OHV Use Education

Brew
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OHV Use Education

Post by Brew »

From time to time, there are posts in this forum asking why the OHV community doesn't do a better job of policing their fellow recreationists. Here's an article that may shed some light on the subject:

http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/20 ... 485994.txt

30,000 hours of volunteer time in the San Bernardino National Forest!!

Brew
Sal
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by Sal »

that's well and good, Brew. the fact is that OHV riding has ruined the experience of nature in the deserts and mountains. WHEREVER you want to go, you will hear the incessant sound of small motors winding out, and the ubiquitous scars on the land caused by unmanaged OHV use.
Brew
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by Brew »

Well Sal, maybe you should venture into the millions of acres of wilderness that has been set aside.

Brew
Sal
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by Sal »

OHV's penetrate even wilderness areas.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/1140/file ... 20Rest.pdf
MMM
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by MMM »

After reading the link sal posted, it appears that of the 110037 acres of wilderness only 34.8 acres are directly impacted. There are 28.7 miles total of illegal trails or roads in the wilderness. The 34.8 acres is about 0.03% of the entire wildernsss area. Hardly major. So bottom line 110002.2 acres of land not directly impacted by OHVs. And do not forgit that in California alone there are more than 15 MILLION acres of wilderness. Go figgure.

Mike
Sal
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by Sal »

Hi MMM,

the document I linked to did not purport to be an accounting of all the OHV trespass into wilderness, it was just description of the plans to mitigate the latest damage that had been reported, investigated, and proposed and accepted for restoration. That's just a tiny representation of the nuisance and damage caused by OHV's in natural areas in our deserts.

People shouldn't have to drive way out of their way to enjoy our natural surroundings free of the nuisance of OHV's--but we do!

Some riders like to say that the rest of us are complaining about a small minority of scofflaws that do only an insignificant amount of damage.

How much damage and how much illegal nuisance is acceptable? As a desert resident I have reached my limit and view stories of good works done by riders as just so much of a smoke screen to deflect the public from taking action against the onslaught of OHV wreckreation. Nothing personal of course. :D
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by MMM »

sal the people who violate wilderness rules must be stoped, we agree on this. However, the impacts of the extreamly limited intrusions into wilderness are very limited, as stated in your posted link. As a OHV rider your statement is interesting. And I quote "People shouldn't have to drive way out of their way to enjoy our natural surroundings free of the nuisance of OHV's--but we do!" OHV riders must travel long distances all the time to find places where we can legaly ride. I must drive up to 400 miles and 12 hours to go to decent riding areas. I know of people who have driven over 2,000 miles to go riding in the desert. I feel thet we also should not have to do this, but it is a fact and once again I gently remind you that for every acre of legal OHV riding areas there are, you have over 100 acres of prime wilderness or non-OHV use areas. Sal, long ago you reached your limit on OHV use, and that is ok for you. However, for the legal and responsible OHV rider freedon of access is what it is all about. But the thread we are posting in is not about access or wilderness abuse. It is about people who give back to the land, who love the land and are willing to put their effort behind their words. So a huge BRAVO to the riders who did so much in SBNF.

Mike
Sal
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by Sal »

Given the degree of damage and nuisance caused by OHV use, I see nothing wrong with the need to drive long distances to access areas appropriate for their use.

OHV's are urbanizing the last vestiges of natural environment in our deserts. Where they are ridden, permanent effects to the wildlife and scenery are seen. This is a wreckreation that has proved impossible to regulate. The time has come for a complete ban on their use outside of the OPEN areas.

Of course, licensed street legal vehicles should be allowed access to legal roads.
MMM
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by MMM »

Sal, please confine your remarks to the nature of the thread, you are going off topic.

Mike
Sal
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Re: OHV Use Education

Post by Sal »

I gently remind you that for every acre of legal OHV riding areas there are, you have over 100 acres of prime wilderness or non-OHV use areas.
by MMM


The problem isn't with legal riding areas. The problem is riders don't confine themselves to legal riding areas. In most of the desert, riders may ride on open routes, most of which have not been signed OPEN. Hence, there is no enforcement as long as riders stay on "existing routes". BUT riders only need to ride a new route twice and it becomes a new "existing route" that will be a permanent part of the desert topography.

Your figures are basically wrong, MMM, as most of the desert is designated as LIMITED USE which allows vehicles on existing routes.

To further compound the issue, riders who ride off of existing routes cannot be identified and reported because they are not required to display visible ID on their vehicles, so the reality is the whole desert is a de facto OPEN area.
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