June 2, 2005 — In April, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) co-hosted a National Off-Highway Vehicle Collaboration Summit in San Diego, California. The Summit was designed to assess past experiences with collaborative decision-making concerning off-road vehicle management and evaluate best practices in this area. Summit organizers invited a range of groups, including the Coalition, to offer their perspectives about collaboration and the role it can play in improving off-road vehicle management across public lands.

“This is not an easy issue to tackle, but if we wait a day, a week, or even a year, the impact on the land and the issues surrounding the problem will become even harder to deal with. We need to address the issue now.”
Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth

Uncontrolled use of dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road vehicles presents one of the greatest threats to the long-term health of America’s National Forests. The U.S. Forest Service, which is entrusted with safeguarding these magnificent natural treasures for all Americans, has finally acknowledged the enormity of the problem. And Chief Bosworth has made clear that an urgent response is necessary.

This page includes information about the Forest Service’s effort to revise the rules that apply to off-road vehicle use across National Forests.

Coalition Offers Perspective on Collaboration

In August 2005, the Forest Service released a final set of case studies concerning collaboration. The cases were compiled for the Summit described below. In addition to the studies, the final report includes key lessons learned from collabortive efforts and perspectives from interests across the spectrum concerning the applicabilty of collaboration in the context of off-road vehicle management. The Coalition was invited to provide one such perspective. Read final report.

In April 2005, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) co-hosted a National Off-Highway Vehicle Collaboration Summit in San Diego, California. The Summit was designed to assess past experiences with collaborative decision-making concerning off-road vehicle management and evaluate best practices in this area. Summit organizers invited a range of groups, including the Coalition, to offer their perspectives about collaboration and the role it can play in improving off-road vehicle management across public lands. Read Coalition letter.

Forest Service Could Issue Final Rule This Fall

Following the close of the publc comment period on the proposed rule in September 2004, the Forest Service has been reviewing comments and determining issues to address in any final rule. The agency has stated that its goal is to issue a final rule by the end of 2005. With new national rules in place, work will shifted decidely to forests across the country where critical decisions will be made about the specific roads and routes to designate as open for dirt bikes, ATVs and four-wheel drive trucks.

Forest Service Urged to Strengthen Off-road Rules or Risk Failure — Public Has Less than Two Weeks to Comment on Draft Rules

September 1, 2004 — With less than two weeks for the public to comment on draft USDA Forest Service rules governing all-terrain vehicle (ATV), dirt bike and other off-road vehicle use on America’s National Forests, the former Deputy Chief of the Forest Service and leaders in the recreation and conservation communities today challenged the agency to significantly strengthen those rules or risk failure. The challenge was issued at a National Press Club Newsmaker News Conference. Read Press Release. Statement of James Furnish. Statement of Mary Margaret Sloan.
Statement of Scott Kovarovics.

Draft Off-road Vehicle Rules Ineffective - Your Comments Needed to Strengthen Them and Address Growing Threat to America’s National Forests

The Forest Service has proposed new rules concerning use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles on America’s National Forests. Although they represent a step forward, they fall far short of what is needed to address one of the greatest threats to National Forests. Please urge the Forest Service to strengthen the draft rules by sending a comment today. Send electronic comment now. Download sample comment letter. Learn more about problem and proposed rule.

Editorials Nationwide Agree - Off-road Rules Must be Strengthened

While acknowledging the positive aspects of generally prohibiting cross-country motorized recreation and authorizing ATV and dirt bike use only on roads and routes designated as open, editorials from across the country highlight how the Forest Service proposed rules must be strengthened:

• The Denver Post describes the proposal as “an important first step,” then continues: “But the proposal must be accelerated and strengthened. The Forest Service left the process open-ended, so it could be years before individual forest units actually designate motorized routes. Meanwhile, ORVs could continue damaging the landscape.” Read editorial
  
