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Tahoe National Forest proposes closure of 2,450 miles of off-road-vehicle trails05-10-07 | News

Tahoe National Forest proposes closure of 2,450 miles of off-road-vehicle trails




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California has the highest level of off-highway vehicle (OHV) use of any state, with over three-quarter of a million registered ATVs and OHV motorcycles.


Last fall, Tahoe National Forest (TNF) officials, with participation of various outside groups, located and mapped 110 trails within the TNF, then recommended closure of about 2,450 miles of ?EUR??,,????'??unauthorized?EUR??,,????'?? OHV trails to halt erosion and the impact on wildlife. Some of the unauthorized trails TNF wants to protect are historic mining trails.

TNF says it will add 50 miles of OHV trails to the system, for a total of 810 authorized miles of motorized trails to manage. TNF also proposes adding a 60-acre wheeled motorized area and allowing OHV on a three-mile stretch of roadway where it currently isn?EUR??,,????'???t allowed.

The U.S. Forest Service considers unmanaged OHV riding one of ?EUR??,,????'??four key threats facing the nation?EUR??,,????'???s forests and grasslands.?EUR??,,????'?? Phil Horning, TNF landscape architect, finds damage to forests from dirt bikers and ATVs going off the trails unacceptable.

A draft environmental impact report will come out in September, followed by a 45-day comment period.




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