|
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 2, 2005 – U.S.
Department of Agriculture Forest Service today announced a new
regulation for recreational motor vehicle use in national forests and
grasslands which will forge a sustainable system of routes and areas
designated for motorized use in the future.
"OHV
and other motorized vehicles are
fun and exciting ways to experience national forests and we've
seen
dramatic increases in their popularity in the last decade," said Forest
Service Chief Dale Bosworth. "Land managers will use the new rule to
continue to work with motorized sports enthusiasts, conservationists,
state and local officials and others to provide responsible motorized
recreational experiences in national forests and grasslands for the
long run."
The
new travel management policy
requires each national forest and grassland to identify and designate
those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use. Local
units will seek public input and coordinate with federal, state, county
and other local governmental entities as well as tribal governments
before any decision is made on a particular road, trail or area.
Unplanned, user-created routes will be considered at the local level
during the designation process.
The
agency expects that it will take
up to four years to complete the designation process for all 155
national forests and 20 grasslands. Each unit will also publish a motor
vehicle use map. The final rule addresses the more than 80,000 comments
received on last year’s proposed rule. Most comments strongly
supported
the concept of designating routes and areas for motor vehicle use.
Once
the designation process is
complete, motor vehicle use off these routes and outside those areas
(cross-country travel) will be prohibited. This prohibition will not
affect over-snow vehicles, such as snowmobiles.
The
rule will impact motor vehicle
use on roads, trails and areas under Forest Service management. State,
county or other public roads within national forest and grassland
boundaries will not be included in the designation process.
Some
national forests and grasslands
already have established systems of roads, trails and areas designed
and managed for motorized use. This rule does not require those units
to change existing plans.
In
2002, the Forest Service had more
than 214 million visits, with about the same number driving through
just to enjoy the scenery. More than 200,000 miles of forest roads are
currently open to off-highway vehicle (OHV) use as well as more than
36,000 miles of trails. In addition, national forest recreation has
become the biggest contributor to many local economies, including rural
communities.
Recreational
motor vehicles include
OHVs, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-highway motorcycles (OHMs) and
off-road vehicles (ORVs), such as 4-by-4 trucks or Jeeps.
A
copy of the rule can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/final.pdf.
|
|