"It does not require a majority to prevail, 
but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
 --Samuel Adams - Leader in our Fight for Independence

The Off Highway Vehicle Plan Amendment

The Forest Service and BLM implement a three state OHV cross-country closure.

 

The regulations will only affect cross-country off-highway vehicle (OHV) use.  Trails and roads that are presently in use by OHVs will still be open for that use.  Unless specifically closed, user created trails will remain open as long as they were created by casual use and not by deliberate action such as removing trees and brush.  In the alternative preferred by the FS and BLM, off trail use will be prohibited with a few exceptions for game retrieval, resource management, and permittees.  This alternative will apply to all Forest Service and BLM lands in the three state area.  Recent events indicate that there is a movement to make this a nationwide initiative.  Since Jimmy Carter's 1977 Executive Order, the agency has been using site specific mitigation measures to control environmental damage.  Some areas have been closed because of damages.  However, by Forest Service admission,  most of the lands involved are not adversely impacted at this time.  If the preferred proposal is adopted the ban will be imposed until site specific planning is completed and a new plan is implemented.  The need that this proposal is supposed to address is the purported ongoing damage to the environment that occurs because site specific planning is not completed and will not be for 10 to 15 years.  It will be a long term ban on OHV cross-country use.

MONTANANS FOR MULTIPLE USE RECOMMENDED
The NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE because:

It impacts the motorized users the least and non-motorized users already have restricted areas for their exclusive use.
This document reveals and unconstitutional bias in favor of one group of citizens over another.  Therefore  NO ACTION MUST BE TAKEN
There are no adverse affects for any endangered or sensitive species.
The risk of the spread of weeds by motorized use is small and only a part of the cause which also includes hikers and animals.
The amount of OHV use is small and its impact is accordingly small over the total project area.
Damage from OHV use has been and can continue to be addressed on a local, site-specific basis.
The BLM and FS recognize ...that off-highway vehicle use is a valid recreational activity when properly managed."  (pp. 3) Instead of responsibly managing that use, the alternative preferred by the FS would ban it.

UPDATE:  This proposal has been implemented

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