Off-road vehicles, from 4×4’s to motorcycles, are
under the gun. For years ORV users have been free to ride across
public lands in the West unless signs designated an area closed.
But concerns about erosion, damage to wildlife habitat and renegade
road building could turn this policy on its
head.
In November, the Forest Service and the
Bureau of Land Management released a draft environmental impact
statement covering Montana, North Dakota and parts of South Dakota.
The preferred alternative permanently bans joy riding and trail
blazing on nearly 16 million acres.
“This is an
interim step toward creating some regulations for site specific
travel,” says Jerry Majerus of the BLM. Over the next few years,
the agencies will develop regulations for existing roads and
trails. Dave Atkins of the Forest Service says that developed ORV
playgrounds would remain open, but land would otherwise be closed
unless signs say it’s open.
On the national
level, the Wilderness Society and more than 100 other groups filed
a rulemaking petition in January asking the Forest Service to reign
in ORV use on all federal lands. Steve Holmer of American Lands
says although the petition has no legal ramifications, he hopes it
encourages Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck to take a stand.
Chris Wood, Dombeck’s policy advisor, replies
that the Forest Service is in the process of revising its roads
policy, but specific regulations on ORVs are better dealt with on
the local level.
The draft environmental impact
statement for Montana and the Dakotas is posted on the web at
www.mt.blm.gov. Send comments by Feb. 24 to OHV Plan Amendment,
Lewistown Field Office, P.O. Box 1160, Lewistown, MT 59457-1160, or
e-mail them to ohvmail@mt.blm.gov.
*Robyn
Morrison
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Off-road riders told to stay on the road.
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