National Forest

[Birdman]

Federal Agencies
> Forest Service Proposes New Policy on Off-Highway Vehicle Use
>
> The Forest Service announced this week their new proposal for managing
motorized off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in the 155 national forests and 21
grasslands nationwide. The Forest Service's proposal comes in response to
the rapidly growing number of OHV users, which has ballooned from five
million in 1972 to 36 million in 2000. Currently the Forest Service has no
clear, consistent policy regarding motor vehicle use on national forests and
grasslands.
>
>
> "The benefits of improving OHV use include enhanced protection of habitat
and aquatic, soil, air and cultural resources,"said Forest Service Chief
Dale Bosworth. "The Forest Service wants to improve its management by
balancing the public's enjoyment of using OHVs with ensuring the best
possible care of the land."
>
>
> The proposed rule would create a nationwide policy of travel management
that requires each forest and grassland to designate a system of roads,
trails and areas marked for OHV usage. Once in place these designated roads
would be the only areas OHV could travel, thus prohibiting OHV use off
marked routes. The proposed rule could have significant implications to fish
and wildlife management on Forest Service lands, along with direct affects
on forest accessibility to the public.
>
> To learn more about the USDA Forest Service proposal on the management of
off-highway vehicle use visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/OHVPolicy

[Birdman]

United Bowhunters of Kentucky:

In recent months the US Forest Service has been working on proposed rules to improve the management of dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road vehicles (ORVs) on our National Forests and Grasslands. The agency has acknowledged that the off-road vehicle problem has grown so serious that it must develop new management policies. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth has said that unmanaged recreation, in particular off-road vehicle use, is one of the four great threats to our National Forests.

On July 7 the draft rules change was released by the Forest Service and it can be reviewed at http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/index.shtml The proposal will be published in the Federal Register on approximately July 13 which will mark the beginning of a 60-day public comment period.

The Forest Service is actively encouraging public input, and that input will help to shape the final rules and the new direction for ORV management on more than 190 million acres of public land. It is immensely important that we in the hunting community actively participate in this process if we are to have common sense, effective management of ORVs as it relates to hunting on Forest Service land.

As the Hunter Outreach Coordinator for the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition and a life-long hunter living in Montana, in 2003 I conducted a survey with leaders of nearly 50 state-level hunting organizations addressing the use of ORVs as it pertains to hunting on public lands. The most often expressed concerns were destruction of habitat, noise, disruption of wildlife, diminished hunting experiences and deterioration of hunting ethics. The NTWC was formed for the purpose of effectively responding to the growing problem of uncontrolled ORV use on our public lands. It does not have the goal of prohibiting ORV use on public lands but seeks a balanced, common sense approach to ORV management.

Thanks go the hunting organizations that made inputs to the Forest Service's ORV Policy Team these past few months which helped shape the proposed FS rules that have just been released. Now, with the public release of those draft rules, we as hunters are going to need to be increasingly involved with this issue in conjunction with the 60-day comment period. That direct involvement is vital if we are to bring about effective ORV managment policy changes necessary to protect the welfare of our wildlife, habitat, and the overall quality of our hunting experiences. The proposed rules, although well-intentioned, are not particularly definitive which places increased emphasis on the very real need for extensive public input.

Written comments can be sent to:

Proposed Rule for Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use
c/o Content Analysis Team
P.O. Box 221150
Salt Lake City, UT 84122-1150

Comments will also be accepted by electronic mail to trvman@fs.fed.us or fax to 801-517-1014.

Please forward this e-mail to your members, affliliate hunting groups, or any other hunting and/or conservation groups that you may deem appropriate. The intent is to widely disseminate the announcement of the public release of the Forest Service's proposed ORV rules and to urge hunting groups and individuals to become directly involved in the public comment phase of the process.


Sincerely,

Stan Rauch

Stan Rauch
Hunter Outreach Coordinator
Natural Trails and Waters Coalition
662 Bear Creek Rd.
Victor, MT 59875
Ph/Fax: (406) 642-6639
E-mail: rauch@bigsky.net