May 07, 2004
Stop Major 50-Mile ATV Trail Expansion!
The US Forest Service has plans to build 44 new miles of ATV trail in the Allegheny National Forest. This proposal is being made even though the information before the agency supports a moratorium on new ATV trails as recommended by the Allegheny Defense Project in their Allegheny Wild! Proposal.
This massive ATV Trail Proposal would:
• Build 44 new miles of ATV Trail;
• Replace 10.8 miles of existing trail with 10.8 miles of brand new trail construction;
• Convert 5.7 miles of logging road to ATV trail;
• Construct two massive trailheads for 50 cars with trailers at each’
• Build four large overnight camping areas for ATVers; and
• Construct 0.7 miles of new logging road to replace logging road converted to ATV trail!
Illegal ATV Trail leaving FR 395 Trailhead Area. Click on Image to Zoom.
All of this proposed ATV trail work will be based in part on this areas designation as an “intensive use area” under an antiquated 1977 Environmental Impact Statement! The Forest Service is pursuing this wreckreation project even though most of the hiking trails on the forest remain closed as a result of a storm from last summer.
This proposal would impact a number of beautiful areas within the South Branch Willow Creek and Sugar Run Watersheds including the proposed South Branch Willow Creek and Sugar Run Natural Areas. In addition, this proposed trail would impact important Indiana Bat habitat and include new trail construction near the Allegheny Defense Project’s proposed Sugar Run Wilderness Area. These Special Areas are all proposed for permanent protection under the Act to Save America’s Forests.
Click on Image to Zoom. Proposed trail shown in brown. Red indicates existing snowmobile and thin black line represents existing trail.
The proposal intends to resolve illegal ATV riding in the Marshburg Area by building the riders a legal trail! In other words – instead of cracking down on illegal riders the Forest Service is building them free and legal access!
Increasing ATV access will not resolve illegal off-road riding problems – it will only create additional points of access for illegal riding to take place while causing increased conflicts with other forest users. The more trails, the more riders, the more trails they want. Public lands where hiking trails remain closed due to a windstorm that happened nearly one year ago is no place for 50 new miles of ATV Trails.
Although the state of Pennsylvania has stopped new ATV trail construction on state forest lands, the Forest Service is using state money intended for ATV planning on private lands in order to plan this new trail. To make matters worse the Forest Service used a very questionable process to acquire the state funds through McKean County Commissioners and a ATV special interest group.
In fact, a new emphasis on ATV-riding as the premier recreation agenda on the Allegheny National Forest resulted from a closed-door meeting held in Ludlow, PA, three years ago to which conservationists were not invited. The Forest Service then developed an illegally segmented recreation plan which calls for ATV as the holy grail of recreation plans. Once again the Forest Service is letting special interests dictate public lands management.
Write the Forest Service and ask that they develop a pro-recreation alternative that does not include new ATV Trails:
Supervisor Kevin Elliott
Allegheny national Forest
PO Box 847
Warren, PA 16365
E-mail Supervisor Elliott Now!
Update: We're having problems with the script for the action center so we've including a sample letter in the extended text to this post. Remember to modify your letter and maintain it as a custom letter.
Update II: The action center problem is fixed.
Dear Supervisor ElliottI am writing in response to the proposed Willow Creek ATV Trail Expansion.
I oppose the expansion of ATV trails within the Allegheny National Forest. There are already over 100 miles of ATV trails in the Allegheny, leading to major problems with illegal off-trail riding, soil erosion, and user conflicts with other recreationists. Increasing the amount of trails by this or any amount is simply going to exacerbate these problems and degrade the recreational value of the Allegheny National Forest. The Forest Service should stop its pursuit of this misguided objective and start promoting recreational uses that do not require massive amounts of fossil fuel consumption.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has placed a moratorium on new ATV trails in Pennsylvania's State Forests. At 2.1 million acres, the state forest system is approximately 4 times the land mass of the Allegheny. The fact that the DCNR has recognized there is absolutely no need for new ATV trails on state forest land because of sufficient mileage on private land is noteworthy. The Forest Service should be following the same land management principles and issue a moratorium on new trails in the Allegheny National Forest.
ATV's are dangerous for recreational users. There is an inherent notion due to advertising to engage in dangerous and illegal activities when riding ATV's. Every year there are a large number of accidents (mostly involving children) that results in some fatalities as well (Consumer Federation of America et al 2002). Between 1991 and 1995, fifty-one children were admitted to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's Trauma Unit (Consumer Federation of America et al 2002). At least one fatality was reported at the two Tour de Forest races held in the Allegheny in 2002. It is irresponsible for the Forest Service to be promoting this type of activity.
