New York Times on Off-roaders Chewing Up the West
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.31.07
Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times
Felicity Barringer and William Yardley write an excellent article about off-roaders chewing up National forests.
In the San Juan National Forest here, an iron rod gate is the last barrier to the Weminuche Wilderness, a mountain redoubt above 10,000 feet where wheels are not allowed.
But the gate has been knocked down repeatedly, shot at and generally disregarded. Miles beyond it, a two-track trail has been punched into the wilderness by errant all-terrain-vehicle riders who have insisted on going their own way, on-trail or off.
From Colorado’s forests to Utah’s sandstone canyons and the evergreen mountains of Montana, federally owned lands are rapidly being transformed into the new playgrounds — and battlegrounds — of the American West. ::New York Times
see also: ATVs: Destroying the Climate and Environment for Fun and ::Thrillcraft
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This *really* burns me up - we have similar problems around our area with cars and bikes accessing local nature reserves. Police and Parks occasionally run a blitz (last blitz 63 bikes were nabbed), a couple of weeks later, they are back. It becomes a game.
Half the problem (aside from a decreasing lack of understanding of the word "no") I think is due to cheap imported bikes and atv's; they are almost a disposable item these days. Heavier penalties should be applied to offenders that are caught so they can't even afford those.
Thanks for highlighting this issue.
I'm torn on this issue--I'm a rider and try to be eco-friendly, so I see both sides of this issue. When I ride off-road (rarely) I either go to tracks or stick to designated trails, and I keep wheelspin to a minimum. But on the other hand, one of the reasons wilderness areas exist is so that people can enjoy them. Take that away and you'll have fewer favoring preservation and expansion of federal parklands. I understand what the woman was saying about runoff, but really a few little shrubs being churned up doesn't seem like a huge deal when the larger wilderness area itself was partially preserved due to the efforts of off-roaders.
Jeep has for years had a "Tread Lightly!" program, urging offroaders to stay on designated trails, not to spin wheels, etc. Companies making motocross bikes--particularly Honda--need to get on the same bandwagon with bikers.
I live in Oregon, and we have the same problem. Our neighbor ran his ATVs over our property for a while, without our knowledge. He tore up woodland and riparian areas. After learning the boundaries of his property, he uprooted his own forest and creek bed to create a muddy, eroding hill to use for riding. Incredibly loud engines, fumes, damaging to the ecosystem. Terrible, terrible form of recreation.
wow, mountain bikers got totally hosed being grouped in with ATV's and jeeps as "mechanized vehicles". The hiking groups (and the moto people for that matter) must have alot more lobbying power.
So when do we get good electric ATVs? Might at least solve a couple of the problems (noise, exhaust).
Oh my god!!!!!
who cares.... get a life
you act like anyone who rides an ATV is the same as a rapist
let me tell you
i'm 17 i don't drink smoke or do drugs
i only like to ride
i clean trails and ride them.
if you want it to stop
then allow more places for them to go stop voting against atv parks and tracks
Hey Michael,
Check out the all-electric 4x4 Bad Boy Buggy