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Officials with the National Forest Service have been busy preparing their proposed plan for a new off-road trail system in the Black Hills. Last fall, Forest Service officials held several meetings asking for the public's input on where trails should... and should not be placed within the Black Hills National Forest. They've received more than two-thousand responses... So now the task at hand is looking at how each proposed trail will affect the communities in the Black Hills area. Black Hills FOX reporter Karla Grueb has more on their progress so far... In this week's News You Choose story... As off-roading continues to be a popular past-time for many tourists and residents in the Black Hills, officials with the Black Hills National Forest say an organized trail system is needed not only to keep these riders safe, but to keep them coming back. Bobzien says, "It's really the quality people are looking at. Again, variety of the experience, some challenge that's in there, very scenic places, things like that. So it's one of opportunity and concerns that people have that we're trying to balance the two together." One of the proposed plans they've received is from the Top 50 Rally Park in Piedmont. The trail would start at the parking lot, run through both private and public land within the city, and eventually connect with the proposed trail system in the Black Hills National Forest. Tyna Bower, the property manager of Top 50, says a trail is needed to keep riders out of unsafe areas. Bower says, "Our concerns are the ditch riding. It is illegal and it's just not safe to have ATV's and off-road vehicles crossing driveways, and crossing the street and being that close to high-speed traffic." Bower says the current trails in that area are confusing to even experienced riders. Bower says, "As of right now, the way the trails are, there's not a lot of guidance for people from out of state, or even locals. So people don't necessarily know the rules, don't know if they're supposed to be on a trail or not. Bowers says she thinks a new trail system will not only give riders some guidance, but help to boost the economy in Piedmont as well. Bower says, "What we're hoping through Top 50 Rally Park and communities like that, that we'll be able to link that trail system and be able to give off-road riders a way to access all those little communities, and spend their money, and increase the economy in this area." And that's exactly what the Black Hills National Forest Service will be doing in the next several months... working with communities to come up with a plan that will be both beneficial...and manageable. Bobzien says, "They're dealing with all the things like public safety, traffic flow and things like that, that take from the private holding on to the public land onto the national forest. So you got to get from there to the forest, and we want work with them to make sure they think this is a good idea as well." Bobzien says he hopes to have the finalized plan for a trail system by next fall. And we would like to thanks Steve Mitchell of Sturgis for sending in that News You Choose story idea. If you have a news story you'd like to see...log on to our website at http://www.blackhillsfox.com/ and click on the News You Choose button. | ||
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- reported by: Karla Grueb KEVN |
Click Here to sign petition supporting the trailhead project in Piedmont
Click here to visit the Nebraska National Forest Travel Management Webpage.
Vanishing Trails
Forest officials ignore off-road riders’ call for trails
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Compiled by Bill Kresnak Dec 2007 AMA magazine
You’ve always been told that if you work within the system, you can get things changed, right?
Well, maybe not.
At least that’s the impression we’re getting when it comes to an ongoing federal plan aimed at restricting off-highway vehicles to designated routes in all national forests and grasslands—a staggering 193 million acres of public land across the country.
Started two years ago, the U.S. Forest Service plan has solicited help from motorcyclists, ATV riders and other forest users to document existing dirt roads and trails on federal land, with the promise that the entire inventory of those routes would be considered in putting together a list of places where OHV use is approved in a final travel management plan.
Unfortunately, while it’s too early to tell how the program will work in all 175 national forests and grasslands, we do know that in four areas where decisions have been made so far, motorized-recreation enthusiasts are feeling as though they’ve been left high and dry.
And what’s particularly troublesome is that those decisions involve areas where motorcyclists actively worked with federal officials to help document those existing routes—not just the ones specifically created by the Forest Service, but the network of trails developed by users over decades.
“Officials are coming up with a lot of excuses for ignoring our requests to put user-created trails on the travel management plan maps—in some cases saying that they just don’t have time to consider them all,” says Royce Wood, AMA legislative affairs specialist. “That excuse is unacceptable.”
The broad U.S. Forest Service travel management policy will take several years to implement in all national forests, with some forests facing early deadlines to complete their plans and others being given a longer time frame. Regardless of the deadline, though, this policy represents a basic change in the recreational opportunities on these lands.
In the past, the rule in many of these forests was that dirt roads and trails were open to motorcyclists and ATV riders unless they were specifically designated closed. Most forests did designate some trails for non-motorized recreation, and others were closed completely. But in most cases, there were still a number of user-created trails available—many of which did not appear on any official Forest Service maps.
So when this travel-management policy was announced, the AMA and other motorized-recreation groups encouraged members to document the existing trails in each forest and share that information with officials, so those routes could be considered as part of the final plan.
The Forest Service appeared to be cooperating with that effort, releasing specific guidelines for trail users who wanted to use handheld GPS units to map these long-standing trails that may not have been known to forest managers. The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council even produced a DVD describing the entire mapping procedure to get riders up to speed on the process.
Across the country, many motorcycle and ATV groups followed those instructions and filed their trails with forest officials. In California, $12 million was even transferred to the Forest Service from the state’s OHV trust fund to perform this trail research.
So how much impact is this effort having on travel management plans? So far, in those forests that have reached the stage where they are releasing their updated trail maps, not much:
§ In the 1.8-million-acre Coconino National Forest in Arizona, officials are proposing designating a paltry 24.5 miles of motorcycle trails.
