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Go back to the news releases index December 6, 1999 Trail ban keeps growing as deadline approaches PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is asking off-highway motorcyclists to take immediate action in the face of a rapidly expanding threat to motorized recreation nationwide. The threat comes in the form of an order from President Bill Clinton directing the U.S. Forest Service to ban a number of activities on so-called "roadless" lands in the national forest system. When Clinton first announced the plan in October, he indicated his order might affect about 40 million acres of previously identified roadless lands. He said that he also would have the agency consider new rules covering smaller, uninventoried roadless parcels. The Forest Service established a public-comment period on the proposal ending December 20. But with that deadline approaching, the details of the president's plan are continuing to change dramatically. In documents released December 1, less than three weeks before the end of the comment period, a revised tabulation showed that more than 62 million acres of land would be affected by the proposal. Adding in the uninventoried parcels could bring that total close to 80 million acres, rather than the 40 million originally announced. That's an area of land roughly equal to the combined size of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Although designated roadless, that land contains the vast majority of motorized recreation opportunities in the national forests, particularly in Western states. For purposes of this designation, any route less than 50 inches wide and "travelways resulting from off-road vehicle use," are not considered roads. This includes nearly all of the trails used by off-highway motorcyclists and ATV riders. The latest tabulation shows that more than 9 million acres would be affected in Idaho, nearly 7 million in California, about 6 million in Montana, 5 million in Colorado, 4 million in Utah and Nevada, more than 3 million in Wyoming, 2 million in Washington and Oregon, and over a million in New Mexico. Smaller amounts in 29 other states account for the rest (see chart below). Those totals make it clear that this proposal would have sweeping effects on off-highway motorcycling and ATV riding nationwide. With the numbers constantly changing, though, it's impossible to assess the scope of that impact. "It's incredibly frustrating to have the end of the public comment period approaching and not even know the total amount of land affected, much less where that land is located and what it's currently being used for," said Robert Rasor, executive vice president of the AMA. "There is literally no way for anyone to gauge the impact of this plan on motorized recreation if we can't even nail down these basic details." The AMA has other concerns about the plan as well. Although statements from the Forest Service had indicated that off-highway vehicle use would be considered in the second phase of the planning process, the agency's own Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement lists four possible alternatives for the first phase of the proposal, three of which would likely result in the elimination of all motorized recreation, either immediately or over several years. "If we wait till phase two of the plan to raise our objections as the Forest Service suggests," said Rasor, "the important decisions already will be made." In addition, documents released by the Forest Service indicate that the goal of the Clinton proposal is to create a new category of restricted lands within the national forest system. According to Forest Service documents, the plan "provides for identification of and management for unroaded values other than through Wilderness designation." The AMA opposes that proposal, since it would bypass the federal Wilderness Act, passed in 1964. That bill has resulted in the designation of 100 million acres of Wilderness across the country in the decades since, through a process that allows for open debate and a Congressional vote on which public lands are worthy of that designation. As outlined in documents from the Forest Service, the Clinton proposal would impose Wilderness-like restrictions, probably including a ban on motorized recreation, on 80 million acres without a single elected official ever voting on it. "This is Wilderness Lite," Rasor said. "It's all the restrictions of Wilderness without the legislative debate. "We're certain," he added, "that some of this land does qualify as Wilderness. But we're equally certain that some of it does not. In fact, large portions of these roadless areas have been considered for Wilderness designation in the past and specifically rejected. In other areas, the Wilderness debate continues, with all sides getting a chance to express their concerns. "Wilderness bills are always difficult pieces of legislation, requiring an intimate knowledge of the characteristics of the land involved and its history of uses," Rasor concluded. "Imposing one set of rules to govern this massive amount of land ignores all of that. We don't think that constitutes responsible management or equitable allocation of our public lands." The AMA has filed an official request with the Forest Service to extend the public comment period on the Roadless Initiative for 90 days beyond the December 20 deadline. However, it's important that anyone interested in motorized recreation be on record expressing concern about the direction of the Clinton proposal. Off-highway enthusiasts are asked to immediately e-mail their concerns about this proposal to: maito:roadless/wo_caet-slc@fs.fed.us or send comments by fax to (801) 517-1021. Ask Forest Service officials to lengthen the public comment period by 90 days to allow interested parties an opportunity to respond to the Clinton plan. And ask them to ensure that the legitimate interests of the millions of Americans who enjoy motorized recreation are considered in setting policies governing our public lands. Effects of the Clinton Forest Plan The following chart shows the number of acres of national forest land that would be affected by President Clinton's plan to shut down roadless areas in each state. States not listed do not include any national forest land. Alabama - 83,000 Alaska - 14,827,000 Arizona - 699,000 Arkansas - 153,000 California - 6,681,000 Colorado - 5,167,000 Florida - 130,000 Georgia - 267,000 Idaho - 9,263,000 Illinois - 38,000 Indiana - 17,000 Kansas - 0 Kentucky - 17,000 Louisiana - 18,000 Maine - 16,000 Michigan - 89,000 Minnesota - 76,000 Mississippi - 8,000 Missouri - 75,000 Montana - 5,899,000 Nebraska - 116,000 Nevada - 3,905,000 New Hampshire - 292,000 New Mexico - 1,229,000 New York - 0 North Carolina - 356,000 North Dakota - 265,000 Oklahoma - 13,000 Ohio - 0 Oregon - 1,977,000 Pennsylvania - 38,000 Puerto Rico - 24,000 South Carolina - 25,000 South Dakota - 130,000 Tennessee - 219,000 Texas - 69,000 Utah - 4,132,000 Vermont - 56,000 Virginia - 485,000 Washington - 2,011,000 West Virginia - 248,000 Wisconsin - 109,000 Wyoming - 3,411,000 Total: 62,632,000 | GO TO TOP |