Roads On Our Public Lands
When noted conservation biologists Michael Soul and Reed Noss were asked recently what three current policy issues are most important to the re-wilding of North America, they both responded simultaneously: "Roads, Roads, and Roads." While there were other issues that were on their list to be sure, the emphasis that these two prominent scientists placed on roads is significant. Roads, they know, fragment wildlife habitat, cause stream sedimentation through erosion (choking trout and salmon), and allow overuse and abuse by motorized recreation.
Champion International (Plum Creek) land, Gold Creek, MT Photo by Mark Alan Wilson
Motorized recreation also has disastrous ecological impacts. Off-road vehicle use causes soil displacement and compaction, erosion and stream sedimentation, significant air and water pollution, increased wildlife mortality, habitat disturbance, and more. Sensitive streams and riparian areas are often targeted by motorized recreationists for the "wet and wild" experience. But agency response to these problems continues to be inadequate. For example, policy is being proposed in the Tri-State (MT, SD, ND) ORV Plan which would grandfather in any user-created off-road vehicle routes, effectively legitimizing the creation and use of these pioneered routes. Regardless of what the agencies call them, or whether they were created by users or bulldozers, these "routes" are linear barriers that, in most instances, effectively act just like roads.
ATV driving upstream. Photo by Mark Aronson
In addition, authorized roads continue to be built, either for standard resource extraction, or under the guise of "forest restoration" to access thinning projects. Roads are even "temporarily" built for fire breaks, but most remain on the land, opening the forest to more access, potential poaching problems, invasive weeds, and off-road vehicle use. Assessing the varied impacts of these different types of roads and trails is just one project that our expanded science program intends to undertake. Goals Wildlands CPR incorporates conservation biology, law, and activism to:
Volunteer to study the effectiveness of road decommissioning
Champion International (Plum Creek) land, Gold Creek, MT Photo by Mark Alan Wilson
Motorized recreation also has disastrous ecological impacts. Off-road vehicle use causes soil displacement and compaction, erosion and stream sedimentation, significant air and water pollution, increased wildlife mortality, habitat disturbance, and more. Sensitive streams and riparian areas are often targeted by motorized recreationists for the "wet and wild" experience. But agency response to these problems continues to be inadequate. For example, policy is being proposed in the Tri-State (MT, SD, ND) ORV Plan which would grandfather in any user-created off-road vehicle routes, effectively legitimizing the creation and use of these pioneered routes. Regardless of what the agencies call them, or whether they were created by users or bulldozers, these "routes" are linear barriers that, in most instances, effectively act just like roads.
ATV driving upstream. Photo by Mark Aronson
In addition, authorized roads continue to be built, either for standard resource extraction, or under the guise of "forest restoration" to access thinning projects. Roads are even "temporarily" built for fire breaks, but most remain on the land, opening the forest to more access, potential poaching problems, invasive weeds, and off-road vehicle use. Assessing the varied impacts of these different types of roads and trails is just one project that our expanded science program intends to undertake. Goals Wildlands CPR incorporates conservation biology, law, and activism to:
- Define and implement cutting edge public policy strategies to prevent, close and revegetate roads and limit motorized recreation;
- Link and coordinate networks of activists and activist groups, helping form and organize effective coalitions;
- Train citizens to prevent, close, and revegetate wildland roads and limit motorized recreation using sound biological and legal information;
- Be a national clearinghouse, providing citizens with the tools, research and activist strategies needed to prevent, close or remove environmentally damaging roads and limit motorized recreation in wildland ecosystems;
- Inform the public about the environmental damage caused by roads and motorized recreation and how to influence public land management decisions; and
- Promote scientific research on the ecology of roads, road removal and ORVs.
Volunteer to study the effectiveness of road decommissioning