Ride, Valley, Ride

Off-road vehicle use has surged in Western wilderness areas

Posted at 11:42 AM on 31 Dec 2007

Motorized outdoor enthusiasts are converging in increasing numbers on Western public lands -- not only in areas marked for such outdoor enthusiasm, but in wilderness areas where rules against off-roading are nearly impossible to enforce. Registration of all-terrain vehicles and motorbikes in four Western states tripled from 1998 to 2006. The surge is traceable to the booming outdoor-recreation industry, as well as the culture of sprawl: In some places, houses have been pushed out so far that federally owned land is just a big backyard -- albeit a public backyard where no individual has to take the specific blame for vehicle-aggravated erosion and water pollution. Off-roaders deny criticism that they're out to defile untouched nature, arguing that public land is there for public use. "[Groups lobbying for wilderness designations] think it has to be kept in this pristine state," says one motorcycle-shop owner. "These people don't even use it." Which is, of course, the point.

source: The New York Times

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Comments: (5 comments)

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Motorized Recreation

Motorized recreationists are some of the lowest forms of life on the planet, so it's no surprise that they think nothing of destroying land for their selfish pleasure. These people have no understanding of nature, nor do they care about it. Additionally, Americans' obsession with technology is at an all time high, which explains why motorized recreation is increasing. Even sailors, who used to pride themselves on using the wind instead of oil, now motor as often as they actually sail.

What's needed is complete abolition of motorized recreation in any form. This is a totally illegitimate activity and industry.

by Wolverine at 12:52 PM on 31 Dec 2007

Re: to Wolverine

Unless I missed that this was a sarcastic and humorous statement (I might have), your comment is making a derogatory stereotype about motorized recreation that isn't helpful. How is it an illegitimate activity and industry? What laws does it break? Rampant vehicle use can dig up the land and cause noise pollution problems, which is why there should be designated areas for it and designated areas where it is not allowed. But not all public lands are intended to be pristine wildernesses...many are intended for varied use, from hiking to logging to hunting to motorized use for all citizens to enjoy in their own way, even if they are the "lowest forms of life on the planet," as your open-minded and enlightened comment states.

by egrande25 at 10:25 AM on 01 Jan 2008

ATV riders

are openly contemptuous of anyone other than ATV riders. Their sub culture is semi-criminal at times. They laugh at regulations to stay on designated trails. Some signs you will see that remind them of regulations are filled with bullet holes. There is a ton of anecdotal accounts of ATV riders bullying and even assaulting other recreational users.

They have a philosophy that they can do anything they want in the name of freedom and the hell with everyone else. They are the apogee of American individualism gone berserk. The roots of the problem began with the dogma of multiple use, which I call mutliple abuse. The fact is that ATV use is not compatible with the recreation rights of other visitors to public land. But they are well funded and organized and have become the 800 lb gorillas of ourdoor rec. Just go to a forest service planning meeting where they have turned out. It is sobering.

Randy Cunningham

Randy Cunningham

by randino at 2:14 PM on 01 Jan 2008

ATV use

Labeling all ATV riders semi-criminal scofflaws who have no thought for the environment will not solve the problem, and makes one sound thoughtless and pretentious.

Wilderness land should clearly be off limits to any vehicle. As for less-than-wilderness designations, it's more of a gray area. Multiple-use in my opinion is imperfect, but a valid way of offering the people supporting that land and its management financially (taxpayers) many opportunities to utilize it if they so choose. Of course this use can be abused...over-grazing of National Grasslands by private ranch herds comes to mind...so limits are necessary. However, an outright ban on ATV use on all public lands is simply not a fair limit. In my opinion enforced ATV use trails away from sensitive ecological areas, and planned to reduce noise pollution and erosion, are the way to go. Enforcement of this would be an initial hurdle, but some heavy fines would spread the message pretty quickly.

by egrande25 at 10:40 PM on 01 Jan 2008

Why Motorized Recreation Is Illegitimate

To Egrande25:
An activity does not have to be illegal to be environmentally illegitimate. This is an ENVIRONMENTAL website, remember? Destroying the land, making noise, and consuming and burning oil for pleasure are not legitimate activities, and neither is selling machines for doing so.

Humans have already destroyed most of the planet. To say about the tiny fraction left in an at least somewhat natural condition that "not all public lands are intended to be pristine wildernesses" and that some should continued to be destroyed by logging or motorized recreation is entirely repugnant to environmental concerns, as well as very selfish. What the planet needs is far more wilderness, not more land destroyed by a bunch of mindless, aggressive jerks (Randy's comments above are totally correct).

by Wolverine at 11:42 AM on 02 Jan 2008

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