Groups sue over planned Oregon Dunes ATV trail

Written by Associated Press

Monday, December 07, 2009

REEDSPORT, Ore. (AP) - Conservation groups are suing the U.S. Forest Service over plans to build a new trail for off-road vehicles on the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Eugene.

Josh Laughlin of Cascadia Wildlands says the road would go right through a sensitive area currently closed to vehicles under the recreation area's management plan.

Laughlin says the Forest Service is already unable to control illegal riding that damages fragile plant communities, and building this trail will just make matters worse.

The mile-long trail would link Coos County's Riley Ranch campground north of North Bend with another parcel of county land that is open to ATV riding.

The Forest Service declined comment.

Source: http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11636482

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

State by State Momentum

Community Voices

“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