From the front page of the NY Times...

[dieselcruiserhead]

More about our situation in Utah...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/us/30lands.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Relevant to:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10370

 

[Grim Reaper]

The thing that really infuriates me is the full size trucks are generally the ones that are the good stewards of the land they travel in most cases. The ATV riders are just plain out of control!

the vast majority of the problems sited in that story are all related to ATV. What is it about that user group where they JUST DON'T GET IT!


Since i have become active in off roading I have seen many trails closed and every trail the biggest problem was ATV riders leaving the designated trails. Lost one trail that bisected a Wilderness area and a Wilderness management area. Always finding these ghost trails out where they had no buisness being. I was a nice afternoon ride with only one difficult spot that as long as you understood where to put your wheels it was a walk in the park. It was the highest point in GA where you could travel off road. Great camping spot right on the crest with no light pollution where you could kick back and star gaze near an old fire tower.

Now its gated. Only open during hunting season and guess what... the ATV still running off trail by the hunters. The real problem children actually are residents that border the area that are traveling off their property on trails they made and still out there causing problems when the rest of us that did the maintenance and clean ups are locked out.


A comment that stuck out to me is where the story says they are working to provide more areas. Thats a lie. In the last 10 years I have had 75% of the trails on public property in my area gated. More and more is getting closed down everywhere and adding to the stress on the remaining areas.

The bottom line is nothing is being done to curb the bad eggs that doesnt also take out the good stewards as well.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

The thing that really infuriates me is the full size trucks are generally the ones that are the good stewards of the land they travel in most cases. The ATV riders are just plain out of control!

the vast majority of the problems sited in that story are all related to ATV. What is it about that user group where they JUST DON'T GET IT!

Agree in many levels. While we (Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association) have historically worked with the ATV groups, times are changing. They are not "pulling their weight" especially considering their numbers. While we feel we have an EXCELLENT hand on the issues here in Utah, we could always use more help, rarely does it come from the ATV factions.

A comment that stuck out to me is where the story says they are working to provide more areas. Thats a lie. In the last 10 years I have had 75% of the trails on public property in my area gated. More and more is getting closed down everywhere and adding to the stress on the remaining areas...

Agreed, Agreed, Agreed.

In some areas of Utah, recent RMP's and motorized travel plans have cut open areas down to 20-50% their previous levels. There isn't a single area that has had a net increase.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Kurt and I were hanging out tonight and he said "check out what I wrote" and we were talking about just this issue, the ATVers... Seems like the powers that be, the advocacy groups etc, definitely are strongly aware of this and I personally largely agree as well...