• The Raleigh News and Observer states: “It is a good first step, but as conservationists have pointed out, it will be a toothless regulation without money to enforce it. Conservationists are also on solid ground when they call for immediately banning dirt bikes and ATVs from the web of ‘outlaw’ trails that have already been gouged through some forests.” Read editorial
• The Seattle Times explains: “Designating trails and routes where dirt bikes and three- and four-wheelers can play is welcome public policy. Success depends on a commitment to draft the rules in a timely fashion and spend money to put them in place and enforce them. None of these imperatives was evident in the Forest Service’s announcement last week.” Read editorial
• The Minneapolis Star Tribune states that Chief Bosworth “deserves considerable praise” for tackling this problem, but questions whether or not the draft rule will be effective, especially without a clear timeframe for action. “It would be better to move swiftly against nearly all cross-country riding - which, unfortunately, could be allowed to continue in many units that still permit it, . . . and to set a firm date for confining machines to designated routes.” The editorial also criticizes the Forest Service for pursuing “this program on the cheap. . . Surely the chief should try persuading the Congress that additional appropriations are in order.” Read editorial
• The Register-Guard of Oregon writes: “While the government needs to do more to protect national forests from the snarling, gouging threat posed by off-road vehicles. Forest Service Chief Sale Bosworth’s new initiative is a welcome, albeit long-overdue, starting point.” It enumerates how the proposal must be improved: “The first involves timing. The current proposal sets no firm deadline, leaving open the possibility that individual forests could take years before formally identifying motorized routes . . . Another concern deals with the level of local control . . . That’s appropriate - to a point. There should be some clear federal checks and balances, to ensure that there is some consistency and that the interests that all American’s have in their national forests are protected.” Read editorial
• The Boulder Daily Camera of Colorado acknowledges that: “[T]he proposed rules are a good start, but they don’t go far enough.” It continues: “[B]ut the proposal is much too timid about timelines and other crucial issues. Any new rules would not be enforced until roads and routes where ORV use would be allowed are identified, yet there is no deadline for making that determination. In other words, ORV users could continue to carve up sensitive forest lands for years to come. We agree with hundreds of recreational, environmental and sportsmen’s groups that the public should be given input on which roads are designated for ORV use, and that route designations should be made within two years, so that the process doesn’t stretch into perpetuity. And the Forest Service should issue an immediate ban on all use of “renegade” routes and ORV use in wilderness-quality lands.” And the paper sums up by addressing one more critical issue: “these rules need work, and they won’t be worth a handful of pine needles unless they are backed up with increased funding for enforcement.” Read editorial

Draft Off-road Vehicle Rule Well-Intentioned, But Largely Ineffective — Proposal Must be Significantly Strengthened to Address Growing Threat

Conservation, recreation, hunting and other groups across the country called proposed rules issued on July by the USDA Forest Service for off-road vehicle use on America’s National Forests well-intentioned, but largely ineffective. While the proposal is a small step forward, it needs significant strengthening.Read press release. View proposed rule (Published in Federal Register July 15, 2004)

Hiking, Other Recreation Groups Join Effort to Improve Off-road Vehicle Rules

On April 27, more than 60 hiking, skiing and other quiet recreation groups from 26 states wrote to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth urging the Service to propose strong rules concerning use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles on America’s National Forests. Groups signing the letter include the American Hiking Society, Appalachian Mountain Club, Colorado Mountain Club and Backcountry Skiers Alliance.

Mary Margaret Sloan, President of the American Hiking Society, summed up the issue for tens of millions of Americans: “As human-powered recreationists, we want to make sure that our National Forests stay healthy, protected and wild. If the Forest Service is serious about tackling this huge problem, they will not only have to craft rigorous rules but will have to make a serious and long-term commitment to implementing the rules.”

View letter

Nearly 300 Conservation and Recreation Groups Call for Strong Off-road Vehicle Rules

Two hundred ninety (290) conservation, recreation, religious and other groups from 39 states wrote to U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth on April 14 pressing the agency to propose strong new rules to better protect National Forests from the negative impacts caused by dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road vehicles. The Forest Service could propose new rules for off-road vehicle use as soon as the end of this month.

“The Forest Service has an opportunity to address one of the greatest threats to America’s National Forests,” said Scott Kovarovics, Director of the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition. “The message from nearly 300 groups representing millions of Americans is clear - seize this opportunity and advance real reform that will protect these national treasures for everyone.”

View press release

View complete letter and list of groups

Scientists Call for Science-based Off-road Vehicle Rules

In a letter sent March 31, 75 biologists, geologists, ecologists and other scientists representing more than 25 universities from across the country urged Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth to ensure that new rules for off-road vehicle (ORV) use are based on sound science and focus first and foremost on protecting natural resources. Read letter

Chief Bosworth Identifies Unmanaged Off-road Vehicle Use as One of the Greatest Threats to National Forests

In a speech on Earth Day 2003, Chief Bosworth identified unmanaged off-road vehicle use as one of the four greatest threats to National Forests. The other threats include fire, spread of invasive species and loss of open space/critical wildlife habitat. He described a litany of adverse impacts caused by dirt bikes and ATVs, including soil erosion, habitat destruction, damage to cultural and sacred sites, and conflicts with millions of other visitors, and highlighted the explosion in unplanned — or renegade — ATV and dirt bike routes throughout America’s National Forests. Read speech