Neil Marshall Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 According to this morning's New York Times, the United States Forest Service has begun to designate which trails are suitable for use by off-road vehicles, a move intended to limit damage to national forests. The 155 designated forests and 20 grasslands have never had uniform policies for off-road vehicles - some give virtually unlimited access, whereas others provide designated trails. Now designated trails will be the rule everywhere and individual forest supervisors will decide which trails are available to the vehicles, whether free-form trails created in recent months or years by riders going cross-country should be included, and whether vehicles and their riders will be allowed to stray off into open country under limited circumstances. Environmental advocates gave lukewarm praise to the decision to enforce standards to keep the vehicles on trails, but criticized the lack of firm legal deadlines and of local forest supervisors' ability to include what the environmentalists call "renegade trails," paths carved willy-nilly by all-terrain vehicle users. Jack Troyer, a regional forester, said SUVs have become a source of conflict on public lands. In the eyes of their detractors, they inflict a combination of noise and industrial odors, and deep scars into quiet, unspoiled landscapes. "Some of these routes have evolved over the years, have been enjoyed by the public, don't do damage and are good routes," Mr. Troyer said. "It's our expectation that some of the user-created routes" will become part of the approved system of trails for motorized recreation. But Jim Furnish, a former Forest Service employee who is now a consultant to the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition, which seeks tighter restrictions on motorized recreation, said he worked for the service for 35 years and saw motorized recreation "on public land go from nonexistence to running amok. The new regulations are inadequate - they're throwing a bucket of water on a raging inferno." Footnote: America might have begun to turn away from off-roaders - sales of big SUVs fell by fifty per cent in October, the beginning of the new model year and normally a bumper sales month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 IMHO it's about time SUV's fell out of favour, maybe if the shiny briagde / chelsea tractors / chrome spinners on Humvees disappear Greenpeace will have to go and pick on someone else (wishful thinking?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 but criticized the lack of firm legal deadlines and of local forest supervisors' ability to include what the environmentalists call "renegade trails," paths carved willy-nilly by all-terrain vehicle users. coming from the country that detonated an atomic bomb in their own back garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Marshall Posted November 3, 2005 Author Share Posted November 3, 2005 coming from the country that detonated an atomic bomb in their own back garden Yup, that's why all the wierdos end up in Vegas....did you notice in the news that 'hard man' Ross Kemp got beaten up by his wife, the Sun editor - they got married in Vegas a couple of years ago, so maybe the dust was still around. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 Yup, that's why all the wierdos end up in Vegas....did you notice in the news that 'hard man' Ross Kemp got beaten up by his wife, the Sun editor - they got married in Vegas a couple of years ago, so maybe the dust was still around.Neil just read about the husband-beatings on ntl, not quite Eastenders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02GF74 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 IMHO it's about time SUV's fell out of favour, maybe if the shiny briagde / chelsea tractors / chrome spinners on Humvees disappear Greenpeace will have to go and pick on someone else (wishful thinking?) I'll forward your address to GP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cartman Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 According to this morning's New York Times, the United States Forest Service has begun to designate which trails are suitable for use by off-road vehicles, a move intended to limit damage to national forests. The 155 designated forests and 20 grasslands have never had uniform policies for off-road vehicles - some give virtually unlimited access, whereas others provide designated trails. At least they have some state funded and maintained off-road routes. How long will we ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 At least they have some state funded and maintained off-road routes. How long will we ? Technically we don't now, although the RA like to paint it that way - they are roads, just a bit less smooth than some... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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