Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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Plays In The Dirt
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

Post by Plays In The Dirt »

In keeping with what I said I was going to do I returned to the north end of the Valley Of Fire, (the Logandale Trails System), this morning to do some more Photography. While shooting Photos of the Landscape and some Petroglyph's I had discovered I also shot some more of the off-trail riding that has been done. I was on new trails today so these Photos are in a different locations than those I posted the other day.

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The BLM and other agencies provide and maintain these areas for the enjoyment of OHV riders like you and myself and this is what they get in return. All they ask is that you stay on the trails but some just can't (or refuse) to follow this simple rule.

And this is why, my friends, that even existing OHV areas can be shut-down.

And BTW, this is not isolated to just a couple of locations on this trail system but is virtually everywhere you look. It really sucks!
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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PITD I fully understand your feelings. I do not condone or in any way approve of the actions of a few stupid people. I have never been to the area you took the photos, but it does look nice. Now to put things in perspective. I have spent a lot of time in the desert and, as sandman said, the more removed you are from any city, the less moterized tracks are visable. In fact if you drive up the 15 from about ohh, Barstow to Vegas you see no OHV or motercycle tracks. Zero, zip, nada, except on a very few dirt roads, but no trail cutting anywhere. If you head north from Baker to Nevada you will pass some sand dunes which is open for OHV use, but aside from that, again, no illegal trail cutting. Go from Vegas to Parump to Tonopah to Mina, to Hawthorn and again no illegal trails. Yet these are the areas that many groups would have closed to all mechinized use. So my question is simple and direct. Do we punish the vast majority of legal, responsible, and reasonable OHV riders for the action of the few? Isn't 14 million acreas of California desert enough land to be in protective (closed to non-street legal OHV) status? Do we really need to close off almost all public lands in Nevada for wilderness?

Mike
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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Mike - I often have written that I don't wish to see areas being shut-down or being declared wilderness areas either. After all, while I'm not an OHV buff I do use one to get to remote areas for my passion which is Photography, most all the time I'll park it and hike the rest of the way. I can't answer to what is going-on in California as I haven't lived there in many years, and as I wrote in another post nothing that happens in California would surprise me in the least. I think that it's probably one of the most, (if not "the" most), over-regulated states in the country. It would be easier to list what is within the law as opposed to what's against it in California. I agree with Sandman when he says that illegal off-roading is found in lesser frequency as you move away from cities, but it does still exist. The area I shot these Photographs in is far removed from any cities, with Las Vegas being the closest. The Moapa Valley where I live is a small rural community and is adjacent to the Logandale Trails System. When they opened this area up and started advertising it is when the trouble began. OHV rental places and tours started coming-out here, as well as jeep clubs and off-roaders from Las Vegas. For many years this area was used by the locals for overnight camp-outs and picnics with their families. Now very few of the locals will even go there because of the riff-raff that show-up there, coupled with all the damage that's been done. So even though this is far-away from the city the word got out and now it's become a popular place. I can show you Photos of other far removed locations that have been trashed as well once they became known and a popular hang-out for the off-roaders.

As far as the extreme environmentalists go I have no idea what their motivation is nor why. If they successfully close areas down to others then they are closed-out too so it hardly makes sense. I do feel that OHV use has to be regulated, especially certain types of OHV's and the areas they can be used in. Just like race cars are relegated to tracks, so should those types of OHV's that are designed and built for this type of use.

I don't know what the answer is but I do know that the bad apples in the OHV community are the ones who are ruining it for everyone else. While probably not fair that's the way it is in everything, always has been - always will be. Perhaps if the OHV community would concentrate their efforts and work harder to "reign-in" the bad apples in their group it would give less ammunition to the radical environmentalists.
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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PITD it would seem, for the most part, (gasp) we are on the same page. I agree, the OHV rider who only desires to cut new trails and go as fast as they can should be restricted to designated open riding areas. Tally ho. But for the rest of us, and I include you, PITD in this, leave us alone. I ride a quad, and when I can aford it a side by side, to explore and discover our past. To see exactly what I mean please go to this site http://www.intrepidexplorers.org and see what I do, when I can. Yes you MUST register to see the photos but I am not a site admin and no one sees the info you regester with. Like this site, regestration is to prevent spamming and abuse.

I have ridden a lot in Nevada, over 9,000 miles on my quad. Places that are far removed from the city, places pretty much like it was over 100 years ago, and yes places now threatened by wilderness designation. The place you posted photos is fairly close to Vegas, right? Sadly or maybe thankfully, Vegas is NOT like most of Nevada. I am not at all surprised by the actions of people going out from LV to be idiots. But get a ways away from there like 100 miles, and you enter a completely differnt state. One that must be left alone. I love riding in a responsible, safe, and sane way. I only hope mare can be doing the same.

Mike
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

Post by Sal »

places now threatened by wilderness designation.
by MMM

Wilderness designation protects places threatened by lawless riders. I would rather see a place closed to motorized recreation than overrun and ruined by same. How about you?
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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sal, you already know my position. I am firmly against any and all new wilderness. Period.

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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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Sal wrote:
places now threatened by wilderness designation.
by MMM

Wilderness designation protects places threatened by lawless riders. I would rather see a place closed to motorized recreation than overrun and ruined by same. How about you?
I would prefer that someday that the "lawless riders" will be reigned-in and that no more areas are closed down. I steadfastly maintain that the majority of lawlessness is done by those on machines that are designed and built for climbing hills and racing purposes. Now this is NOT to say that everyone who rides these types of OHV's are lawless by any stretch. You are not going to see myself and my wife out riding our quad in the manner you see those above are ridden because that's just not what it was designed for. Everyone needs their place to enjoy their sport but racing machines do not belong in the wilderness or pristine areas.
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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Sal wrote:
places now threatened by wilderness designation.
by MMM

Wilderness designation protects places threatened by lawless riders. I would rather see a place closed to motorized recreation than overrun and ruined by same. How about you?
Sal, In reference to your post, wilderness designation really only serves to keep the lawful folks out. Last year, on my last California desert camping trip, I observed 2 dirt bike riders riding in the Grass Valley wilderness area 50 miles north west of Barstow, unlawfully. While most dirt bike riders obey the law, some don't. So we are back to the original problem of the BLM not really being able, or sometimes willing, to patrol, monitor, and regulate on-site. And THAT brings me back to Lee's suggestion earlier in this thread, which just may be a useful and viable option!
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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desert wanderer wrote: And THAT brings me back to Lee's suggestion earlier in this thread, which just may be a useful and viable option!
Which one was that, Rick? Oh, and I still owe you an email, I haven't forgotten.
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Re: Why Are Areas Closed Down To OHV's?

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Plays In The Dirt wrote:
desert wanderer wrote: And THAT brings me back to Lee's suggestion earlier in this thread, which just may be a useful and viable option!
Which one was that, Rick? Oh, and I still owe you an email, I haven't forgotten.
Lee's suggestion is on page 1 of this thread, my friend.
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