Panel: Permitting needed for responsible off-roading

Wednesday, March 6, 2002 | 9:59 a.m.

FALLON -- Participants in the Nevada Land-Use Summit called for new requirements governing off-road vehicle enthusiasts, including registration fees and the need for those venturing into federally managed areas to file land-use plans.

The participants -- among them environmentalists, ranchers, federal and state government officials -- said the proposed permitting process is necessary to stop the excesses of "a few bad apples" who are harming land and private property.

Ranchers, in particular, use the federal land for grazing and have sometimes invested thousands for equipment, fencing and other needs. Federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service also are concerned that some off-roaders have carved new trails through once inaccessible back country.

About 250 people split into nine groups. Most came back with very similar recommendations on how to curb problems caused by some off-road drivers.

The need is "to control proliferation of roads, damage to the environment and cultural resources," said Jane Feldman, a Las Vegas-area environmental activist.

"We need penalties and enforcement," she said.

People intending to drive into the federally managed lands should have to file "travel management plans" that indicate they will stay within pre-designated boundaries approved for such vehicle use. Those boundaries should be developed by local citizen groups, several groups reported.

Most groups also said registration fees for off-road permits and identification, which would be carried on the vehicles, would help curb misuse.

Jo Simpson, BLM communications chief in Nevada, said misuse has been a problem on federal land for the agencies involved, for ranchers and for animals and plants in those areas.

"Some people are not respectful of the land and people's property," she said. "Hopefully, that is a minority."

In Las Vegas off-road vehicle enthusiasts have argued with environmentalists over the creation of federally designated "wilderness areas," which would bar nearly all motorized vehicles. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign have proposed legislation that would create some wilderness areas in Clark County.

But the environmentalists and a handful of those who use and enjoy taking four-wheel drive and all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and even snowmobiles onto federal land did not have the same split Tuesday. Participants agreed that maintaining access is important.

Karen Boeger, a retired schoolteacher from Ely and a member of Friends of Nevada Wilderness, said the two groups can find common ground. Most off-road fans, she said, will respect the land if they know the rules.