Route Survey Project Introduction
Main
National Background
Over 55 years (1946 to 2000), the number of visitors to the National Forest System
increased by 18 times its previous figure; in 2002, the number of visitors reached 214
million. It is predicted that the U.S. population will double by 2100, leading
to an even further increase to the number of visitors to national forests. It is
expected growth in population and number of visitors will be accompanied by
pressures on undeveloped natural land for recreational purposes. The U.S. Forest
Service acknowledges that "rising use may trigger the need for increased management to protect natural
resources (http://www.fs.fed.us/
projects/four-threats/key-messages/unmanaged-recreation.shtml)."
Off-highway vehicle (OHV) use is one of the most rapidly
expanding forms of outdoor recreation. The U.S. Forest Service reports that the
number of OHV owners and users has increased from about 5 million in 1972 to 36 million in 2002.
Of visits to National Forests, approximately 11 million, or 5 percent involve
the use of OHVs.
More than 90 percent of the 177 National Forests and Grasslands have roads, routes and/or areas open to off-road vehicles.
In 2001, the U.S. Forest Service reported that National Forests contained more than 460,000 miles of roads. Data from 2004 indicates that more than 273,000 miles of forest roads and other routes are open to off-road vehicles. On some National Forests,
OHVs can travel almost without limit over hundreds of thousands, even millions, of
acres; in 2001, the Forest Service estimated that National Forests were crisscrossed with 60,000 miles of user-created
roads.
Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth acknowledged this
management challenge in a speech given on Earth Day 2003. He highlighted four "great
threats" facing National Forests, including unmanaged recreation and off-road vehicle use.
He spoke about the explosion in illegal, user-created routes that lead to
"erosion, water degradation, habitat destruction, damage to archeological
sites and user conflicts", stating that " We have got to improve our management so we get responsible recreational use based on sound outdoor ethics."
In addition to this present call to action by the Chief,
there are 2 key pieces of legislation from the past giving the Forest Service
authority and responsibility to control off-road vehicle use on public lands.· Executive Order 11644, issued by President Nixon in 1972, states that "the use of off-road vehicles on public lands will be controlled and directed so as to protect the resources of those lands, to promote the safety of all users of those lands, and to minimize conflicts among various uses of those lands."
Executive Order 11989, issued by President Carter in 1977, requires that federal land managers
close areas to off-road vehicles where their use "will cause or is causing considerable adverse effects on soil, vegetation, wildlife, wildlife habitat or cultural or historic resources …. until such time as [the manager] determines that such adverse effects have been eliminated and that measures have been implemented to prevent future recurrence."
In response to the mandate set forth by Chief Bosworth and
the existing Executive Orders, the Forest Service is revising its policy
governing the use of motorized vehicles. At the national level, the Forest
Service is seeking to develop a manageable system of roads and trails that will
still allow opportunities for motorized and non-motorized recreation, while
enhancing protection of natural and cultural resources.
California's 5-Step
Strategy
Locally, land managers from individual forests will conduct a
similar process to achieve a balance between OHV use and resource protection.
Therefore, over the next four years, national forests in California will attempt
to maintain recreation opportunities and protect resources by designating a system of roads, trails and
areas specifically defined for OHV use. This effort includes a 5-step process
(outlined in the Region 5 OHV Route Designation Guidebook) for designating
off-highway vehicle routes on the 19 National Forests in California. This
process includes developing an inventory of routes and trails used by OHVs, proposing a system of routes from the inventory, and
finally, designating those routes for OHV use.
Our Role on the Inyo
National Forest
Covering over 2 million
acres along the Eastern Sierra, the Inyo National Forest is littered with over
5500 miles of roads. On
the Inyo National Forest, the inventory of existing routes, trails, and open areas used by
OHVs was completed by the Forest Service as of July 1, 2005. In accordance
with the 5 step process, the Forest will proceed to Step 2 which requires the
issuance of a temporary Forest Order prohibiting wheeled vehicle use off of
mapped routes. Land managers estimate that they will begin working on Step 3: proposing routes for OHV
designation in fall/winter 2005.
In an independent study,
Friends of the Inyo surveyed many routes in various sections of the Forest. By
completing an additional route survey, Friends of the Inyo has gained valuable
data that can be used to supplement the data found by the Forest Service.
Browsing through our website will show that our research could be critical in
helping the Forest Service to achieve the following goals of Step 3: