Future threat to OHV Public land access

[Denis4x4]

I'm a volunteer at the Public Lands Center in Durango and we had our annual orientation meeting yesterday. There was a national Travel Management Rule finalized last year. Check it out:

www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv

It a nutshell, everything will be closed to motorized vehicles unless specified as open! No exceptions for ADA access to public lands. Timeline is set for implementation in 2009. There will be public hearings and it's unknown as to what effect the Colorado Roadless Task Force conclusion will have on the USFS Travel Plan

One of the reasons given for this new plan is the fact that the number of OHV's on public lands have gone from 5 million 30 years ago to 51 million!

ATV trails will be set for rigs that are a max of 50", thus eliminating 'Gators, Mules, etc. This year will mark the first year that there will be a coordinated effort by sheriffs in San Miguel (Telluride) San Juan (Silverton), Ouray (Ouray) and La Plata (Durango) to ticket under age, non-licensed ATV and dirt bike drivers.

Finally, as a front desk Visitor Information volunteer, I get countless complaints from campers and hikers about OHV users regarding noise, staying on the trails and dust.

[YJgirl]

Thanks for bringing this back up. COHVCO is working closely with the FS on the implementation process statewide. We ask that everyone GPS the trails you drive this summer so we can make sure we have initial data for the implementation. I'll have more details on this in the next two weeks.Also we have asked local clubs (4x4, ATV, and dirt bikes) to get into contact with the ranger district closest to you so you can get aquainted. Bottom line is that the FS doesn't have the $$$ or the manpower to GPS trails, but we as a user group do. As a result, the Region 2 Recreation Planner for the Forest Service is pushing local ranger districts to utilize volunteers to find and GPS the trails.The Uncompahgre is the first forest to implement the National OHV Policy. They are supposed to implement it the fall of this year.

[SoK66]

Dennis,

Glad to see you're volunteering at the San Juan Public LAnds Center, we need more motorized supporters.

There are a lot of overlapping issues here and it's going to require everyone getting involved and maintaing cool heads. In a nutshell, the anti-motorized advocates have infiltrated BLM & USFS management and are taking their cause to the next level. Essentially, they have succeeded in getting the Sierra Club's "closed unless posted open" policy adopted.

One threat is this National OHV management plan announced by the USFS last fall. But, closer to home there's also the Colorado Roadless Task Force which is turning into a political dog & pony show and has the very real possibility of closing thousands of miles of road & trail, including the Lake Como Road (Blanca Peak).

Each Forest in Colorado has announced a deadline for declaration of their OHV plan. Some are due this year. This will require the public to submit GPS maps of all current motorized roads & trails withn their boundaries. These will then have to be "analysed" by each Forest manager, and then verified via more accurate, very expensive, GIS equipment. COHVCO is pretty well dialed in on the requirements from what we have learned, but it will take a big effort by the motoized groups to at least get current roads & trails inventoried.

There's been a lot of obvious anti-motorized advocate infiltration of the San Juan Public Lands Center staff. The San Juan Trail Riders ohv club has done a great job of GPS mapping their trails and the Creeper Jeepers will soon pick this up and begin mapping all the San Juan roads. The big fear is this is just a waste of time, and that the wilderness groups, who submitted plans of their own plan back in '99, have stolen a march on this entire issue and have their people in place to see to it that they win. Guess what, they want all roads closed. SURPRISED????

I lived in the east (not by choice) for a number of years and saw entire State's close down all motorized access permanently. The same anti-motorized groups that won there are now focused on the west. Think we can't lose ALL access? Think again, this is a REAL threat! Every mindless idiot who decides to blast across tundra or wetlands or desert just gives these nuts more ammunition to toss us out on our asses. One bit of advice to everyone: GET INVOLVED, NOW!!!!!!!

[Dave McDonald]

Thanks for bringing this back up. COHVCO is working closely with the FS on the implementation process statewide. We ask that everyone GPS the trails you drive this summer so we can make sure we have initial data for the implementation. I'll have more details on this in the next two weeks.Also we have asked local clubs (4x4, ATV, and dirt bikes) to get into contact with the ranger district closest to you so you can get aquainted. Bottom line is that the FS doesn't have the $$$ or the manpower to GPS trails, but we as a user group do. As a result, the Region 2 Recreation Planner for the Forest Service is pushing local ranger districts to utilize volunteers to find and GPS the trails.The Uncompahgre is the first forest to implement the National OHV Policy. They are supposed to implement it the fall of this year.

I'll be keeping an eye out for the info... like what you mean by GPS files - specific formats that'll qualify. I'm sure the FS has some standard they can use. I've got a few routes saved from last year. I'd hope those would qualify too.