RANGERS CALL OFF-ROAD VEHICLES BIGGEST THREAT TO PUBLIC LANDS

[nosmokes]

Seems like we might wish to listen to the professionals who have decided to dedicate their lives to protecting the lands we all cherish. I know that idea is uberverboten in this administration, but still, it is a thought...
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original-peer

For Immediate Release: June 28, 2007
Contact: Carol Goldberg [phone]

RANGERS CALL OFF-ROAD VEHICLES BIGGEST THREAT TO PUBLIC LANDS —

“Rangers for Responsible Recreation” Launched to Combat “Wreck-reation”

Tucson, AZ — Reckless off-roading has become an acute law enforcement problem and is now the single greatest threat to American landscapes, according to a new coalition of rangers and public land managers assembled by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Rangers say tough new policies, such as suspending hunting and fishing licenses and, in extreme cases, confiscating vehicles, are needed to stem irresponsible off-road vehicle use.

The coalition, called Rangers for Responsible Recreation, consists of more than a dozen of America’s most seasoned law enforcement and natural resource management specialists from every major public lands agency covering several different administrations. The coalition contends off-road abuse is creating chaos on our public lands and ruining the outdoors for everyone while overburdening an already strapped ranger force. As Don Hoffman, a retired Forest Service wilderness ranger in Arizona states:

“Rapid population growth, accelerating off-road vehicle sales and ineffectual regulation have combined to make the indiscriminate use of off-road vehicles the greatest threat to Arizona's quiet, wild places.”

Ron Kearns, a retired biologist and law enforcement officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, adds:

“I have observed a dramatic increase in the use and misuse of off-road vehicles on the Kofa since I began my law enforcement duties there in 1982. The abuse involves driving off the 300 miles of designated roads on Kofa resulting in irreparable damage to desert pavement and pristine lands. The Fish and Wildlife Service must increase law enforcement efforts.”

From a national perspective, Jim Baca, former Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management now serving as New Mexico's Natural Resource Trustee, contends:

“There is no greater threat to our country's public land treasure than off-road vehicles. Additionally, they are killing and injuring too many young people because of improper training, operation and inherent safety deficiencies.”

The Rangers for Responsible Recreation are also urging a congressional inquiry that accounts for the real costs to taxpayers from off-road abuses on our public lands, as well as augmented law enforcement funding dedicated to coping with the avalanche of problems occasioned by reckless off-roading.

“Off-roading is becoming the most widely destructive, problematic and demanding use of public lands,” states Southwest PEER Director Daniel Patterson, an ecologist who formerly worked with the Bureau of Land Management, noting that off-road abuse has morphed motorized access into a destructive “wreck-reation.” “America needs a new national approach to what has become a plague on our legacy of conservation. No one has a right to abuse our public lands.”

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complete release including links to related sources here

[pinto]

1. Agree, and that's a great meme: 'wreck-reation'.

[H2O Man]

2. Yep.

I agree, 100%.

[wryter2000]

3. On of the first images of Idiot's presidency

Was ATV roaring through the snow in Yellowstone. It had been forbidden, but days after taking office, he allowed it.

[Greyskye]

4. Damn activist rangers.

:sarcasm:

[glitch]

5. K & R nt

[Robbien]

6. This is a no brainer

Just as is logging and animal grazing and mineral drilling on public lands.

Goes to show what counts as public use these days.

[Greyskye]

8. don't you know?

"public use" = "free to destroy"

:eyes:

[nam78_two]

7. K&R.nt

[Ron Green]

9. Hey, are these rangers advocating some kind of Nanny State???

:sarcasm:

[Swamp Rat]

10. “Wreck-reation” - Excellent!

k&r

I HATE the use of off-road vehicles in national parks! :grr:

[Gregorian]

11. Actually, logging is the biggest threat. But I will agree with the post.

As an avid mountain biker, I can say that I have witnessed trails that would have remained in perpetuity, when used by bikers, to disintegrate over night when used by quadrunners, dirtbikes, offroad trucks.

But by far, logging is the most destructive. I can even recite new information I learned this week that has opened my eyes to yet even more ramifications of logging damage.

Let's not demonize bicyclists though. I hope people will make the distinction between mechanized and motorized.

But yes, I've spent a hell of a lot of time watching this problem first hand. But logging is a magnitude worse. They clearcut 160 acre units at a time in Oregon. Then they scrape it down with a blade and burn it. It does not get worse than that.

[argyl]

12. ORVs are a blight wherever they congregate. Southern Utah has been

particularly hard hit.These morons come in caravans and do great damage to land that can barely sustain grazing by sheep and goats.

Scarce water resources are fouled by oil and transmission fluid.The delicate sandstone formations are scarred by these assholes driving powerful vehicles capable of driving up the buttes and into the canyons.

If there are areas designated specifically for ORV use they still go wherever they damn well please and they have the gall to insist on new areas to despoil when the areas they've torn up are no longer pretty enough or "fun"enough for their bullshit.

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance has been fighting them vigorously, them as well as the mineral and logging industries.The link below has some photos of the damage these vehicles do.




http://www.suwa.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=5821&view=UserAlbum

[file83]

13. Thanks for the links.

I can't believe some of the areas people decide to ride on and destroy. There are some areas that have trails/roads, and that's fine, as long as they stay on them. But some of those beautiful areas of soft soil or slick rock should be left alone.

The mentality of assholes that ride in those areas just because there is no ranger or law enforcement officer around is plain chicken shit.