Increasing the amount of ATV trails is going to increase user conflicts in the Allegheny. ATV's create significant noise pollution which turns away other recreationists and harms wildlife. ATV's also cause significant soil erosion, a problem that has been well documented throughout the country. Increasing the amount of trails will result in increased soil erosion.
The Forest Service should withdraw this proposal and instead focus its efforts on maintaining and enhancing recreational activities which benefit a greater part of society while causing less harm to the environment and other forest users.
Sincerely,
Posted by jkleissler at 06:32 PM | Comments (10)
April 15, 2004
New ATV Trail Proposed
The Forest Service has proposed the "Willow Creek ATV Trail Expansion Project" up at South Branch Willow Creek in the northeast part of the Allegheny. I don't have a map to post right now but calling this an expansion is a bit misleading since I believe the "expansion" alone will be much longer (and spread out over much more national forest land) than the trail that exists there.
This of course has serious repercussions from a conservation point of view. The impact of ATVs on natural resources including wildlife habitat and stream quality are well documented. In truth this project is a total outrage in that regard.
The consequences are also very severe from public health and safety. This is already a major issue for the Allegheny. There have already been numerous documented injuries and at least one death on the forest due to rampant ATV use - particularly by minors. The trails are often poorly maintained and require extensive police force. Experience shows that more trails simply means more illegal use. And it also means more conflicts with other users - ATVs undermine the public's ability to use and enjoy the national forest.
It is also important to recognize that the development of these trails on private lands has really taken off and therefore public lands ATV trails are becoming unnecessary. This is why ADP has taken a position that there should be no new ATV trails in the Allegheny. The Bureau of Forestry has adopted an ATV trail moratorium on the state forests for this very reason.
The Forest Service is increasing responsiveness on these issues but they are still far, far short of where they need to be to be building more trails. And although we have not opposed these trails in the past the ATV groups have not shown a good example in responding to our concerns. For example, we raised concerns about the Tour de Forest, an ATV trail ride sponsored by the Marienville Fire Department. We didn't oppose it but asked that measures be taken to enhance public health and safety and environmental conservation. Instead we got this:
Sadly, my understanding is that one of the recent rides also had a fatality. This is unacceptable. ADP is not opposed to ATV riding in the Allegheny (though maybe we should be based on the evidence) but we do feel that there should be no new trails and riding should only be permitted so long as the ATV community shows more responsible ridership. Accountability is something that is a mandate for public lands management.
Posted by jkleissler at 05:24 PM | Comments (6)
September 22, 2003
ATV Killings
Somebody has got to take more aggressive action to control ATV use by minors. This is unbelievable. Six children driving on one ATV on a public road! It is also illegal.
Unfortunately, because of a lack of will in our political leadership and some irresponsible adults these children had to suffer. It is time to restrict the use of these vehicles by minors - and to take these restrictions seriously!
Click Here to View the Full Article
DOUGLAS, Ga. (AP) -- A car collided head-on with an all-terrain vehicle on a rural road, killing five children on the ATV and critically injuring a sixth, officials said.Charges were pending Monday against the car's driver, Amanda Michelle Troupe, 29, said Gordy Wright, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
The children were on the ATV when the Lincoln sedan crossed the centerline and hit the four-wheeler, said Joann Lacey, a radio operator in the Douglas state patrol post.
Wright said the state patrol's Specialized Collision Reconstruction team would investigate and present evidence, including the results of a blood test on Troupe, to the district attorney.
One of the children killed, 14-year-old Coranne Megan Nelson, was driving the off-road vehicle, which is not permitted on a public street, without a driver's license.
The other victims were Dustin Varnedore, 11, and his 13-year-old sister, Kayla, of Wray; Lindsay Joiner, 13, of Douglas and Courtney Arsenault, 10, of Alma.
Heather Bass, 13, of Ambrose, was flown by helicopter to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah, where she was listed Monday in critical condition.
...
Then check out this report (pdf format) on ATV safety.
Update: The Allegheny Trail Riders, a rather extreme bunch of ATV Riders (who many riders don't want to be affiliated with), has an interesting link atop their website to the ADP site for Allegheny Wild! The only thing is that they allege that the link is for our position on ATVs when in fact it is only a link to a reference we cite in our Allegheny Wild! report. Our position is in the report itself. This isn't the only misinformation on their site but it stuck out as being on top of the main page. This is unfortunately typical.
Posted by jkleissler at 01:48 PM | Comments (1)