Posts Tagged ‘ OHV ’

Groups Sue To Block New OHV Road In The Oregon Dunes

December 7, 2009
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Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Photo from U.S. Forest Service.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Photo from U.S. Forest Service.

A coalition of Oregon and Western environmental groups is suing to block the construction of a new road for OHVs in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Called the Riley Ranch Access Project, this new route would allow off road vehicles into an area of the dunes where they’ve never been allowed before.

“The Oregon Dunes already contain thousands of acres open to ORVs,” says Noah Greenwald, with the Center for Biological Diversity.  “Creating a new road in the roadless area is not necessary or in the public interest.”

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Mt Hood: Putting The Brakes On OHVs In The Forest.

August 28, 2009
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Big changes are coming to the Mt. Hood National Forest. Soon, the days of wide open access for OHV riders will be gone. For others, expect more quiet time in the forest with fewer noisy disruptions from off road vehicles.

These changes are outlined in a new off road travel plan that was just released by forest officials. If it goes through, off roading will be banned in most of the Mt. Hood National Forest, except for six areas that are scattered around the mountain.

Here’s a quick look at what’s being proposed:

Right Now:

  • Off roading is allowed on about 2500 miles of roads and trails.
  • Off roaders can drive off trails, officially known as cross country travel, on about 395,000 acres of the forest.

Under the new plan:

  • Off roading is allowed in six areas with about 221 miles of roads and trails.
  • Cross country travel is banned.
Courtesy NOAA

Courtesy NOAA

The history behind this goes back a little more than a decade. Starting in the late 1990′s, OHV use skyrocketed around the country. Forest officials became worried about the damage caused by off road vehicles that were getting bigger, faster and more powerful. In 2004, the U.S. Forest Service named unmanaged off roading as one of the four top threats to National Forests and Grasslands. The following year, it issued a new rule requiring all National Forests to draw up plans to control the use of OHVs. While recognizing off roading as a legitimate use of forests, federal officials said something had to be done to protect the natural resources.

The plan proposed for Mt. Hood calls for six OHV areas, some of which are controversial with environmental groups.

Bear Creek, on the north side of the mountain near Laurence Lake, calls for building 39 miles of new trails for off road motorcycles and brings off roading to an area where it hasn’t been before.

La Dee Flats, an area near Estacada, has seen heavy OHV use in the past. Environmentalists object that one of the trails goes right between two wilderness areas.

Gibson Prairie straddles the Hood River/Wasco County line northeast of Mt. Hood. The area is shared by horse riders, mountain bikers and off roaders. Forest officials expected the shared use to continue.

McCubbins Gulch near the intersection of Highways 26 and 216 is another area that already gets heavy OHV use.

Peavine, located in southern Clackamas County, is somewhat remote and accessible via forest service roads.

Rock Creek, in the eastern part of the forest, is controversial because it’s near a residential area. Some neighbors welcome the idea of having OHV access nearby while others worry about the noise and pollution.

To learn more, see the DEIS for the Mt. Hood Off-highway Vehicle Travel Management Plan. It lists four alternatives, ranging from doing nothing (very unlikely) to reducing to OHV travel to 3 areas with 96 miles of roads and trails. Mt. Hood officials are calling for Alternative 2 to be approved.

Today’s announcement kicks off a 60-day period of public comment. See the Mt. Hood travel management webpage for information on where to send letters or e-mail.

Forest officials have also scheduled two public hearings.

September 15
University Place Hotel & Conference Center
310 SW Lincoln
Portland

September 16
Hood River Inn
1108 East Marine Way
Hood River

Both meetings start at 6pm.

Making Noise About “Quiet Recreation” In National Forests

June 11, 2009
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In the ongoing dispute between OHV riders, and the so-called “quiet” users of National Forests, the advocates of “quiet recreation” have a new argument to support their cause.

Hikers, fishermen, bikers, wildlife watchers and other “quiet” forms of recreation aren’t just easier on the environment. They play a much bigger role in supporting the local economies surrounding the forests.

A worker cuts down a tree to block an unauthorized ATV trail in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Courtesy U.S. Forest Service.

A worker cuts down a tree to block an unauthorized ATV trail in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Courtesy U.S. Forest Service.

That conclusion is based on a study of visitors to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Northeast Oregon. The vast majority of visitors, about 97%, came to enjoy quiet recreation, while only about 3% were OHV riders.

That huge difference in numbers means “quiet” visitors have a much larger impact on the economy of Northeast Oregon than do OHV riders. The study says non-motorized visits generate nearly $19 million in economic activity for the region. More importantly, it says quiet recreation directly supports $2.9 million to $5.4 million in local salaries, representing 137 to 252 jobs.

The study was conducted by Dr. Kreg Lindberg, a Forestry professor at OSU’s Cascades Campus in Central Oregon.

The timing of the report is important because it comes as National Forests across Oregon are developing Travel Management Plans. These plans will determine where OHV riders will be allowed to go in the forest, and just as important, where they won’t be allowed.

Randy Rasmussen with the American Hiking Society says forest managers need to consider the economic as well as environmental impacts of these plans. He points to growing evidence that quiet users won’t return to an area if they’ve had a bad experience because of OHV use. “The noise, the exhaust, the smoke. They came to get away from all that,” says Rasmussen. If they don’t come back, it could have a greater impact on the local economy than restricting OHV access.

Greg Dyson, with the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, hopes that elected officials get the message too. He says that in some counties, OHV riders have greater political influence than quiet users of national forests. Dyson thinks the report sends a message to county officials to “Step back and look at all the facts” before they advocate for greater OHV access.

In the study, “quiet recreation” includes a wide variety of activities including, hiking, biking, fishing and picnicking. It also includes hunters who don’t use ATV’s to get around the forest.

Take Action:

The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is expected to release it’s Draft Travel Management Plan on June 19. That will be followed by a period of public comment and Dyson expects a final decision towards the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the environmental group Bark is organizing a rally to raise awareness about the Travel Management Plan for the Mt. Hood National Forest. The draft plan will be released in August. Mt. Hood is looking at creating six OHV “play areas” totaling 50,000 acres. Bark is calling the event “Quiet Riot”. It’ll be held Saturday, June 27th. See the group’s website for details.

For more information about our reporting on this topic, see our Quiet Forests category in the left side panel.

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Keeping OHVs Away From The Rogue River

April 8, 2009
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It’s interesting to see what agencies have to do to keep OHVs from entering areas where they’re prohibited.

Along the Rogue River, the Bureau of Land Management is placing huge logs across roads and building giant dirt berms that are also known as “tank traps”. Some of these roads were closed to motor vehicles in 1972, but OHVs still managed to slip by roadblocks. BLM says OHVs have their place, just not so close to the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River Corridor. From the Medford Mail Tribune.