§ In the 564,000-acre Apalachicola National Forest in Florida, the proposed travel management plan calls for just 55 miles of motorcycle trails and 34 miles of OHV trails.
§ The 1.2-million-acre Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota plans to allow just 79 miles of single-track motorcycle trail. This is a forest that has more than 10,000 miles of roads and trails already in existence. And officials are proposing cutting that back to less than 4,000.
§ Officials in the 1.9-million-acre Inyo National Forest in California have proposed just 16 miles of motorcycle trails and 37 miles of motorcycle/ATV trails. Another 3 miles may be added later.
That doesn’t mean these are the only routes open to motorized vehicles in these forests. For instance, in the Inyo National Forest, officials have included some 900 miles of existing, user-generated motorized routes in the proposed plan. Most of that total represents dirt roads for which a use permit exists now or was issued at some time in the past. But what’s been lost, in every one of these cases, are the user-created motorcycle and ATV trails so painstakingly documented by riders in the past year.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, off-road riders in some of these areas are telling us that the route maps being published by forest officials make it impossible to use even the few remaining miles of trail. They note that, in many cases, the new maps don’t include enough landmarks for a rider to know where the trails are. And if they wander off the designated trails, riders face fines of up to $5,000.
So what does all of this mean?
First, the initial results of this federal plan should raise red flags for anyone who has an interest in the future of motorized recreation.
Second, in spite of the difficulties so far, OHV groups still need to work with forest managers as early—and as often—as possible to help document trails and make their voices heard. So far, the main reason being cited by forest officials for ignoring user-created trails is that they don’t have the time or the manpower to assess them. It’s possible that we may get a better response in forests that didn’t face the earliest deadlines to complete their travel management plans.
Third, consider expressing your concerns to elected officials at the local, state and federal level. They are most likely to see the economic value of motorized recreation in their areas, and their voices in favor of more trails may carry additional weight with forest managers.
And lastly, remember that the creation of a forest travel-management plan isn’t the end of the line. So don’t let your involvement stop there.
“The Forest Service’s travel management rule states that this is merely the beginning of an ongoing process,” says Jerry Abboud, executive director of the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition. “Even if they don’t get them into the plan, riders should demand that environmentally sound, user-created routes be entered into a database to be considered for future travel-management decisions.”
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SPEARFISH - A designated trail system for motorized traffic may be necessary, but how will the U.S. Forest Service enforce it? That was one of the biggest questions residents had during an informational meeting Saturday sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service. As the room filled with people of varying interests in the forest - including ranchers, off highway vehicle riders, hikers and tourism-related business owners - the question of enforcement came up quite often. Landowners who have had problems with OHV, snowmobile, motorcycle and other motorized traffic users damaging and littering their land, as well as other surrounding forest service land, were particularly interested in the forest service's plan for enforcement. "They're going to go where they're not supposed to go, that's just the way it is," said one frustrated landowner as he studied the maps for the U.S. Forest Service's proposed trail system for motorized vehicles. | |
| ©The Black Hills Pioneer, Newspapers, South Dakota, SD 2007 |
News ReleaseUSDA Forest Service Black Hills National Forest |
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Contact: Tom Willems (605) 673-9217, or email us at r2 blackhills webinfo@fs.fed.us |
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PUBLIC INVITED TO ATTEND DISTRICT TRAVEL MANAGMENT WORKSHOPS CUSTER, SD: SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 Forgot to ask why your favorite road isn’t on the proposed travel management map or why there aren’t more areas to ride a motorcycle? Plan to attend one of four scheduled workshops to get your questions answered. District Rangers and their staff will be available to review maps of the proposed action and talk with interested people regarding specific routes. All of the proposed plans and maps are available online at http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/recreation/travel_management/ovh.shtml and written comments and online comments are welcome. The workshops are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the following locations: Hell Canyon Ranger District - Custer, SD Bearlodge Ranger District - Sundance, WY Mystic Ranger District - Rapid City, SD Northern Hills Ranger District - Spearfish, SD Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by Nov. 13, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be released in April 2008, and the final environmental impact statement is expected in September 2008. Feedback during this public scoping period will help refine important travel issues and develop alternatives to the transportation system. For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit our website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills. |
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13 Aug 2007
U.S. Forest Service –News Release
Black Hills National Forest ● Public Affairs Office ● 1019 N. 5th Street
Custer , SD 57730 ● Voice (605) 673-9216 ● Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeni Lawver (605) 716-1989
Forest Service Thanks Volunteers for Beretta Clean-up
Rapid City, SD – Almost every day somebody dumps something illegally in the Black Hills National Forest. It’s a growing problem to see a beautiful view littered by garbage. Forest employees and local volunteers decided to do something about it by organizing a Clean-up Day on Beretta Road on Saturday, July 21st.
Volunteers from the National Wild Turkey Federation, Rapid City Rifle Club, Off Road Riders, Black Hills Jeeps, Black Hills Four Wheelers, Norbeck Society, and local people who use the area joined together to clean the forest floor. Intense heat did not slow the progress of the clean-up day as workers picked up all types of trash.
This area has been used as a shooting and local party site. Over time, trash, appliances, and debris that had been used as targets had been left out in the forest.
