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Find a meeting in your area where you can comment on Clinton's "Wilderness Lite" Roadless Lands Initiative Go back to the news releases index     May 15, 2000 Forest Service plan could strangle trail riding PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The federal government has released its draft plan for managing huge areas of America's national forest system, reports the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). And although the plan represents a partial victory for off-highway motorcyclists and ATV riders, it still could lead to shutting down nearly 60 million acres of public land to many recreational activities, including trail riding. The U.S. Forest Service draft, released May 9, came in response to President Clinton's order that the agency create a single management plan governing so-called roadless areas in all 155 national forests from coast to coast. These include about 43 million acres in inventoried roadless areas, and as much as another 15 million acres in smaller parcels that have not been inventoried. Together, they add up to an area nearly equal in size to the state of Wyoming. One of the options that could have been written into the draft called for a ban on all off-highway motorized recreation throughout those areas. That option was rejected by the Forest Service, but the agency did incorporate a ban on all road construction and reconstruction, a move that could slowly strangle motorized recreation, rather than killing it immediately. "This is a clear indication of how threatening this sweeping proposal is," noted Robert Rasor, the AMA's vice president for government relations. "Even though we averted the worst damage it could have inflicted on off-highway riders, we're still faced with serious consequences over the long haul." If adopted, this plan would have a major impact on a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Even though the areas being discussed are labeled roadless, they include thousands of miles of existing routes, ranging from dirt roads to narrow trails, many of which have been used for generations. By banning maintenance and reconstruction on that network of roads and trails, the Forest Service is essentially guaranteeing that they will eventually deteriorate until they are unusable. That would mean lost riding opportunities for off-highway motorcyclists and ATV riders, but it would also affect campers, fishermen, hunters, horseback riders, mountain bikers, snowmobile enthusiasts and even hikers, who could be unable to take support vehicles to existing campsites and trailheads. "The Forest Service's own figures indicate that there are some 860 million visits to national forests each year, most for recreational purposes, and that number is expected to keep growing," said Rasor. "Closing off access to millions of acres of public land will just intensify the use on the land that remains, increasing user conflicts and environmental problems." Despite the enormity of this plan, the Forest Service is giving the public only a matter of weeks to react to it before deciding the fate of these lands. The agency says it will hold about 300 meetings nationwide before the end of the comment period on July 17. The AMA has already filed a request for an extension of that deadline to allow recreation groups the time needed to study the impact of the plan. "We are just seeing the maps of the affected areas for the first time," noted Rasor. "There's no way anyone can get a comprehensive idea of the existing conditions on these widespread areas in less than two months. We hope that the Forest Service will recognize that and grant an extension to September 15. In the meantime, the AMA urges concerned motorcyclists to attend meetings and file comments with the agency. Click here for a complete list of meetings. Written comments can be sent to: USDA Forest Service - CAET, Attn: Roadless P.O. Box 221090 Salt Lake City, UT 84122 Or you can e-mail comments to roadlessdeis@fs.fed.us, or comment by fax to (877) 703-2494. "It's vital that we let officials in Washington know the severe impact this proposal would have on recreation in our national forests," said Rasor. "Since the president announced his roadless plan last October, the Forest Service has been like a ship headed into dangerous waters. By eliminating the outright ban on motorized recreation, we've deflected its course a few degrees. But we need to turn it completely around." | GO TO TOP |