BLM seeks to ban cross-country travel in Colo.'s Uncompahgre region

Written by Land Letter

Thursday, March 04, 2010

The Bureau of Land Management wants to eliminate off-trail travel by motorized vehicles and bicycles on more than 400,000 acres of federal land in western Colorado to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the increasingly popular recreational activity.

Prohibiting "open" travel in the Uncompahgre field office's jurisdiction is intended to prevent the creation of new trails, as well as the widening of existing routes, BLM officials say.

So far, the plan has been well received by off-roading groups.

"We support going from riding anywhere to (using only) designated trails. We don't have any problem with that," said Walt Blackburn, a member of the Thunder Mountain Wheelers ATV Club.

Off-roading enthusiast John Hesslink of Grand Junction said off-highway vehicle groups encourage riders to stay on existing trails, but the elimination of off-trail access could cause problems for some hunters. "They typically enjoy that kind of access more than any other community because of their use of ATVs to recover downed game off the trails," Hesslink said.

BLM is accepting comments on its proposal until March 26.

Source: Land Letter

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“As a rancher who leases public lands for cattle, I’ve seen my share of cut fences and rangeland damaged by ORV use. I’ve also experienced ORV trespass onto my private lands. But I’ve had no way to identify the culprits when reporting trespass or illegal ORV use to local law enforcement. Congress should require that ORVs used on public lands have visible identification plates or decals. Doing so would remove the anonymity enjoyed by ORV riders who are bent on breaking the rules.”

- Ambers Thornburgh, second-generation rancher from Oregon who grazes cattle on his private land and adjacent lands leased from the Bureau of Land Management