The project area was along Beretta Road, Forest System Road (FSR) 650, and north off of Highway 16. A sign has been placed on Beretta Road reminding people to keep the area clean and to pack out what they pack in.
If anyone observes someone dumping anything on the forest, please contact your local District Office or the Supervisors Office in Custer. Please provide a license number, vehicle description, and any other information that could help in the apprehension of the violators.
Click Here for a schedule of events during the Black Hills UTV Rally!
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SDOHVC has moved the Hayward work day from Saturday July 21st and Sunday 22nd to Saturday July 28th and Sunday July 29th due to the extreme temperatures expected this weekend. We will be meeting Saturday July 28th in Rapid City at the 8th Street Safeway parking lot at 8:00am. If need be we will meet at the same time on Sunday to go back and finish. If you would like to help with this project please call Eric Hunt at 605-641-2757 or email him at erichunt@bhsu.edu or ehunt@rushmore.com. We only need 10-15 people for Saturday and possibly 5 or so on Sunday. Please call to let me know if you can make it, so I can keep track of the numbers. Please remember to bring gloves, plenty of water and sun block. Thank You Eric Hunt Email erichunt@bhsu.edu SDOHVC would like to announce that we will be having a workday this coming Saturday July 21 and Sunday Mourning July 22 at Hayward. We will be constructing buck in rail fence and doing some rehab work. We will be meeting Saturday in Rapid City at the 8th Street Safeway parking lot at 8:00am. If need be we will meet at the same time on Sunday to go back and finish. If you would like to help with this project please call Eric Hunt at 605-641-2757 or email him at erichunt@bhsu.edu | ||||||||||
2005 Beretta Road Volunteer Clean-up |
Release Date: July 6, 2007 |
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Description: In 2005, The Black Hills National Forest Mystic Ranger District held a clean-up for the Beretta Road area of the forest. Over a hundred volunteers showed up for the community service project. Volunteers included environmental groups, shooting enthusiast, and off-highway vehicle organizations.
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Author: Gary C. Chancey | |
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Running Time: 1:53 | ||
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Watch Video (Windows Media Player 7) | ||
U.S. Forest Service –News Release
Black Hills National Forest ● Public Affairs Office ● 1019 N. 5th Street
Custer , SD 57730 ● Voice (605) 673-9216 ● Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary C. Chancey (605) 673-9289
STURGIS MAN FOUND GUILTY OF CARELESS OFF-ROAD DRIVING
Spearfish, SD -A Sturgis man identified as 18-year old Jacob J. Michalson was found guilty in federal court in Rapid City, SD on Thursday, May 31, 2007 on charges stemming from an incident that occurred on Saturday, March 17, 2007. Michalson rolled his 1978 Bronco while hill climbing off-road on the Black Hills National Forest near Crook Mountain.
Michalson entered a plea of not guilty to charges of careless and reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle off the forest development road system in a manner which damages or unreasonably disturbs the land.
Michalson was found guilty on both charges and ordered to pay $800 in fines and $300 restitution to the U.S. Forest Service to help restore the damaged area and protect the area from future damage.
Three of the eight passengers aboard the vehicle were injured when they were thrown from the vehicle as it rolled.
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
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Office of Information and Public Affairs |
Washington, DC 20207 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 5, 2007 Release #07-204 |
CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Scott Wolfson, (301) 504-7908 |
CPSC Warns Meerkat 50 Youth ATVs Defective and Dangerous
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The staff of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers who own a Kazuma Meerkat 50 Youth All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) that children are at risk of injury or death due to multiple safety defects with this off-road vehicle. The ATVs, which were imported by Kazuma Pacific Inc., of Stafford, Texas, were found to have several serious defects. CPSC staff has determined that the Meerkat 50 lacks front brakes, has no parking brake, is missing a neutral indicator light, and can be started in gear. Additionally, the owner’s manual does not contain complete information on safe operation and maintenance of the ATV.
CPSC staff recommends that consumers stop using the product immediately because it is unsafe. The staff recommends that consumers demand a refund of the purchase price from the importer or dealer due to the defective condition of the ATV.
The risk with these ATVs is severe because these vehicles are intended for children age 6 to 11. In many cases, youth riders are just learning how to operate an ATV and may not have the experience necessary to help them avoid hazards associated with this product’s defects.
Kazuma Pacific has refused to provide complete incident or injury information for any of their products. Therefore, CPSC has been unable to determine how many children have been injured. Between December 2006 and May 2007, Kazuma Pacific has impeded CPSC’s efforts to protect the safety of children, by refusing to implement a corrective action plan for this ATV.
Kazuma Pacific has sold at least 2,700 Meerkat 50 ATVs and has stated that they are continuing to sell the units that CPSC staff found to be defective. Kazuma dealers and Web retailers nationwide have sold this ATV since 2003 for between $525 and $825.
CPSC staff is requesting that consumers immediately report any incidents involving the Kazuma Meerkat 50 to the CPSC Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or to the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
Black Hills National Forest Travel Planning Update |
Release Date: May 22, 2007 |
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Description: Forest Supervisor Craig Bobzien took some time today to record his thoughts on videotape, and the Black Hills National Forest public affairs staff put together the videocast. We invite you to take a few minutes and listen to Craig's remarks. If you have questions please contact: Tom Willems at twillems@fs.fed.us or (605) 673-9217 Frank Carroll at fcarroll@fs.fed.us or (605) 673-9216 or contact Craig direct at cbobzien@fs.fed.us or (605) 673-9200. |
Author: Gary C. Chancey | |
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Running Time: 8:11 | ||
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Watch Video or Listen to Audio Only (Windows Media Player 7 or 9) | ||
FOREST SERVICE BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST
Link to the official Black Hills National Forest travel management news page here.
