Another Interesting Article

Thanks for this, @scatman . When I worked on the Lolo and Bitterroot Forests, talk of this would come up occasionally. The higher-ups were not impressed. Glad to read that as they retired, the conversation grew louder.
 
Except when they close them, they need to CLOSE them. If not done right and no enforcement the ATVers reopen them.....
 
I've been part of a few projects to close access to ATVs. In general, the goal is the identify to access points, then fill in all access options with fencing, brush, downed trees, etc. And you would think that would work--but it requires another project a few years later, as the ATVers work around and through the obstacles. Sigh.
 
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Ahh here we are again. The Land of Many Uses versus the Land of Only Uses We Personally Enjoy.

If it isn’t a wilderness area why shouldn’t ATV’ers be allowed to recreate there the same as others?

Even setting aside the emotionally charged prose, it’s hard to accept arguments like those made in the article re: the magnitude of service road impacts on wildlife and fisheries.

One wildfire has a larger and longer lasting impact on both than any cut path through the trees or silt run off from a dirt road ever has. Wildlife adapt and they certainly adapt to a road that has existed across tens or hundreds of generations of their species. Silt runoff from post-fire erosion kills fisheries period, or cripples them for decades.

This is the wrong battle to put resources in to, and one being championed by many of the same folks aggressively fighting AGAINST the sort of forest management practices that would go a long way towards preventing the ferocity of and/or reducing the impact of forest fires.
 
No not limiting ATVs access .... Problem is and snowmobilers as well... A lot of them think everything is fair game for them to drive on., no bounds. It's usually the 2%. I don't have anything against them.
 
Thanks Scatman! Now have seen this in the Bridger Teton in NW Wyoming, fine with myself. But there are always objections. But with some ATVs and Snowmobilers is how often do they try to access some wilderness area where it is indeed against the law. When one looks on a map there are 4 wheel drive roads and dirt roads everywhere on the public lands. And when just a few are closed such an uproar happens. In this modern era how many people have become so intertwined with our machines for our recreation. How nice it must of been, in my opinion, during the days of the mountain men when it all was just so wild and nice.
 
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