Off-road vehicles rev up controversy in public lands
A coalition of former public land managers and veteran rangers is sounding the alarm.
from the July 3, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Indeed, conflicts, sometimes violent, appear to be growing between rangers and ORV users who flout trail signs and damage delicate desert and other habitat, or lug alcohol and drugs into wilderness areas, the group says. But a BLM spokesman says law-enforcement incidents involving "off-highway vehicles" (OHVs) actually fell from 5,846 in 2004 to 5,066 last year.
"We realize there has been exponential growth in OHV use, so we know it's a challenge. But we think we're meeting the challenge," says Tom Gorey, a BLM spokesman.
Yet the problem is clearly growing more serious in many locations. At an Easter weekend gathering, 50 federal rangers faced "near riot conditions" with about 1,000 out-of-control ORV enthusiasts at the Little Sahara Recreation Area in Utah. Revelers sexually harassed a number of women among the 35,000 people using the area, federal reports of the incident show. There were 300 arrests and 37 injuries.
"What has been lacking is the assurance of tough enforcement and the backbone needed to bring the runaway problem under control," said Jim Furnish, former deputy chief of the US Forest Service and a member of the rangers' coalition, in a statement. "Folks visiting our public lands expect enforcement that protects natural resources, ensures visitor safety, and reclaims a family friendly atmosphere."
As numbers grow, the environmental challenge is growing, too.
At the Tellico Off-Road Vehicle Area within the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, ORV use has been allowed to soar beyond planned limits, critics say. Now, deeply-rutted trails wash silt into once-pristine trout streams that feed into the Tellico River.
In a "notice of intent" letter last week, the Southern Environmental Law Center informed the US Forest Service it would soon file suit on behalf of several trout fishing organizations to enforce the federal Clean Water Act. The letter says that trails close to streams violate the law.
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