Ozark National Forest Proposed Rules for 4 - wheelers

Provisions of the newly adopted Forest Management Plan for the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, in accordance with the National Off-Highway Vehicle Policy, have taken huge steps to reduce the impact of Off-Highway Vehicles effective January 1, 2007.  The new rules limit OHVs to designated roads and trails only; non-designated roads anywhere in the general Forest area are open only to highway legal, licensed motor vehicles. 

The major question concerning this new policy implementation is, will it hold up to the vociferous complaints and heavily financed lobbying of the OHV industry?  This largely depends on the Ozark Society and other conservationists to lobby in support of the U.S. Forest Service policy.  At the public information meetings the Forest Service held this summer across the state, there was certainly little evident support for the Forest Service.  There were a lot of hurried user group meetings held in the hallways where this writer attended. They were obviously not there discussing their next picnic.     

To add icing to the cake, the Forest Service proposes an annual OHV pass for about $40 to operate any OHV on the Forest trail systems.  If implemented, this OHV pass fee would help pay for area-specific maps and brochures, trail maintenance, OHV Rangers and increased law enforcement, perhaps increased trail construction, better blazing and signing, perhaps increased facilities, and rehabilitation of over-used areas and establishment of a monitoring system.  Arkansas residents already must have their OHVs registered with Arkansas Department of Revenue for a one time fee of $10.  This registration requires that a decal be permanently placed on the OHV, but since it is not readable as the OHV passes by, it unfortunately does not facilitate identification for law enforcement.

The existing trail systems specifically designed to accommodate OHVs, Mill Creek, Brock Trail, Huckleberry Mountain Horse Trail (Horse?!!!), and Moccasin Gap Horse Trail (Horse?!!!), remain open to OHVs.  Under Arkansas laws which are observably ignored, state and county roads remain closed to OHVs except for special situation exemptions.

The Sylamore Ranger District, like the others, has been over-run with unauthorized OHV renegade trails and operation of OHVs on roads across the District.  The new policy closes virtually all of the renegade trails as well as operation even on heavily used traditional roads such as Barkshed Road, where expanded timber operations are expected in the near future.  Only dead end fragments of former routes remain authorized.  Congressman Berry has been holding public listening meetings to hear the complaints of Mountain Home area operators and industry advocates as they strive to overturn these restrictions. 

This clampdown, so long overdue, will allow some of the impact of OHVs to heal to some degree.  It will reduce user conflicts, improve safety for everyone, including OHV operators to the extent maniac operators are controlled by law enforcement, reduce or even eliminate engine noise from some areas, but most of all, the ground impact will be coming under some control for the first time since OHVs became publicly available. 

This policy will probably last no more than a year or two unless you help the Forest Service by writing letters to your congressmen and senators in strong support of this policy.  Take the time to drop a line to the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, 605 W. Main St., Russellville, AR 72801 www.fs.fed.us/oonf to thank them for taking the heat and doing what is right.