|
Trail Riders
Encouraged by Recent Decision on Mississippi
National Forest
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Motorcyclists and other
off-highway-vehicle users are encouraged that
their voices will be more clearly heard in the
on-going development of a U.S. Forest Service
plan that outlines the future use of the
Mississippi National Forest.
In response to an administrative appeal filed
by various groups, including the Memphis
Motorcycle Club (MMC) and the BlueRibbon
Coalition (BRC), with the support of the
American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), the
Forest Service has withdrawn a Travel Management
Plan for the Mississippi National Forest. In a
statement, the Forest Service said the move
would allow the "consideration of additional
analysis to be documented in the project
record."
"This is what we asked for in our appeals,
and we hope to be able to seize the opportunity
of a new process to defend our historical access
to previously undesignated trails in these
forests," stated Mark Story with the MMC. "We
appreciate the difficulty of the Forests' task
and the effort they put forth, but felt that it
was important that at least some of these routes
be considered in a viable decision option. As
the rule itself states, a few of these routes
provide valuable recreation opportunities while
enhancing the agency's ability to create a
well-designed and manageable network of
sustainable trails that will minimize potential
adverse effects to the environment."
The Forest Service sought to implement the
direction of the national 2005 Travel Management
Rule, which requires units of the National
Forest System to transition to a managed system
of vehicle use on designated roads, trails and
areas. The September 2008 Mississippi Forests
travel plan decision designated approximately
127 miles of roads for off-highway vehicle (OHV)
use, as well as approximately 144 miles of
motorized trails, but refused to even consider
for official designation the hundreds of miles
of trails that have previously been created and
traveled under prior "open" forest management
but never included in the forests' formal
transportation system.
Added BRC Public Lands Policy Director Brian
Hawthorne, "The OHV community supports limiting
motorized vehicles to designated routes and
areas. We understand that not every route open
today will remain open. But what we do not
support is the Forest Service refusing to even
consider designating the existing routes that
are so popular with Forest visitors."
AMA Government Affairs Manager Royce Wood
added, "AMA clubs are committed to helping the
Forest Service designate travel networks that
can be actively and effectively managed to
provide for diverse recreational opportunities
while conserving the physical environment. We
hope the Forest Service will consider us a
resource to effectively manage this popular
activity."
The Mississippi units include the Bienville,
De Soto, Homochitto, Delta, Holly Springs and
Tombigee National Forests. Collectively, they
compose 1.2 million acres of public land and
include the state's most beautiful landscapes
and opportunities for recreational activities,
such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking,
horseback riding, driving for pleasure and
simply enjoying the outdoors.
About the American Motorcyclist
Association
Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected
the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come
from all walks of life and they navigate many
different routes on their journey to the same
destination: freedom on two wheels. As the
world's largest motorcycle organization with
nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for
motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local,
state and federal government, the committees of
international governing organizations and the
court of public opinion. Through member clubs,
promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more
motorsports competition events than any other
organization in the world. Through its
Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA
preserves the heritage of motorcycling for
future generations. For more information, visit
www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
|