21 May 2007
Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50(a) &(b), the following acts are prohibited within the nesting Bald Eagle zone of protection in the Deerfield Developed Recreation Management Area, Black Hills National Forest (“the restricted area”), as depicted on the attached map, hereby incorporated into this Order as Exhibit A.
PROHIBITIONS
1. Going into or being upon the restricted area. 36 CFR 261.53(a).
2. Being on Forest Service Road 461 while possessing or using a motorized vehicle. 36 CFR 261.54(b) & (e).
EXEMPTIONS Pursuant to (36 CFR 261.53(a)), the following are EXEMPT from the order:
(1) Person(s) with a Forest Service permit specifically authorizing this prohibited act.
(2) Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
AREA DESCRIBED
See Exhibit A
PURPOSE
The above prohibition is necessary for the protection of habitat for threatened, endangered, rare, or vanishing species of animals.
IMPLEMENTATION
1. This Order will be in effect when signed and shall remain in effect until September 1st, 2007, or until rescinded, which ever event occurs first.
2. Violations of this prohibition are punishable as a Class B misdemeanor, by a fine of not more than $5000 for an individual or $10,000 for a legal entity other than an individual, or imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both. Title 16 USC, Section 551.
Read the official travel order here.
 MSNBC.com |
New off road trail system put on hold
A long-awaited plan for an off-road trail system in the Black Hills National Forest has been delayed. Officials had hoped to get the plan done this month or next, but they say it will not be ready until Aug.
The delay is due to a huge volume of public comments on 4,000 miles of suggested trails.
A Forest Service official says the new trail system will likely follow existing unimproved roads and trails, partly because the agency will have little money to build new trails and because the Black Hills already have more roads per acre than almost any other national forest.
The Black Hills National Forest is one of the few national forests where motorized off roading is allowed nearly everywhere.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18790648/
Off-road tourism season focus of proposed study
Business owners weigh economic impact of ATV riders
Mike Brandt, Spearfish Newsroom, May 8, 2007
"Papa" Joe Moak rings up another breakfast sale to hungry off-roaders. "They have a good time, they enjoy themselves, but if we had a good system out there like the snowmobile trails it would be busy year-round," said Moak.
Moak's sentiments are echoed by the South Dakota Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition and are the driving force behind a proposed $31,000 economic impact study.
Conducted through the BHSU tourism office, that study would examine spending habits- from lodging to the length of stay-for three thousand riders.
"We can start tracking are we declining in numbers, are we increasing with this trail system, do we need to add more trails, or if it's lodging that's a problem," said Eric Hunt with the coalition.
Off-roaders and business owners say better signage and mapping could lead to more responsible riding and reduce damage like this. "We haven't ran into any problems. But we're pretty mellow, we're not out trying to tear the road ditches up and stuff," said rider Scott Schleck.
Whatever the results, Moak says the potential for growth exists. "We need to do more for the four-wheelers. We got this beautiful trail system 300 miles of easy to follow trails for snowmobilers, we don't have any of that for four-wheelers. I believe that the four-wheel trade, the atv trade is as good in the summer as the snowmobile trade is in the winter," added Moak.
County advised on forest travel rules
By Scott Aust, Journal staff
RAPID CITY - The supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest told the Pennington County Commission on Tuesday that rules are being prepared to limit where motorized vehicles can travel in the forest.
Forest supervisor Craig Bobzien said travel planning is a big issue for all national forests and grasslands across the country since a ruling last year by the chief of the U.S. Forest Service to implement stricter regulations on motorized vehicles.
Currently, the Forest Service allows open cross-country travel. But after new rules are instituted, likely in 2009, motorized vehicles will be limited to a designated system of routes and trails, Bobzien said.
"I believe this is the single most major planning and major effect we'll probably have on forest users of anything we're doing right now," he said. "This is a very large change."
Bobzien said the push for new regulations was triggered primarily by the rapid increase in the number of motorized all-terrain vehicles driving through the forest.
"It's kind of what we call it 'love it to death' kind of thing," he said.
Individually, an ATV probably doesn't make much of a mark in the forest landscape, Bobzien said. But repeated travel by many vehicles leaving marks on the land has become a bigger issue.
In addition to physical damage, concern about spreading noxious weeds and impacting cultural or historical areas also has played a role, he said, not just in the Black Hills but throughout the country.
The county has already taken some steps this year to restrict motorized vehicles from operating in ditches along Nemo Road due to complaints about ATVs tearing up the land.
Bobzien said he wasn't asking the county to take any action now; he only wanted to inform the county about the coming change so the county can provide input about how the rules will mesh with the county's transportation system.
A forest advisory board began meeting in 2005 and has provided 11 recommendations to Bobzien. Those recommendations will be developed into a proposed action plan that will come out in the summer and public input will help design the initial proposal.
A final decision is anticipated in December 2008 but will cover only national forest lands, and considering that there are more than 300,000 acres forest-wide intermingled with private lands, it is important to keep counties in the Black Hills informed about the issue, Bobzien said.
