Ranger district contends with off-road vehicles

Off-road vehicle use has caused resourse damage statewide at an increased rate. photo by Jim Fisher Off-road vehicles are tearing up forest land around Sisters.

The Sisters Ranger District has a growing concern with the increased use of the forest by off-highway vehicles (OHV) causing resource damage, according to Kevin Foss, lead field ranger for the district.

Foss works with all recreation activities outside of wilderness. While the greatest increase has been with the four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATV), visits by dirt bikes and large four-wheel-drive trucks also are increasing. Records show that statewide the number of four-wheelers, dirt bikes, dune buggies, snowmobiles and other ATVs has increased by nearly 87 percent in the past decade.

The resource damage occurring includes erosion and compaction of sensitive soils, damage to plants and waterways, and impact on wildlife.

Local areas where the Forest Service is seeing resource damage are in the Meadow Lakes area near the Santiam Pass, Squaw Creek Canyon and Black Pine Springs south of Sisters, the Metolius Basin and Stevens Canyon north of Sisters.

Other forest visitors are seeing this damage and expressing their concerns to the Forest Service, Foss said.

"The issue is really multi-tiered," Foss said. "Sales of ATVs have been significantly increasing, especially in the past five years. This has led to a growing number of forest visitors using these vehicles as a form of recreation."

Foss explained that originally when ATVs came on the scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s, they were primarily a tool used by farmers and ranchers to get around in their work. These first ATVs were unstable three-wheelers and as more young people starting riding them in recreation, many were hurt. That led to an end in production of the three-wheelers, producing a lull in their use in the forests for a few years.

Then, about 10 years ago, "quad" four-wheelers, a more stable vehicle, came on the market. They became more accepted as a recreational vehicle for families, including their kids.

"What these families want is an experience in riding their ATV or motorcycle in the forest instead of being in a car," Foss said. "There is an advantage here that you can take in more of the outdoor experience this way. The question that keeps coming up with us is how many of our ATV and motorcycle users are really truly riding around at a reasonable speed enjoying the forest environment versus those that are using the vehicles primarily for thrill riding."

Foss added that the Forest Service has not yet made surveys to know what the percentages of each major use are, but they are seeing an increase in the "play riding" over normal recreational riding in the district.

Foss explained that the district road system is open to all ATVs with the exception of major roads, such as Three Creeks Road.

Another issue involves sharing trails by ATV riders, horses, mountain bikers, and hikers.

"ATVs usually don't share roads and trails well with these other forest users, but with increased use, there may be more of this in the future," Foss said. "However, we have thousands of miles of forest roads open for ATVs."

A growing problem with ATVs is the "pioneering" of new trails where a rider, seeking a new experience, rides through the forest creating a new trail. They are interested in testing both their equipment and their own riding skills. This new trail can be a hill climbing one or through a wetland. Other riders follow this rider until a new trail is in use, one not designed by engineers to minimize soils erosion and prevent resource damage.

Much of the Sisters Ranger District along the Cascade crest has fragile soils that are damaged by heavy vehicle use.

"ATV riders using the forest in this way don't necessarily comprehend the damage that they are doing," Foss said. "Therefore, we are spending more time out in the heavily used areas talking to riders and explaining how they can enjoy the forest and avoid this damage."

Foss now has four assistants out almost every day talking to ATV riders, monitoring new damage, and placing closure signs in areas where damage is occurring.

"It is more effective to educate users and then have them talk to their friends, rather than to apply strict law enforcement to first-time violators," Foss said.

Foss and his assistants are already seeing some improving through their efforts this summer. However, he added that there might be more citations issued in the future leading to fines of $50 to $500.

"Unfortunately, we do not have areas in the Sisters Ranger that we can designate as 'ATV play areas' because of our fragile soils," he said. "On the Willamette National Forest to the west and elsewhere on Deschutes National Forest east of Bend, there are these designated areas and trail systems for ATVs."

The Sisters Ranger District is not alone in addressing the growing use of ATVs and resulting resource damage. Across the country, other national forests are having similar experiences. This has led to the Forest Service working with ATV user organizations and the public in drafting a national policy.

The public comment period on this draft national policy recently closed. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth is expected to approve a final policy possibly as early as this month and most certainly before the end of the year.

The national policy will then be a guide for each national forest and ranger district to develop a management plan for their local area.

"We see ATV recreational riding on national forests as a legitimate forest recreation use," Foss said. "Through personal contacts and education, we hope to allow this use to exist without resource damage and limiting the need for law enforcement."