Read and weep, guys...

http://channels.netscape.com//autos/...brand=usatoday

 

Not that bad of a deal... they're just restricting use to designated trails.

Fines won't increase, and they say they may actually use some of the trails that offroaders have already established.

It won't go into effect for another 4 years. Hopefully it happens soon enough to keep the ecofreaks off our backs a little longer.

 

im sick of hearing about erosion, and "rare frogs"....erosion is natural, where do they think the grand canyon came from? People should either be able to use parks...and not worry so much about destroying them, or not use them at all. Of course we should be responsible and not be destructive when possible, but anytime you use a resource, it will result in depletion or wear. Don't want the letters on your keyboard to get rubbed off? Don't type on it....just an example.

 

I agree. Out here they already limit access, and it seems completely up to the whims of the rangers when trails are open or closed. This way there would be designated trails and we would know where we can and can't be. Of course, being one of those "ecofreaks" I would like to see at least some of the natural areas saved.

Pretty short-sighted view. There are way too many folks out playing that have no regard for their impact on the environment to ever have self-policeing work. I admit that there are bad folks working for the gov., trying to limit access beyond what makes sense, but there are a lot more idiots out there drinking while wheeling, tearing up pristine areas, littering, and making asses of themselves that give us all a bad image. I'm all for access to certain areas, but people as a whole don't behave well enough to give them free access to do what they please. In 20, 50 or 100 years I want something left for myself or my kids to enjoy, beyond rutted roads through clear-cut forests and strip mines. I'll now step down off my tree-hugger soapbox.

 

short-sighted and ignorant indeed.

anyway, i'm all for treading lightly and can respect the rules of designated trails. based on that article it doesn't look like these rules are gonna be heavily enforced, so i wonder just how much people will abide by them.

 

you wanna go mud bogging, do it on some private land.

however this does worry me a bit, as things are getting more and more crowded, but that's just the way things work. an outdoor activity gets popular, there's a few bad apples out there that get access closed, forcing the remaining people into smaller and smaller areas, then those get closed down because there's too many people there and "it's dangerous". kind of like how it is in my county, we used to have an ORV park but it got shut down because of frivolous lawsuits, and "neighbors" complaining, despite it being halfway in the middle of nowhere in the woods.

 

This has been going on in MI for a few years now. The DNR has put the kabosh on state parks atleast because people go back there and abuse, litter, or cause a lot of trouble.

Anywho, glad we have 55 acres down here and 200 in Northern MI with access to federal land also.

 

EXACTly!
I mean, even if the Grand Canyon WAS caused initially by ancient offroaders who didn't tread lightly, the erosion took care of their unsightly tire tracks anyway, so what's the big deal?

 

Me and the people I ride with always stick to the trails anyway.

 

I don't see that as ignorant at all....I understand that alot of people don't care at all, but punishing everybody for it just bugs me. I don't know why I care, I never wheel public land anyways.

 

I have to say that I am one of those neighbors. We have about 150 acres of privately owned land behind my house and that borders 500+ acres of National Park land with atv trails. People come up our road and totally mess it up, throwing gravel and beer cans all the way up. When you pay $10,000 to grade and gravel your road, you don't want people who do not respect that tearing it up.

There are more than just a "few" bad apples. Everyone who is out to 4 wheel is out to tear something up. They will still come up my road despite the atv trial being free and loaded with jumps and burms and 'halfway in the middle of nowhere'.

But the difference is, I don't complain about the trails, I just chase people back down the road and now I will put up a gate.

 

I disagree that "everyone" is. Besides my truck, I have a 4-wheeler, offroad gokart and an enduro bike. I have been riding for years and do and have not torn anything up. I go out to ride, enjoy myself and enjoy the outdoors. I respect the land that I'm on, whether it be public, private or my own. That's the thinking gives offroading and 4-wheeling a bad rap, besides the few bad apples that do tear things up.

 

i agree, there are a lot of idiots out there, but most guys i know aren't out there to tear things up. it's usually the high school and white trash crowd, you don't quite as often see somebody in a well-built rig doing stupid stuff like that.

 

Well the college kids who have expensive SUV's that have been paid for by their parents are about 50% of the people who go to the ATV trails. My house is in Cullowhee, the home of Western Carolina University. Over the last 6 years, attendance has gone from 2,000 to 10,000. It makes a big difference. But at least the crowd that is attracted by the college are the outdoor sports kind. Everyone drives trucks instead of pimped out Hond Civics.

PS. I did not say that everyone was a bad apple. I said more than a few which would be more than 10 %

 

Considering the United States was covered in 95% forest (along with all the wild animals) before the colonization in the 1700's, I feel the remaining 10% should deserve a little respect....

I dont know if other states are the same, but, California has 133 selected areas for off-road vehicles. Why not just stay on the designated trails and leave some areas off limits?

 

Great discussion by everyone and I agree with SC4Runner's post, well said. Once thing I'd add would be with adequate funding to actually patrol their lands, BLM and FS would have a lot less trouble because illegal off-roading would get ticketed. Where I live there are 2 law enforcement guys for the entire Santa Fe Nat Forest. Crazy...

 

I believe you are going to see more and more restriction of all types, and it's going to continue at an accelerating rate. All of our freedoms are being attacked and it is going to get a lot worse, IMO, in the coming years.

 

well, of course. once politicians got all the laws right, they had to look busy and proactive, so they start restricting things more...

 

I enjoy offroading, hiking, camping and being outdoors, but most everytime I'm out doing something I'll see someone who can't follow simple rules, tread lightly, respect others and pick up their trash. I think the rules change will be followed by those of us who respect stuff now and that we'll still have people who won't respect them and that will lead to more restrictions. I personally would support no more restrictions, but instead use a small portion of our taxes having snipers set up in key areas capping people who can't respect what is everyone's resource. Call it enforced Darwinism.

 

not quite sure on the numbers but sounds good to me.