"It's very clear to me and our advisory board about the important role you have as commissioners ... to try to shape the very best motorized travel plan we can for the Black Hills," he said.
The commission thanked Bobzien for the information and took no other action.
Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com
Link to the official travel management news page here.
This Order shall be in effect until rescinded, or until December 31, 2008, whichever event comes first. The purpose of this Order is to prevent post-burn resource damage associated with off-road motorized travel. 
The Red Point Fire was ignited by lightning on July 21, 2003. The fire lies south of Elk Mountain approximately 14 miles SE of Newcastle, Wyoming, with the small town of Dewey near the southern perimeter. High temperatures, low relative humidity and strong winds created conditions resulting in intense fire behavior with long-range spotting. The fire burned actively for six days. Before it was contained on July 30, the fire had consumed 17,950 acres. Of the 17,950 acres burned, 11,009 acres are on National Forest System lands. The Red Point Fire affects Management Areas 3.31 – Backcountry Motorized Recreation Emphasis (6,678 acres), 5.1 – Resource Production Emphasis (160 acres), and 5.1a – Southern Hills Forest and Grassland Areas (3,928 acres).
The vast majority of the closure area lies within MA 3.31 which restricts motorized travel to Forest Development Roads and designated trails (Guideline 3.31-9102).
The purpose of the order is to restrict motorized travel to marked, National Forest System Roads (i.e., only those roads marked with a number on a carsonite post) in order to meet Guideline 3.31-9102. Additionally, the restriction is recommended to prevent post burn resource damage associated with off-road motorized travel. The area is also unsafe in regards to falling trees and snags, even some of the designated routes are littered with down trees and difficult to maneuver through. Bottom Line: This closure order is needed to prevent resource damage to a sensitive burn area as well as public safety.
The closure order will restrict motorized travel to marked, Forest System roads in the area defined on the map entitled Red Point Travel Management Area. The Order applies to all persons except those identified as being exempt. This is an interim order that will be assessed annually with a termination date of December 31, 2008.
The general public will be informed through travel management signs that are currently located on the routes that access the area. These signs describe that motorized travel is restricted to designated routes only. The area will be patrolled by Law Enforcement Officers and Forest Officers as budgets and other priorities allow.
Since the fire, it is even more important to address the issue of off-road travel in this burn area. Erosion, spread of noxious weeds and wildlife disturbance are all concerns in this area because of lack of ground cover and mixture of high to moderate burn intensities. Falling trees and limbs also pose a hazard to the general public, even on designated routes.
Read the official travel order here.
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Forest Service and off-road coalitions meet: 3,700 miles of routes were submitted for evaluation by the Forest Service RAPID CITY - The Black Hills are home to numerous motorcycle, ATV and four wheeling trails that are perfect for off road enthusiasts - and it is time to get organized. The South Dakota Off Highway Vehicle Coalition held a meeting in Rapid City Tuesday to discuss the development of a designated Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail system in the Black Hills. The Department of Game, Fish and Parks Trails Program Specialist, Scott Carbonneau attended the meeting and explained details concerning the task force selected by Gov. Mike Rounds. The task force is composed of an assortment of representatives from various state agencies. Charbonneau, commented, "The task force will design the framework for administering off highway vehicles in South Dakota, they are examining the structural components that are needed for a statewide OHV program. This does not include management decisions, such as where the trails will be located or how long the trails will be." ©The Black Hills Pioneer, Newspapers, South Dakota, SD 2007 |
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Off-road restrictions in effect for Nemo
By Journal staff
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is now enforcing an ordinance that prohibits off-road vehicles — mainly four-wheelers — traveling on the right of way on certain areas of Nemo Road. The resolution is meant to prevent further damage to the road that has already been caused by off-road vehicles along county highways.
The Pennington County Commission passed the resolution March 6. The general areas affected are on Nemo Road between Pine Cone Road and Trooper King Road. Those areas are marked with signs prohibiting off-road vehicles and signs that indicate the end of an off-road vehicle restriction area. Violators face a maximum penalty of $200. Anyone with questions should call Sgt. Greg Foster at 394-2151.
Copyright © 2007 The Rapid City Journal
Rapid City, SD
More Closure For Off-Roaders - 04/05/2007 9:50 PM
More restrictions are being put into place on off-roading in Pennington County. They say only five percent cause the problems the rest of the majority has to pay for but now more and more restrictions on off-road riding are being put into place because of trail damage.
The trails are ripped up, have ruts, and make it difficult for anyone else to use... Which is why the forest service closed many areas to off-road vehicles this spring.
Now the Pennington County Commission is combating the same problem... And is prohibiting four-wheeler traffic in the right away and ditches off Nemo Road.
Lieutenant Jay Evenson says, "A lot of people like to ride in the ditches, it's a fun thing to go out and do and see the country and take your kids out."
Off-Road Riders Association President Ross Brown says, "When people are using the ditches for recreation they're going fast they're kicking up dust, they're irritating people, being noisy, a lot of times that's more of a neighborhood issue than anything."
But Brown says not everyone is wreckless when they ride. He believes setting regulations and speed limits for the ditches could be a better solution than shutting them down.
"We kind of equate that to some people speeding on the highway but you can't close the entire highway its just not right it isn't practical," says Brown.
