Spending time in the outdoors is a pastime for many Americans and that has recently become threatened. With the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872, Congress first solidified the commitment to preserving areas that were wild and pristine for recreational use. Forest Reserves, a predecessor of the National Forest system, were then set aside to further manage these precious outdoor sanctuaries. The formation of the National Park Service in 1916 was the final step "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Though in these modern days of fast food and rush hour traffic, there is a new threat that could not have been foreseen in the National Forests: off road vehicles (ORVs).

ORVs qualify a wide range of motorized vehicles: 3- and 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATV), snowmobiles, motorcycles, dune buggies, jeeps, etc. All of these vehicle are extremely damaging to areas that they operate in. ATV's in particular are one of the most detrimental, by way of the habitat they destroy while in use and the risks associated with use. The sheer numbers of injuries every year of people using ATV's provides some insight into how these vehicles are being used. A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics cites that "most injuries associated with ATVs occur when the driver loses control [...]" (1) In the 1998-1999 season alone, reports have shown that the number of injuries has jumped 20% and "is not explained by an increase in ATV's in use." (2) Even more disturbing though, is that of the 84,800 injuries in 1999 related to ATVs, over one-third (34%) were age 16 or less. (2) These are children who are not barley old enough to drive yet and have no concept of the dangers associated with ATV use. Plus, you would have to imagine that at least some of the 3,716 deaths that have occurred since 1982 from ATV use could have been prevented if medical attention was closer to the areas that use is heavy. (2) Putting a Hospital in the middle of the wood seems hardly logical though. If the BlueRibbon Coalition, the forefront opponent of ORV access limitations since 1987, is such an advocate of better education and safety for ORV users as it claims, then why are these upsetting statistics going up?

A recent experience of my own underscores the irresponsible and sometimes illegal uses that are undermining the efforts of conservationists and ORV users alike. At Evans Creek Campground, near the Northwest corner of Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington State, several rude riders spent all evening riding around on their noisy smog machines. This, despite even the clearly posted signs prohibiting OVR use after 9pm. It was not until 2am in the morning that they finally decided that the beer they had been drinking had the better of them and finally went to bed. The following morning they were rightfully awakened by the pounding of a park ranger on their motor home who took the time to discuss with them how the misuse of a few can Lead to the expulsion of all who share in their activity. I doubt that it had any effect on these delinquent individuals, but it was certainly reassuring to hear that the local park rangers are doing something about these renegade riders, at least in this case.

This type of destructive, high speed riding though, is what is causing the most damage to the areas that allow this use. The compacted soil and increased erosion left by repeated use of these heavy machines chokes nearby streams and buries new plants that are tying to sprout. The quality of air also suffers significantly, such as in Yellowstone, where winter snowmobile use has caused "carbon monoxide levels at the West Park Entrance [to be] routinely higher than federal air quality standards [...]"(3) It is absurd to think that these types of uses could be thought as equivalent to non-motorized (and non-polluting) uses like hiking and horseback riding. Especially since dirt bikes and ATVs are the most pollutant motorized vehicles in use, producing "118 times more smog-forming pollutants per mile than modern vehicles."(4) Now if you put 20 of these vehicles in close proximity of each other in the middle of the outdoors, this would be the equivalent of over 2,300 automobiles polluting the air.

Few actions have taken place to help curb the destruction and defaming of our National Forests. The Wilderness Act of 1964 helped to better define what exactly the policy would be towards designated wilderness areas. It explicitly prohibits use of motorized vehicles and the building of temporary roads. All of the current allocated wilderness areas are within the 192 million acres set aside for the National Forests.(5) Of these managed forest districts, less than 20% (35 million acres) are set aside for absolute Protection under the Wilderness Act.(5) The latest attempt to Hold onto these refuges and areas like it is now being stalled by the Bush administration. The Roadless Rule proposes to set another 31% of all the National Forest lands, that are Inventoried Roadless Areas, aside in order to maintain both the quality of life and resources we all take for granted.(6) Why would the Bush administration attempt to drop a plan that has received over 1.6 million public comments that overwhelmingly support saving these precious monuments?(7)

There has not been a resolution to date that has been able to address these concerns and they seem that they will linger forever while the problem continues to grow overwhelmingly. Banning the use of ORVs throughout the entire National Forest system should now be considered, because frankly this is not where they belong. Some might say that this is extreme, and that closing public lands to public use is not the solution. The reason these public lands were preserved though,  was "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife [...]". This particular type of use should be only allowed in controlled environments, such as dirt tracks and ORV parks, outside of primitive lands, closer to much needed medical facilities. Would you hold a NASCAR race far away from a Hospital, I think not. All who have lived in a big city have seen the effects that smog can cause when thousands of cars migrate during rush hour. Just a few of these vehicles can cause the same impact, and it is preposterous to allow the last remaining natural lands be subject to this same sort of problems as in our cities. Reckless misuse of just a few can leave areas in need of years of rehabilitation to return them to their original and natural pristine. With over 800,000 miles of roads crisscrossing the forests already and the total percentage of users who visit public lands for ORV use hovering at less than 10% (3), we should stop this kind of use before it becomes a real threat to our last remaining wild lands. What is threatened is not only the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the quality of life we live, but the whole world we live in.

1. Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. American Academy of Pediatrics. Volume 105, Number 6. All-Terrain Vehicle Injury Prevention: Two-, Three-, and Four-Wheeled Unlicensed Motor Vehicles (RE9855) June 2000
2. United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Annual Report: All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV)-Related Deaths and Injuries 1999
3. J. Robb Brady. Limits on Snowmobiles in Yellowstone Are Unavoidable. 8 May 1997 http://www.nonoise.org/news/1997/may4.htm
4. Aaron Viles. United States Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. The Blue Ribbon Coalition: Protector of Recreation or Industry? June 2000
5. United States Department of Agriculture. Land Areas Report 30 Sept. 2000, Tables 9 and 21.
6. United States Department of Agriculture. Roadless Area Conservation Federal Environmental Impact Statement. Appendix B
7. United States National Archives and Records Administration Federal Register. 36 CFR Part 294 Special Areas: Roadless Area Conservation; Final Rule. 12 Jan. 2001