In the News: Forests, visitors abused by rogues on off-road vehicles

Posted on June 27, 2007

Violence

Wilderness motorcycle charge reduced - Missoulian, September 8, 2007

Sweet deal for renegade rider - Missoula Independent, September 6, 2007

Running down a dream - Missoula Independent, August 2, 2007

Missoulian: Irresponsible ATV riders hurt everyone - Guest column - Friday, June 22, 2007

Off-road rage: Hit-and-run incident leaves Bitterroot man injured after hiking - Missoulian, June 18, 2007

New Looting in Recapture Wash Confirms Link Between ORVs and Damage to Archaeological Artifacts - Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Great Old Broads for Wilderness call for stronger enforcement of off-road vehicle abuse, July 10, 2007.

'Near-riot conditions:' Rowdies grow out of control at Little Sahara, say critics - Federal law enforcement report describes two such incidents involving 1,000 people during Easter weekend gathering of off-roaders on BLM land in Utah. Seventy-five officers required, several assaulted and 300 separate incidents resulted in arrests or citations.
Salt Lake Tribune - May 22, 2007
Environment News Service - May 23, 2007

Deputy Injured After Being Dragged By Off-Road Car: Police Later Arrested Driver - Off-roader illegally drives on county land, resists arrest, drags officer, gets shot at, flees but is later arrested and charged.
CBS, contributed to by AP- May 13, 2007

Idaho shooters target National Guard - ATV riders shoot tanks and cattle on BLM land outside Boise Idaho.
Associated Press, picked up by USAToday - Apr 5, 2007

Camper cleared in shooting of ATV Driver - Man shot threatening ATV rider in self defense.
KGW, Northwest NewsChannel 8 - Nov 20, 2006

Silverton man victim of ATV rage - Landowner "nearly killed" by trespassing ATV rider in San Juan County, Colorado.
Durango Herald - Sep 14, 2006

Bad News Bikers -- Sierra Club organizer assaulted by still-at-large dirt biker on Clearwater National Forest, Idaho.
Missoula Independent - August 10, 2006

Lucky break leads to conviction in 2004 battery - ATV hunter punched and threatened life of another hunter in "walk-in only area," Clearwater or Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho.
Idaho County Free Press - Nov 29, 200

Damage & Trespass

Off-road Vehicles Violate Wilderness Act -- Center for Biological Diversity, August 2, 2007

Off-roaders take toll on public land - The Arizona Republic, July 31, 2007

Reckless behavior: Homesteader latest incident illustrating abuse of public land - Missoulian, June 25, 2007

˜Mudding' mucks Bitterroot creek - ATV riders damage tributary for prized westslope cutthroat trout on Bitterroot National Forest, Montana.
Missoulian - May 7, 2007

Stuck 4 x 4's Arrested for Damaging the Only Spawning Tributary of the Klamath River - Drivers caught trashing wetland.
The Oregonian - March 29, 2007

Driven to fight: A retired BLM special agent finds herself battling the very agency she once worked for - BLM volunteer "citizen ranger" fighting to protect archaeological and historic sites from off-road damage.
High Country News - March 19, 2007

Calls for Reform

Forest motorized travel overdue for new rules - Arizona Daily Sun, July 29, 2007

Rangers Call Off-Road Vehicles Biggest Threat To Public Lands - "Rangers for Responsible Recreation" Launched to Combat "Wreck-reation," several recent stories

AccessNorthGa.com - News Articles: North Georgia's Sporting News Weather and News - AP story run by several outlets, June 18, 2007

Off-roaders must become part of the solution - Wildlands CPR response to June 21 column, July 2, 2007

Controlling ORV abuse takes give and take - Deseret Morning News column critical of Wildlands CPR enforcement report, June 21, 2007