Evenson replies, "Our deputies have been instructed to do written warnings at this time and then the tenth of April when this goes into effect, people will begin receiving actual citations with a fine."
Those fines could cost off-roaders up to 200 dollars. Violators could also be forced to clean up the damaged area.
But Brown says this is just another case of a few people ruining something for everyone.
"There's only just a handful of people that are out doing this and now there's a large closure that affects all of us," states Brown.
Brown also says its key for off-road drivers to get educated on the responsible ways to use trails.
For a link to the Off-Road Riders website click here.
If you are interested in an update from the Forest Service on the Black Hills National Forest Travel Management Plan, there will be an open house on Tuesday, April 10th at the Ramkota Hotel in the Sheridan Room at 7 p.m. The event is hosted by the Off-Road Riders Association, the South Dakota Off Highway Vehicle Coalition and the BlueRibbon Coalition.
Matthew Holsen
© 2007 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
Read the entire story at KELOLAND.COM
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News ReleaseUSDA Forest Service Black Hills National Forest |
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Contact: Gary C. Chancey (605) 673-9289, or email us at r2blackhillswebinfo@fs.fed.us |
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FOREST SERVICE CLOSURE ORDER FOR CROOK MOUNTAIN AREA OF THE BLACK HILLS CUSTER, SD: MARCH 28, 2007 On Tuesday, March 27th, 2007, The Black Hills National Forest Supervisor Craig Bobzien signed a closure order that includes 877 acres of Crook Mountain for the protection of cultural resources and to prevent resource damage in the Northern Hills Ranger District. Unacceptable resource damage has occurred in the area and the Forest is implementing the closure so it does not get worse. This incident was not caused by responsible Off-highway vehicle riders. The order is identified as order number BHNF BKF 094-2007 and outlines the following prohibitions: 1. To possess or operate a motor vehicle off road within the closure area boundary. The following exception is in place with this order: Motor vehicles may be possessed and used on the following National Forest System Road within the restricted area: Forest Service Road 176.1E. The order does carry two exemptions that apply to persons with a Forest Service permit specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission and any Federal, State or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty. This order shall remain in effect until rescinded, or until December 31, 2008, whichever event occurs first. Violation of the Order is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000.00 for an individual or $10,000.00 for an organization, and/or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. Further information regarding this Order may be obtained at the Northern Hills Ranger District Office in Spearfish at (605) 642-4622 or at the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Custer at (605) 673-9200. View the Order as well as a Boundary Map from the Black Hills National Forest website. |
Oregon House firmly rejects ATV helmet mandate
The Oregon House on Wednesday resoundingly defeated a bill that would have made it mandatory for all-terrain vehicle riders to wear a helmet while on public lands.
House Bill 2062 fell by a margin of 34-22. The helmet bill was widely seen as the one ATV safety measure of the five introduced this session with a decent chance to become law. Some of the most vocal ATV activists, who condemned proposed ATV age restrictions and a proposed passenger ban, favored making helmets mandatory.
Eight Democrats, including Speaker Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, voted against the measure.
"It's a question for me of when do you tell people what they can do and how much latitude do you give people in our society to say, 'It's your choice,' " Merkley said.
The vote came 12 days after the death of 18-year-old Allison Brady in an ATV crash. The Oregon City college student was killed in an accident in Idaho. She was not wearing a helmet.
Nationally, ATV deaths and injuries are running at record rates. More than 750 people lost their lives and 135,000 were injured in 2005.
HB2062 was one of four ATV safety bills introduced this session at the request of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The others would prohibit ATV riders from carrying passengers; require all ATVs be titled; and institute mandatory training for ATV riders.
A Parks and Recreation official said the bill's defeat casts doubt on the rest of the department's ATV legislation.
"The political reality of where this leaves us is all three of our House bills are dead," said Jim Myron, legislative coordinator for the Parks and Recreation Department. "There just isn't the political will in the House to deal with the ATV issue."
Jeff Manning: 503-294-7606; jmanning@news.oregonian.com
©2007 The Oregonian
Off-roaders hope to curb outlaws
By Bill Harlan, Journal staff
Helmet laws, loud-pipe restrictions and environmental activists don’t worry off-roaders like Troy Hall and Ross Brown.
Hall and Brown wear helmets, prefer quiet “stealth riding” and consider themselves environmentalists.
What worries them are the few off-roaders -- called “rogues,” “outlaws,” “yahoos” and other names -- who ride recklessly and carve permanent scars on the Black Hills.
“If you create ruts, you’re not doing the right thing,” Hall said Thursday morning during a short all-terrain vehicle expedition into the Black Hills. He worries that the "yahoos" will ruin the sport for everyone.
Hall is a weapons trainer at Ellsworth Air Force Base by day, but he’s also a dirt-bike enthusiast and vice president of the Off-Road Riders Association.
Brown, a salesman at Rice Honda in Rapid City, is president of the Off-Road Riders.
They’re working with hundreds of other off-roaders and half a dozen organizations to stop the depredations by “outlaws,” like the latest mud bog in the Hills high above Piedmont.
Brown reported the bog to the U.S. Forest Service last week.
“Unfortunately, this has been here for years,” he said, standing next to a long, wide ditch filled with muddy water a couple feet deep in spots. The bog was dry until recently, but late-winter snow and rain attracted full-size four-wheel-drive vehicles.
