Upper Tellico off-road area closed for the winter

Written by The Citizen-Times

Monday, January 05, 2009

Murphy – The Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle System is closed for the winter season, the U.S. Forest Service announced this morning.

The system closure is part of a temporary closure order signed in Dec. 2007 and will be closed to motor vehicles through March 31 to limit damage to trails.

The seasonal closure will be in effect for the three winter months each year until March 13, 2012, barring other management decisions that may be made in the interim.

The Forest Service is currently finalizing the environmental analysis of a long-term plan for the OHV area and anticipates releasing the document for public review and comment by early February.

The 38-mile Upper Tellico off-road vehicle area, about two hours west of Asheville and 11 miles from Murphy in the Nantahala National forest, is one of the nation's top spots for off-road enthusiasts.

The Forest Service initiated the temporary closures in Dec. 2007 after environmental advocacy groups threatened to sue the agency over muddy runoff in the area.

Off-roaders filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service over the temporary closures last year, but dismissed it in November, saying they will wait and see the agency's final plan for the area before taking legal action.

Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990105015

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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