USDA FOREST SERVICE NEWS RELEASE

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 1 P.M., EST

Release No. FS-0605

Contact: Press Office, (202) 205-1134

USDA FOREST SERVICE RELEASES FINAL RULE FOR MOTORIZED RECREATION IN NATIONAL FORESTS & GRASSLANDS New Rule will Balance Best Possible Care of Land with Public's Enjoyment of Recreational Vehicles through Local Collaboration

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2005 - U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service today announced a new regulation for recreational motor vehicle use in national forests and grasslands which will forge a sustainable system of routes and areas designated for motorized use in the future.

"OHV and other motorized vehicles are fun and exciting ways to experience national forests and we've seen dramatic increases in their popularity in the last decade," said Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth.
"Land managers will use the new rule to continue to work with motorized sports enthusiasts, conservationists, state and local officials and others to provide responsible motorized recreational experiences in national forests and grasslands for the long run."

The new travel management policy requires each national forest and grassland to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use. Local units will seek public input and coordinate with federal, state, county and other local governmental entities as well as tribal governments before any decision is made on a particular road, trail or area. Unplanned, user-created routes will be considered at the local level during the designation process.

The agency expects that it will take up to four years to complete the designation process for all 155 national forests and 20 grasslands.
Each unit will also publish a motor vehicle use map. The final rule addresses the more than 80,000 comments received on last year's proposed rule. Most comments strongly supported the concept of designating routes and areas for motor vehicle use.

Once the designation process is complete, motor vehicle use off these routes and outside those areas (cross-country travel) will be prohibited. This prohibition will not affect over-snow vehicles, such as snowmobiles.

The rule will impact motor vehicle use on roads, trails and areas under Forest Service management. State, county or other public roads within national forest and grassland boundaries will not be included in the designation process.

Some national forests and grasslands already have established systems of roads, trails and areas designed and managed for motorized use.
This rule does not require those units to change existing plans.

In 2002, the Forest Service had more than 214 million visits, with about the same number driving through just to enjoy the scenery. More than 200,000 miles of forest roads are currently open to off-highway vehicle
(OHV) use as well as more than 36,000 miles of trails. In addition, national forest recreation has become the biggest contributor to many local economies, including rural communities.

Recreational motor vehicles include OHVs, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-highway motorcycles (OHMs) and off-road vehicles (ORVs), such as 4-by-4 trucks or Jeeps.

A copy of the new rule can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us.

did you see this
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 29, 2005

CONTACT:
Carl Schneebeck, Bluewater Network, 415-544-0790, ext. 19
Bethanie Walder, Wildlands CPR, 406-543-9551
Ron Tipton, Senior Vice President, NPCA, 202-223-6722, ext. 266
Robert Rosenbaum, Arnold & Porter LLP, 202-942-5862

Conservation Groups File Lawsuit to Protect National Parks From Harmful Off-Road Vehicle Use
Survey of Parks Reveals Extensive Damage from Off-Road Vehicles, Lack of Funding for Enforcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Bluewater Network, a division of Friends of the Earth; the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA); and Wildlands CPR today filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service and theDepartment of Interior in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.,
alleging that those agencies have failed in numerous ways to protect the National Park System against the extensive damage caused by all-terrain vehicles and other off-road vehicles in America's national parks.

The plaintiffs met with the Park Service in July 2004 and raised concerns about off-road vehicle damage in the national parks. The agency responded by conducting an internal survey of all national park sites. The 256 responses available to the plaintiffs demonstrate that off-road
vehicles are causing widespread damage in America's national parks.

"Despite evidence of damage, the leadership of the National Park Service is simply proposing more studies of the problems caused by off-road vehicles in some parts of the National Park System and has refused to take any action elsewhere," said Carl Schneebeck, public lands campaign director for Bluewater Network and a former Park Service ranger.

Park managers reported that off-road vehicle use is harming archaeological sites at the Grand Canyon; tearing up hiking/horseback trails at Olympic National Park; crushing animal burrows in Arches and Canyonlands national parks; and facilitating fossil poaching at Badlands
National Park, as well as affecting the experiences of other visitors. Park managers at the Appalachian Trail reported that damage from off-road vehicles is the trail's "most pernicious" problem.

"Because of the damage off-road vehicles can cause to the natural wonders of the parks, the law expressly requires the agency to regulate the use of off-road vehicles," said Robert Rosenbaum of Washington, D.C., law firm Arnold & Porter LLP, counsel for the plaintiffs.

In the Park Service's survey, many park managers reported having insufficient staff to monitor the impact of off-road vehicles on the parks and enforce park regulations.



"Due to lack of funding, many parks are struggling to enforce the rules on the books to protect the treasures in our parks and the safety and experiences of visitors," said NPCA President Tom Kiernan. "In the meantime, the parks protecting our national heritage are being spoiled."

Exacerbating this problem, the Department of Interior has proposed a draft revision of the parks' management policies. The draft weakens protections for parks and could lead to increased use of off-road vehicles. The public can comment on the proposed changes to the Park Service's management policies over the next few months.

"National parks were created 100 years ago as preserves for our national heritage-not as playgrounds for off-road vehicles," said Wildlands CPR Executive Director Bethanie Walder. "The existing policies to protect our parks must be upheld and enforced."

quote:

Originally posted by ThePagan:
USDA FOREST SERVICE NEWS RELEASE

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 1 P.M., EST

Release No. FS-0605

Contact: Press Office, (202) 205-1134

USDA FOREST SERVICE RELEASES FINAL RULE FOR MOTORIZED RECREATION IN NATIONAL FORESTS & GRASSLANDS New Rule will Balance Best Possible Care of Land with Public's Enjoyment of Recreational Vehicles through Local Collaboration

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2005 - U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service today announced a new regulation for recreational motor vehicle use in national forests and grasslands which will forge a sustainable system of routes and areas designated for motorized use in the future.

"OHV and other motorized vehicles are fun and exciting ways to experience national forests and we've seen dramatic increases in their popularity in the last decade," said Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth.
"Land managers will use the new rule to continue to work with motorized sports enthusiasts, conservationists, state and local officials and others to provide responsible motorized recreational experiences in national forests and grasslands for the long run."

The new travel management policy requires each national forest and grassland to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use. Local units will seek public input and coordinate with federal, state, county and other local governmental entities as well as tribal governments before any decision is made on a particular road, trail or area. Unplanned, user-created routes will be considered at the local level during the designation process.

The agency expects that it will take up to four years to complete the designation process for all 155 national forests and 20 grasslands.
Each unit will also publish a motor vehicle use map. The final rule addresses the more than 80,000 comments received on last year's proposed rule. Most comments strongly supported the concept of designating routes and areas for motor vehicle use.

Once the designation process is complete, motor vehicle use off these routes and outside those areas (cross-country travel) will be prohibited. This prohibition will not affect over-snow vehicles, such as snowmobiles.

The rule will impact motor vehicle use on roads, trails and areas under Forest Service management. State, county or other public roads within national forest and grassland boundaries will not be included in the designation process.

Some national forests and grasslands already have established systems of roads, trails and areas designed and managed for motorized use.
This rule does not require those units to change existing plans.

In 2002, the Forest Service had more than 214 million visits, with about the same number driving through just to enjoy the scenery. More than 200,000 miles of forest roads are currently open to off-highway vehicle
(OHV) use as well as more than 36,000 miles of trails. In addition, national forest recreation has become the biggest contributor to many local economies, including rural communities.

Recreational motor vehicles include OHVs, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-highway motorcycles (OHMs) and off-road vehicles (ORVs), such as 4-by-4 trucks or Jeeps.

A copy of the new rule can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us.