Colorado

Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Illegal off-road use in the Wolford Mountain Reservoir area is threatening wildlife in the area, according to the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Just in the past few days, state wildlife officers contacted several Summit County teenagers who were illegally traveling in the closed area on off-road vehicles, said division spokesman Randy Hampton.

Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Illegal off-road use in the Wolford Mountain Reservoir area is threatening wildlife in the area, according to the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Just in the past few days, state wildlife officers contacted several Summit County teenagers who were illegally traveling in the closed area on off-road vehicles, said division spokesman Randy Hampton.

The Ouray Ranger District issued a seasonal closure for wheeled vehicles on portions of the Owl Creek Pass Road that are part of the groomed snowmobile route system.

"The snowmobile route has been signed as 'Closed to Wheeled Vehicles' for many years and until recently has generally not been an issue," said Tammy Randall-Parker, Ouray District ranger. "However," she continued, "this issue is causing major headaches lately and has resulted in several occasions where a Snowcat has been needed to pull out vehicles that should not be there in the first place."

San Juan County’s efforts to enforce off-highway vehicle rules in the backcountry are showing results, county officials say.

“This is working,” said County Commissioner Pete McKay. “I think we’ve accomplished what we wanted to do.”

Sheriff Sue Kurtz agreed.

Jeff Tucker

Friday's all-terrain-vehicle accident that caused a 30-minute search and left one person seriously injured occurred on land the city would like to keep as open space for hiking and biking.

And for now, motorcycles and ATVs aren't supposed to be on any part of the 2,373-acre property.

The city adopted an ordinance in 2007 that prohibits motorcycles and ATVs from Honor Farm property until a designated area can be developed for such uses, said City Planner Scott Hobson.

Scott Condon

ASPEN — U.S. Forest Service rangers ticketed two snowmobilers Sunday for riding in prohibited wilderness areas and busted two others earlier in the month.

The two sled drivers caught Sunday were near Independence Lake, along the upper Lost Man Loop, which is accessed from the Independence Pass road, according to Tim Lamb, forestry technician for the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District. The two earlier citations were issued along Richmond Ridge. All four snowmobile operators were given $500 tickets. The Forest Service policy is to withhold the names of the parties who are ticketed, Lamb said.

Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Plans to expand and improve a motorized trail system on Tenderfoot Mountain, between Dillon and Keystone, may be swamped by a flood of negative feedback from residents of the area.

About 50 people attended a county commissioner work session Monday to voice their opinions. Local officials have received more than 100 comments criticizing the proposal. In addition to opposing proposed new trails, many residents would like to see the existing motorized use curtailed.

Kathy Heicher

EAGLE, Colorado — A coalition of government officials, nearby property owners, and recreationalists have found a middle ground for users of Bellyache Road out of Eagle.

The Eagle County commissioners on Tuesday approved a plan that will allow continued use of the popular access road by the recreating public, while addressing the concerns of adjacent property owners.

Bellyache Road, accessed through the Bluffs subdivision, has historically been open to the public for year-round motor vehicle use. The road is the only motorized access for 5,000-6,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands, and is popular with deer and elk hunters. In recent years, as the town has grown and the Bluffs subdivision has built out, the road has also become more popular for mountain bikers and hikers.

Not long ago, El Paso County commissioners had the bad idea to establish the El Paso County Off Highway Vehicle Park near Corral Bluffs, a landscape of cliffs, mesas and sandy valley bottoms east of Colorado Springs near Highway 94. County officials planned to buy some 500 acres in the area for the recreational, off-road motorcycle park using money from an annual fee that's paid on each off-highway vehicle in the state.

County acquisition of land for niche recreation far exceeds the appropriate charter of county government, and commissioners dropped the plan after confronting environmental concerns.