ORVs

Utah's Republican governor calls ORV abuse an "abomination"

Laurel Hagen — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:06:48 -0600

Utah's governor, Republican John Huntsman, told the Salt Lake Tribune in a recent interview that he had witnessed extensive ORV abuse in Utah, and that "a crackdown is coming." The Trib's editorial cartoonist, Pat Bagley, responded with this excellent illustration (the little dude in the corner is supposed to be the governor):

The article:

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Guv: ORV off-trail damage an 'abomination,' crackdown is coming

By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 10/02/2008 10:52:51 AM MDT

Off-road vehicles that stray from trails are doing immense damage to the state, said Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who has directed state officers to begin cracking down.

"It's an abomination, it's an embarrassment," the governor said Wednesday during a meeting with The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board.

Huntsman said that he recently visited the area around Moab with David Bonderman, a prominent venture capitalist and major financier for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, to see the damage done by illegal off-road travel.

"I wanted to get a sense of what the concern was, and it became a concern to me," he said.

So Huntsman - who rides dirt bikes, but sticks to the track - said he has begun a two-part effort to reduce the damage, using enforcement and encouragement.

First, he has asked the Department of Natural Resources to step up enforcement on state land. "You penalize them. . . . You give them tickets, you charge them, you fine them, which is what we're going to be doing through DNR," he said.

Second, he asked Chad Reed, a top motocross rider, to tape a public service announcement. "It was a plea to stay on the trail and don't screw up our beautiful state," Huntsman said.

He said the Bureau of Land Management has taken the ad and used it as an example for other BLM offices.

Michael Swenson, executive director of the Utah Shared Access Alliance, an off-road group, said off-roaders have an obligation to obey the law in most cases.

"There are many cases where there is not a travel plan in place or there is one that was put together in such a fashion that the recreation community just cannot support it," he said. "We understand why there is this perception of abuse and I guess really it depends on your point of view."

He said the alliance has invited Huntsman to go out and see the good and bad of off-road recreation, but the governor has declined.

"The word 'abomination' is a pretty harsh word," said Swenson. "I don't know that most of the folks that put the governor in office would consider people using the public lands and using ATVs on public lands an abomination."

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No, Mr. Swenson, the governor was not referring to "people using the public lands" in this sense:

I think he had a problem with this sort of thing:

Group sues U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase habitat at Oceano Dunes for threatened shorebird

Franklin Seal — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:36:47 -0600

BLM to stop collecting trash at sand dunes

Franklin Seal — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:39:54 -0600

ATV Watch Wins Landmark Right to Know Case

Franklin Seal — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:12:22 -0600

Targeting ATV trespassing

Franklin Seal — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:28:33 -0600

Rules of the road

Franklin Seal — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:16:57 -0600

Magistrate recommends rejection of Gallatin forest lawsuit

Franklin Seal — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:56:17 -0600

Illegal ORV Use Booms - FS Says Policing "Virtually Imposible"

Adam Rissien — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:36:06 -0600

The Great Falls Tribune has an excellent article on the expanding illegal ORV use near Glacier National Park and places on the Lewis & Clark NF.

See http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081002/LIF...

Some of the article highlights:

"Forest rangers say the last couple of months the unauthorized use of ATVs is showing up all over the forest,..."

Judith District Ranger Ron Wiseman says the problem is apparent on the east side of the Little Belts as well.

"There are the people who seem to want to use the ATVs and do it right and then there is the other percentage, maybe 30 to 40 percent, who don't care about rules or regulations and seem to think they have a right to do what they want."

"Wiseman said policing all of the roads is virtually impossible."

What is amazing is that we still hear the constant mantra from the ORV groups that violations are the result of a few bad apples. The agency does not have the ability, and in some places the will, to adequately enforce its new travel plans. Instead they rely on "education" and hope that people will simply follow the law, which on the Lewis & Clark NF has resulted in expanded illegal use and resource damage.

One solution to this problem would be to expand the agency's enforcement capacity and pass laws that give penalties some real teeth such as higher fines, loss of hunting privledges, and in some cases confiscation of user's machines.

Yellowstone National Park speeds up action on snow machines

Franklin Seal — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:58:15 -0600

Montana: New Study of Snowmobiles

Franklin Seal — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:56:20 -0600