Public Lands Foundation On OHV Use

[Grumpy]

PLF Position

1. OHV use is an established, legitimate use of the BLM administered lands in the National System of Public Lands, which must be managed in a manner consistent with the capability of the land to sustain the use, with due consideration for the impact of OHV use on the land, the resources and other land users.

2. Public lands should remain open and accessible to the public unless there is some valid resource-related or public safety reason to limit or prohibit public access in a specific area.

3. Vehicular access determinations need to be made at the local level through the BLM travel management planning process and with full public participation.

4. Existing road and trail systems, in most cases, are adequate for reasonable public access for both recreational and authorized resource uses. Most recreational OHV use should be confined to these existing roads and trails.

5. Existing roads and trails should remain open for public use unless the continued use of a specific road or trail is determined to be a significant threat to an endangered species or cultural resources, or damaging to important wildlife habitat, vegetation or soils on the land which the road or trail traverses.

6. Closing existing roads or trails to OHV use should be done in the context of the BLM travel management planning process with full public involvement, and appropriate closures should be visibly signed on the ground and marked on public land maps.

7. Valid reasons for vehicle operation off existing roads and trails include:

· permittees and leasees needing to carry out their authorized activities,

· resource managers needing to conduct management activities like resource studies and projects, and

· emergency workers involved in rescue activities and wildfire fighting

8. Retrieval of tagged big game with OHVs in “Limitedâ€