“Outlaw” rider zones
Outlaw off-roaders are particularly active in the northeastern Black Hills, west of Black Hawk and Piedmont. They’ve cut new trails on steep hillsides, torn through delicate wetlands and carved trails around barriers meant to enforce seasonal trail closures.
A Forest Service gate near Black Hawk was rammed open several weeks ago, and there are bullet marks in the new, sturdier lock on the repaired gate.
The Forest Service has responded, in part by raising fines for “resource damage” from $100 to $250.
In the Northern Hills during the past two weekends, Forest Service law officers issued nearly a dozen citations, in part by focusing on a similar “mud bog” near the Big Hill Cross Country Ski area.
Unfortunately, only seven Forest Service law enforcement officers cover most of South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska and part of northern Colorado. With too few officers for too much land, for the most part, they can only respond to complaints.
Off-roading damage, however, isn’t always caused by outlaw riders.
ATVs are more affordable, more popular and easier to ride than ever, and the Black Hills National Forest has more roads and trails per square mile than almost any other national forest.
More traffic means more impact on trails. New riders -- or riders new to the area -- sometimes don’t realize their errors.
Education, Hall and Ross said, is the most important goal of the Off-Riders Association. (See the box.)
Two task forces
All of those factors are combining to put pressure on public lands, and the result will be stricter regulations. Riding in the Black Hills National Forest, for example, soon will be restricted to designated trails.
Creating that trail system, however, is no simple task.
In Custer, a Forest Service “travel management” team is working on the trail system itself, using thousands of comments from forest users and dozens of maps submitted by off-roaders and conservationists alike.
In Pierre, Gov. Mike Rounds’ 13-member off-roading task force is working on another part of the puzzle: money.
The state Game, Fish & Parks Department, for example, could manage the trail system in the Black Hills in cooperation with the Forest Service, just like the state manages the snowmobile trails on the national forest.
Money to build, maintain and sign the trails could come from registration fees for the state’s 60,000 or so off-road vehicles, which raises thorny questions.
Should the fee be $15 (which earns $900,000)?
Should it be $20 (which earns $1.2 million)?
Then there are the questions of whether to exempt farm ATVs from registration, whether to use part of the fuel tax for off-roading and whether to set aside an excise tax from off-road vehicle sales.
The governor’s task force also will recommend how or whether to license off-highway vehicles for highway use. “It’s a huge safety issue,” state Sen. Mac McCracken, R-Rapid City, who serves on the task force, said.
All those questions portend long legislative hearings next year.
A key trailhead
Designing the trail system in the Black Hills will be the responsibility of the Forest Service.
Hall, Brown and many other riders have also submitted dozens of trail suggestions to the Forest Service in the form of maps and precise coordinates with global positioning systems.
Though the Forest Service headquarters in Washington, D.C., is demanding the designated trail system, headquarters is not offering money. “It’s a totally unfunded mandate,” Hall said. So he and other off-roaders stand ready to volunteer their own labor.
They also hope to have a say in where the trails are built.
The old Piedmont fire trail, which climbs west up the steep ridge behind Piedmont, is especially important to off-roaders. It’s one of the few access points to the Black Hills between Rapid City and Sturgis.
The trail is an old road -- rocky, hard-surfaced and quick drying n that’s ideal for off-roading.
“This is a trail we don’t want to lose,” Brown said. “I have no doubt this will be a trailhead.”
Other trails and trailheads will be harder to sell -- to the Forest Service and to local residents.
Becci Rowe, for example, lives in High Meadows, south of Piedmont atop the ridge west of the new town of Summerset.
Rowe is a trail runner, a hiker, a conservationist and an activist for what the Forest Service calls “non-motorized users.”
Rowe was originally motivated by the fight, eventually successful, to ban four-wheelers from nearby Botany Canyon. But she also has a personal stake, because four-wheelers race by her house every day during summer.
“It’s Grand Central Station,” she said. “They’re going at 6 in the morning and coming back at midnight.” Sometimes even later. “They’re hootin’ and hollerin’ and having a good time,” she said.
Hard compromises
Hall and Brown sympathize with Rowe. They say they’ll support noise restrictions at trailheads.
But as the Forest Service narrows its choices for designated trails, the debates will be sharp. Some four-wheelers already have suggested a designated “mud bog” area, an idea the Forest Service so far has not welcomed.
State officials also will have to make hard decisions, beginning with regulations for riding in the ditches that parallel roads.
At crossroads, the ditches form natural jumps that are attractive to younger riders. Adjacent landowners often resent the off-road traffic, which also can conflict dangerously with highway traffic.
Pennington County already has banned ditch riding in the Nemo area, but Jason Glodt, an aide to Rounds, told the task force, “There’s no clear law regulating the use of ATVs in ditches.”
Then, there’s the odd problem created by drought-shrunk lakes, especially in eastern South Dakota. These lakes now have wider shorelines, which, according to state law, are “public highways.” This little-known fact has led to disputes between shoreline off-roaders and lakeside residents.
“There are some very upset landowners,” Glodt told the governor’s task force last week.
Technological marvels
The governor’s task force next meets in Pierre on May 7, and when it does, it will tackle the issue of how to define off-highway vehicles.
The definition will have to take into account dirt bikes, ATVs, mid-sized four-wheelers and big-tire “rock crawling” four-wheelers -- not to mention the odd Escalade that thinks it’s a trail vehicle.
