Utah

Recent Legislative Action

2009

HB283: Sets penalties for reckless ORV use, private property trespass, riding in undesignated areas and destroying ORV signs (3/25: Enacted)

2007

HB 421: Authorizes the suspension of hunting and fishing privileges for illegal ORV use. (2/21/07: Sent to Rules committee without recommendation)

Community Voices Demand Action in Utah

Utahans are increasingly voicing their concerns about a growing contingent of reckless riders who break the law, damage public and private land, injure themselves and others, and ruin hunting, fishing and hiking experiences for the rest of us.

• "I am a responsible ATV owner and voted D (to confiscate the ATV and loss of hunting privileges for a year). I have seen some of my favorite areas destroyed. Just because you own an ATV doesn't give you the right to ride wherever you want." -- Jake Bussio, rider, "Speaking Up", Eastman's Hunting Journal (Feb.-Mar. '10)

• "They [ORVers] rip our fencing in half and ride through anyway. They come up in trucks and haul our firewood right out. They steal our "No trespassing" signs. And there is major dumping. It is unreal what they are dumping -- wood, mattresses, barbecues, old washers, all kinds of crap. We've had them come right in and shoot. We've had bullets going through our trees, shooting over at our house with shotguns." Marcie Taylor, Eagle Mountain property owner, "Eagle Mountain considers trails for off-roading", Daily Herald (1/28/09)

• "All over Utah, off-road vehicle damage has become more visible and troubling. It is becoming harder to find peace and quiet, and ranchers and private landowners are having more trouble with trespass and harassment. The forests and canyons are degraded by the irresponsible use of motor sports vehicles...No one is calling for a ban on off-road vehicles. They are useful and necessary tools for living in rural areas. We simply need a more effective set of policies for reining in recreational abuse. We suggest the governor and the state Legislature continue this progress by requiring all off-road vehicles to have standard, readable license plates (they currently don't)." -- Lisa Varga, small-business owner in southern Utah, "Rural Utahns support reining in ATV abuse", The Salt Lake Tribune

• (10/25/08)

• "It's an abomination, it's an embarrassment." -- Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., reacting to ORV trail damage, "Guv: ORV off-trail damage an 'abomination,' crackdown is coming", The Salt Lake Tribune (10/2/08)

• "I have had fun riding four-wheelers, but I am also a hiker who enjoys the peace and quiet of the red-rock deserts of central and southern Utah. On any drive to Moab, it is easy to see where off-road vehicle users have run amok, indiscriminately tearing up the land...Opinions like mine are often dismissed. We are seen as trying to restrict the rights of ORV users, but we are really trying to preserve these treasures for all people. It is a relief to see Gov. Huntsman recognize the destruction and take steps to prevent it." -- Scott Bishop, The Salt Lake Tribune Letter to the Editor, "Thanks Guv", The Salt Lake Tribune (10/16/08)

• "We should require ORVs to have large license plates so offenders can be easily identified, and we need ORV-abuse hot lines like those for poaching. Michael Swenson, director of the Utah Shared Access Alliance (an off-road group) believes off-roaders should obey the law in most cases but that there are travel plans the recreation community just "cannot support." Is he saying it's OK to ignore ORV regulations you don't like?” -- Brenda Durant, "Off-Road Damage", The Salt Lake Tribune Letter to the Editor, Salt Lake Tribune (10/16/08)

• "We just want them to respect the fact that private property has a right to be protected…We have put up signs two or three times a year and they disappear. I have even gotten signs from the Sheriff's Department and they don't care about those either." -- Judy Hooley, Eagle Mountain property owner, "Landowners ask cities for help with trespassers", Daily Herald (10/14/08) 

• "People go out and ride wherever they want now." -- Jason Shelley, rider, "Opinions vary on Payson off-road track", Deseret News (1/28/10)

• "Too many times I see them running up and down, four-wheeling and wondering where all the animals are. But deer are going to get scared away with the vehicle traffic." -- Randy Griffin, BLM ranger in Tooele, "Experts urge preparedness as hunters head into mountains", Tooele Transcript Bulletin (10/10/08)

• "A few years ago, the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation commissioned Utah State University to survey riders. The poll found that almost half of ATV riders prefer to ride off established trails...The survey also suggested that the fear of getting caught and ticketed was a far bigger concern for riders than preserving the environment...ORV enthusiasts have to take the lead on this. They have to admit that it isn't just a "few bad apples," but a significant portion of riders who go off trails and damage wilderness areas. We urge all riders to give this all more thought, and take more care to stay on the trails and preserve Utah's superb landscape." -- Daily Herald Editorial Board, "ORV riders must take lead", Daily Herald (10/9/08)

• "I fear that noisy ATVs drive deer and elk away from hunters, that new trails created by cross country travel damage fish and wildlife habitat and the use of the vehicles to hunt violates "fair chase" rules." -- Tom Wharton, sportsman and Salt Lake Tribune outdoors and travel columnist, "ATV use should be restricted for big-game hunts", Salt Lake Tribune (12/3/09)

