will be closed to OHV use, if we don't provide reasonable places, we will be in continual law enforcement mode, which presents problems because of limited resources." Education needed Shull said that despite problems, most OHV users - especially those who belong to clubs - are responsible users. "We have two types of folks who cause problems. There are the renegades who will never obey rules. But the sport is growing so rapidly that a lot of people are honestly ignorant. With good education, they can be responsible users," he said. "This activity is growing by leaps and bounds." Gene Bowling, a member of the Rogue Snowmobile Club and the Multi-Use Trails Coalition that represents local OHV users, cross-country skiers, snowmobilers, dog sledders, equestrians and hikers, said area clubs hold training classes for OHV users, but can reach only a small percentage of users. The coalition holds regular work parties to maintain and improve routes and facilities, and posts guidelines for responsible OHV use at trailheads and shelters, he said. Bowling said any systems designated for OHV use on national forests should be large enough for dispersed use. "If you pen a bunch of people up in a small area, you will see more resource damage unless the area can handle that traffic," he said. Bowling encouraged OHV users to take riding classes, join a local club and take care of the public lands. "I explain to people that they wouldn't tear up their backyard like they do in the forest," he said. "We need to respect and appreciate what's out there." The Multi-Use Trails Coalition meets at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Bowling's home, 2891 Madrona Lane, Medford. For more information about the coalition, call 772-5659. Information about other local clubs also is available at the coalition meetings. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams