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Go back to the news releases index December 9, 1999 Preservationists target off-highway vehicles PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Preservationists have launched a new attack on the motorcyclists and other users of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on U.S. Forest Service land -- a move that could ultimately shut down motorized trails nationwide, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports. A coalition of more than 90 preservation groups, led by The Wilderness Society and the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads, announced Dec. 7 it would file a formal rule-making petition with the U.S. Forest Service to put strict controls on motorized vehicles in forest land. The petition would trigger a formal process that requires the Forest Service to respond. "This petition is full of land mines for the Forest Service and for OHV users of forest land," said Robert Rasor, AMA executive vice president and head of the Government Relations Department. "It would require the Forest Service and OHV users to jump through so many hoops that few, if any, motorized trails would exist." The petition is the latest in a series of assaults on off-highway motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and other OHV use of public land. On October 13, President Clinton launched a land-closure initiative that could ban OHVs from almost 80 million acres of forest land nationwide. Two weeks later, radical preservationists in Utah filed a federal lawsuit seeking to shut down 10 million acres of land controlled by the federal Bureau of Land Management. "This latest action is part of an orchestrated effort by radical preservationists to bypass Congress and fast-track their agenda related to public land," Rasor said. "They prefer lawsuits and federal rule-making over public discussion, debate and decision-making in Congress to accomplish their goals." This new petition calls on the Forest Service to: Allow motorized vehicles on federal, state and county roads and on other routes only after environmental impact studies are done and a posting made that OHVs are allowed. Allow OHV use to continue, or begin, only after the Forest Service proves that the use won't "harm the ecological integrity of the national forests or the enjoyment of the forests by other recreationists." To do this, the petition calls for all current OHV use on forest roads and trails to be re-evaluated within three years. If the reassessment isn't completed within three years, the OHV use would be prohibited until the reassessment is finished. Ban the use of motorized vehicles on forest land unless there is enough money, and a plan in place, to monitor the use. Also, no new motorized routes would be created until all existing routes have undergone environmental impact studies and monitoring plans have been approved. Conduct environmental assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act when designating travel routes for motorized vehicles, building or upgrading OHV routes and facilities, or when issuing special-use permits, among other things. Ban the use of motorized vehicles on forest land that is being considered for a "wilderness" designation, or that has wilderness qualities, such as "roadless" land. "Wilderness" is a federal land designation that bars most activities, including commercial activities, OHV use and mountain bikes. "Roadless" is another federal land designation. But motorized trails are allowed on "roadless" land. In fact, most of the forest trails used by off-highway motorcyclists and ATV riders are in these areas. "Among other things, this petition is yet another attempt to bypass the Federal Wilderness Act and impose a `wilderness' designation on forest land without going through Congress," Rasor said. "The congressional process allows for open debate and a congressional vote on which lands deserve a `wilderness' designation." | GO TO TOP |