Editorial: Off-road efforts good for all users

The new off-road vehicle travel management plan for the Black Hills National Forest should be in place by the first of the year.

The plan, developed by the National Forest Service after the review of months of public input, will establish a designated off-road trail system in the national forest for off-highway vehicles - ATVs and dirt bikes.

The plan won't end off-road use in the Black Hills, simply regulate and manage it which will benefit all users of the national forest. We're glad to see the forest plan finally come together. And at the same time, we're also glad to see ATV riders join in the effort to regulate this growing sport.

In anticipation of the forest service plan, local groups are advocating the Legislature implement some new rules for ATV users.

A proposal in its early stages has the backing of at least two major off-road associations and dovetails nicely into the forest service plan to manage the hills.

What's being proposed by local groups is implementation of some basic laws to govern all-terrain vehicles - banning ATV use on major highways as well as a licensing and registration system.

The proposal should be ready for to the 2010 Legislature to consider.

The creation of the forest management plan is partly due to complaints that off-road riders are doing unnecessary damage to some areas of the Black Hills. We're sure a minority of the riders are generating the complaints and, it also appears clear a majority of the riders are content to work towards a solution.

The forest management plan will come with a fee attached for off-road users - probably in the $25 range - and the money generated will be used to create, maintain and supervise the trail system.

As is often the case, a small population of off-road riders have generated enough complaints and concerns to warrant action - both from the forest service and local enthusiasts. The forest service efforts in trail management and the private efforts to manage the growing off-road vehicle industry are positive moves that will result in more enjoyment for riders and a better managed national forest.

We like what we're seeing here and think it's best for the Black Hills. We have a group of off-road enthusiasts willing to work hand-in-hand with the forest service and the state to ensure a positive future for their activity.

Everyone benefits in that scenario.

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Source: http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_5cbf726c-bdc6-11de-8d5d-001cc4c002e0.html