Further complicating the question are “utility vehicles” (a slower, wider work-horse version of the ATV) and exotic species such as the new Quadski -- an ATV that converts into a personal watercraft in five seconds -- and the Hovertechnics hover craft, which glides over water or land.
“Defining ATVs, OHVs and UTVs is not going to be an easy task,” state GF&P trail specialist Scott Carbonneau warned the task force.
Creating a trail system in the Black Hills won’t be easy, either, nor will figuring out how to pay for it.
The deadlines
The governor’s task force hopes to have bills ready in time for the 2008 Legislature, which meets in January and February.
The Forest Service hopes to have a designated trail system in the Black Hills by 2009.
Contact Bill Harlan at 394-8424 or bill.harlan@rapidcityjournal.com
Click image to see video
Off-road damage to forest rises with spring thaw
Mike Brandt, Spearfish Newsroom In the pristine hills outside of Spearfish is a network of trails for a variety of recreational vehicles. But the actions of a few careless riders, creates an eyesore in the beauty. "There's really no specific demographic of the people who come out here and violate some of our rules and regulations," said USFS law enforcement officer Travis Lunders.Violating those rules can lead to fines from $250 to $5,000 and up to six months in jail. Warming temperatures mean spring thaw, a popular time for some to play in the mud, but a time for concern for both the Forest Service and off-road enthusiasts. "I wouldn't say it's critical yet, but it's on the verge of being critical and if we don't stop it and educate and get people to understand that mud is a no-no, we're gonna have issues," said enthusiast Jeff Kearney. "If you could get people to stay off for maybe even a couple of years, you'll see a lot of this may start to heal over," said district manager Rhonda O'Byrne.Barriers such as signage and rocks attempt to keep riders from entering damaged areas. And the Forest Service offers a travel management map to assist riders with safe routes. But abuse still occurs. And with only eight law enforcement officers patrolling lands from Colorado to South Dakota, law enforcement relies on individual concerns for nature. "We do our best to focus on the problem areas but there are so few of us that we really do have to rely on the public and the other law enforcement agencies," said Lunders.
"There's no doubt the national forest is for everyone, from bicyclists and equestrians all the way up to off-road and hiking. It's here for all of us, but we do all have to get along at the same time," added Kearney.
News ReleaseUSDA Forest Service Black Hills National Forest |
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Contact: Gary C. Chancey (605) 673-9289, or email us at r2blackhillswebinfo@fs.fed.us |
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FOREST SERVICE EXTENDS CLOSURE FOR THE RICCO FIRE AREA TO PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES CUSTER, SD: MARCH 28, 2007 On Monday, March 26th, 2007, The Black Hills National Forest Supervisor Craig Bobzien signed an area closure order for the July 2005 Ricco Fire Area that burned almost 4000 acres. The Forest issued the initial closure order in 2005. The closure order is being extended for the continued protection of natural resources located in the Piedmont area of South Dakota in the Northern Hills Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest. The order is identified as order number BHNF BKF 093-2007 and outlines the following prohibitions: 1. To possess or use a vehicle off National Forest System roads. The following exception is in place with this order: Motor vehicles may be possessed and used on the following National Forest System Roads within the restricted area: Forest Service Road 144.1 Piedmont Fire Trail; Forest Service Road 546.1 Mayhappy Flats; and Forest Service Road 537.1, Stagebarn Caverns Road. The order does carry two exemptions that apply to persons with a Forest Service permit specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission and any Federal, State or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty. This order shall remain in effect until rescinded, or until December 31, 2008, whichever event occurs first. Violation of the Order is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000.00 for an individual or $10,000.00 for an organization, and/or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. Further information regarding this Order may be obtained at the Northern Hills Ranger District Office in Spearfish at (605) 642-4622 or at the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Custer at (605) 673-9200. View the Order as well as a Boundary Map from the Black Hills National Forest website. |
News ReleaseUSDA Forest Service Black Hills National Forest |
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Contact: Gary C. Chancey (605) 673-9289, or email us at r2blackhillswebinfo@fs.fed.us |
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FOREST SERVICE ROADS ARE WET AND EASILY DAMAGED CUSTER, SD: MARCH 15, 2007 Light rain and warm temperatures are beginning to thaw out the Black Hills National Forest after several months of winter weather in western South Dakota and Northwestern Wyoming.
The Forest Service would like to remind Forest users who use off-highway vehicles such as four-wheelers, dirt bikes, and ATVs to “Tread Lightly.” Travel only on hard surfaces; avoid streams, lakeshores, wet meadows, muddy roads, trails, and steep hillsides. If in doubt of road conditions, turn around before getting stuck and causing resource damage to the Forest. Protected wildlife areas and watersheds are signed and enforced. It is the responsibility of all hunters and other Forest users to obtain a travel map illustrating what roads and areas are open to motorized travel. Forest maps and the most current information about Forest road conditions can be obtained at Black Hills National Forest Service District offices in Spearfish, Custer, Rapid City, Newcastle and Sundance. |
Spring is a welcome sight for the Forest, but current Forest road conditions and adjacent areas are soft, slippery, and easily rutted. Considerable caution should be exercised when driving on Forest System Roads. Driving on wet or muddy roads also causes erosion, reduces water quality, and makes roads hazardous for the next user.