Public to weigh in on four-wheelers in the forest

Officially, it is announced as a public review of travel management on public lands. In reality, it is a major effort by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to seek public comment on how much and where motorized use recreation should be allowed on public lands.

Public comments on this issue are being invited from all forest users at a series of six workshops to be held in Central Oregon during the coming weeks. One workshop will be held in Sisters on July 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Sisters High School. Others on the schedule include: July 11 — Prineville at Crook County High School; July 20 — Bend at Summit High School; July 26 — Madras at Madras Senior Center; July 27 — La Pine at La Pine High School; August 1 — Crescent Lake Junction at the fire hall.

All workshops will run from 6 to 9 p.m.

Operation of off-highway-vehicles (OHVs) is one of the fastest growing recreational activities on public lands. Because of this increase, federal land managers have been directed by their agencies to develop management plans to address this issue. Objectives of the plans are to provide consistency for this use across the nation, to enhance and secure public enjoyment for all uses, to better protect cultural and natural resources, and to address use conflicts between motorized and non-motorized users.

During the workshops, participants will be invited to respond to questions on this issue. Visitors to public lands will be asked what they value about visiting public lands for recreation. In addition, they can comment on their satisfaction with current roads and trails and how these transportation routes should be connected to communities. Finally, they will be asked about what is important to them on future travel and how they want to be involved in future discussions on this issue.

The increasing use of motorized vehicles has been of growing concern to many forest visitors. Those who enjoy this recreation have been increasingly concerned about restrictions placed on their use of public lands and the prospect of more to come. Non-motorized users have been critical of resource damage and loss of a quality experience in visiting public lands where OHVs are being operated.

A recent Forest Service report on attacks and threats to their employees has drawn fire from motorized users. The agency recently reported that the number of attacks and threats to personnel nationally increased from 34 in 1995 to 104 in 2004, and upwards to 477 in 2005. The nonprofit environmental advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility placed some of the blame for this increased violence on more motorized users on lands and waterways. That claim has been strongly denied by OHV organizations. The report did not include any numbers on violent incidents between forest user groups.

Newsletters announcing the workshops are being mailed to forest users on current mailing lists seeking comments. You also may go on line to http:/www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon and submit comments. Written statements may be mailed to Deschutes National Forest, 1001 S.W. Emkay Dr., Bend, OR 97702.