Editorial: The Report Card

Written by Asheville Citizen-Times

Monday, October 26, 2009

A to the U.S. Forest Service decision to permanently close the Upper Tellico off-road vehicle (ORV) trail system to stem erosion problems in the Upper Tellico River watershed in Cherokee County. Marisue Hilliard, North Carolina national forests supervisor, said that two years of study showed serious erosion problems leading to water quality deterioration.

"The Forest Service is in violation of its own standards and North Carolina state water quality standards because visible sediment from the ORV trails is reaching the Tellico River and its tributaries in hundreds of locations,” Hilliard said. Lawsuits from ORV groups are expected.

Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091026/OPINION01/91023026/1006

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Community Voices

“We’ve had success bringing illegal riders to justice by snapping photos of their ID stickers. The problem in California is that they’re too darn small to see from far away or at high speeds. While I’m normally not in favor of the government getting involved in things, requiring all ORVs to have a visible ID with a minimum size and standard location would make them an even better tool for property owners to identify trespassing riders. We should also look to Wyoming’s lead and make trespassing penalties clear so riders think twice before they head off designated trails and onto my land.”

- Mesonika Piecuch, private property owner, Kern County, CA