• "People going anywhere and everywhere they want, irresponsible users driving in streams and up hills, people cutting down trees and shooting everywhere." -- Dan Miller, head of the Bear River Watershed Council describing problems at Providence Canyon, "Canyon cleanup draws outdoor enthusiasts", Associated Press (9/20/08)

• "There are a lot of people who would like to use Providence Canyon but don't because they feel like with the ATV use and the shooting, its not a nice place to recreate if you’re not doing those activities." -- Peggy Wilson, seasonal worker for the Forest Service, "Canyon cleanup draws outdoor enthusiasts", Associated Press (9/20/08)

• "Taking OHVs into these [closed] areas damages the habitat the elk rely on, disturbs and scatters the animals, and ruins the hunting experience for other hunters." -- Anis Aoude, Division of Wildlife Resource's big game coordinator, "Plenty of Bull Elk in Utah", Department of Natural Resources Press Release (9/18/08)

• "While I want to acknowledge that there are many responsible ATV users who stay on the trails and ride legally, and then volunteer many hours repairing trails, another part of the reality is the illegal motorized use in the forest. The last couple of years, the illegal use has accelerated in inventory, enforcement and closure of illegal trails. I am horrified at the number of illegal trails being created." -- Mesia Nyman, District Ranger of the United States Forest Service, "Forest damage due to ATVs offroading", Emery County Progress (8/19/08)

• "Education is vital, but it must be accompanied by strict rules to protect what cannot be replaced and some better means of enforcement than what now exists." -- Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board, "Open invitation: BLM Monticello plan invites destruction of relics", Salt Lake Tribune (9/8/08)

• "While the BLM says it wants to limit OHVs to trails designated by the federal land management agency, it would also allow the "all-terrain" vehicles to veer off for 300 feet on each side of the trail. That rule would invite plunder by off-roaders, some of whom need no invitation to take their vehicles through terrain that is too fragile for such abuse. Given the BLM's inadequate funding for enforcement, allowing OHVs that kind of latitude would simply give their drivers carte blanche to ride anywhere the four-wheelers or motorcycles can go, causing erosion, destroying plant life, harassing wildlife and contaminating creeks and streams." -- Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board, "Inviting plunder: Vernal BLM plan caters too much to OHVs", Salt Lake Tribune (8/29/08)

• "'ATVs are the single biggest reason why we don't have big mule deer anymore. Something serious needs to be done to keep violators in check." -- Jim McDonald, sportsman, "Speaking Up", Eastman's Hunting Journal (Feb.-Mar. '10)

• "The abuse of private property is unacceptable." -- Rob Bishop, United States House of Representatives, "House panel told public lands overrun by ORVs," Deseret Morning News (3/16/08)

• "The Bureau of Land Management's proposal for the BLM lands in six Utah counties is also a gift tied with a big red ribbon and handed to oil and gas developers. But it can hardly be called 'management,' especially the type of multiple-use management and land conservation the BLM is charged to provide for the Western lands owned by all Americans. By opening up 90 percent of the area to OHV use and 80 percent to drilling, the plan effectively excludes quiet recreation - mountain biking, hiking and backpacking - and sacrifices scenic vistas, wildlife habitat, and cultural treasures including archaeological ruins, relics and rock art. This is not multiple use, but an attempt in the waning months of the Bush administration to remove public lands protections." -- Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board, "No management plan: BLM makes gift of land to off-roaders, drillers", Salt Lake Tribune (8/11/08)

• "The number of user created trails compounds every year. The complaints on ATVs are increasing...The problem is we don't have the manpower or the money to address the issue." -- Mesia Nyman, District Ranger of the United States Forest Service, "ATV Troubles on the Manti-lasal Forest", Emery County Progress (9/26/06)

Examples of Recent ORV-Related Law Enforcement Activity

Source: United States Forest Service

2008

• Fishlake NF, - On 7/26, a man crashed his ATV into a tree on the Fillmore RD. Sevier County SD, SAR, Utah HP, and an LEO responded after other ATV riders called and explained the man was so drunk that he would not accept their help. The man attempted to leave the area on foot in an attempt to evade the officers. He had a blood alcohol level of .24 when tested at the hospital hours later.

• Fishlake NF - On 7/12, a woman was riding her ATV on an illegal trail when she lost control and rolled it into a wash where it caught fire. An FS engine crew happened to be in the area and their quick action prevented the fire from spreading. The woman was cited for illegal off-road use of an OHV.

• BLM - Little Sahara Recreation Area, UT 4/29 - 5/5 - Over 50 law enforcement officers from several agencies were assigned to the Little Sahara Recreation Area (LSRA) over the Easter weekend. Approximately 35,000 visitors were located within the LSRA administrative unit. Officers were faced with near riot conditions on two separate nights involving approximately 1,000 people which required all available officers and over 5 hours to mitigate the situation; approximately 200 people were ejected from the main hill area and several were arrested when they returned. Groups of partiers were blocking an area and forcing women to bare their breasts in order to leave, along with numerous incidents of unwanted fondling of women. When law enforcement officers took action, the crowd became unruly, throwing objects at the officers. A Utah HP Officer was struck in the head and sustained minor injuries. Medical assistance was rendered on 37 incidents. Over 300 incidents resulted in arrests and/or citations.

Recent ORV-Related Media Coverage