Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest - ATV's?

[SnakeEyes]

I received an e-mail from a co-worker with a link to a Sierra Club petition about ATV use in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Does anyone have any comments on this? Is this a real issue? I would like to talk to her about this.

Here is the e-mail:

Dear ****,
The majestic Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, a jewel of the Northern Cascades, is facing a steady, unrelenting invasion from motorized vehicles. 
Destructive dirt bikes and four-wheel ATVs are carving up this spectacular landscape -- endangering precious wildlife habitat, ruining peaceful world class recreation, and jeopardizing our water quality.
Sign our petition demanding that the U.S. Forest Service protect the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest from destructive motorized vehicles.
In the coming months the Forest Service will have the opportunity to protect the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest by recommending sensitive areas for Wilderness designation -- the highest level of protection possible.
But it is up to you and me to make sure that they carry out their mission to protect our beloved wild places.
Urge the Forest Service to do its job and recommend additional Wilderness designations for some of the Okanogan-Wenatchee's most critical and spectacular places.
Endangered Canada lynx and northern spotted owl thrive within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest's lush old growth forests while outdoor enthusiasts enjoy world-class recreation on hundreds of miles of hiking trails and waterways.
But without Wilderness designation, high-powered dirt bikes and snowmobiles will overtake the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Precious wildlife habitat is being carved up as roads and trails criss-cross and divide the landscape. The hiking paths and streams that attract thousands of visitors a year and fuel local economies are being torn up and made unusable.
Tell the U.S Forest Service to protect the natural beauty and peace and quiet of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest by recommending additional Wilderness designations.
It is up to us to ensure that the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and its spectacular places are not allowed to fall victim to a steady invasion from motorized vehicles.
Thank you for all you do to protect Washington's wild places,
Graham Taylor
Sierra Club

[hirshey]

I don't know specifically what locations they are referring to, but there is an ATV/motorcycle trail that connects the north shore of Chelan to the Methow... they have discussed closing it down for a long time. In fact, my newer Green Trails map no longer designated it an ATV trail and I thought I was in the wilderness and chewed out a motorcyclist this past season...  My appologies to Mr. Idaho rider.

It is kind of a silly motorcycle trail because it pretty much has the Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wildnerness on both sides... the only reason it isn't designated wilderness is to remain open to moto-traffic.

I'm not really on board with the majority of the Sierra Club's pet projects right now, however.. Have you gotten the pamplets in the mail about stopping the wolf hunts? They are completely emotionally-driven pieces of literature meant to snag the heartstrings of persons not educated about both sides of the arguement... so I'm wondering if this plea is similar.. especially if they didn't provide specific locations to eliminate ATV use. Really, the opportunities for ATV riding are fairly limited on those forests already, and as much as I don't really like seeing their use because of the few but ever-present irresponsible riders that erode areas other than designated roads and trails, it seems like if they don't have a place to operate legally you again just take opportunities away from the the honest citizen and make petty criminals of the rest.

[netcoyote]

I used to follow this stuff more, but not so much lately. At one time I believe that for ANY area to be proposed for "wilderness" designation it could not EVER have contained any roads. Maybe they are not drawing a distinction between a "road" for full size vehicles, a "road" for an ATV (maybe that falls under the trail designation), or maybe they just aren't as picky as they used to be.

If they are now willing to overlook the requirement that an area has never been scarred by a road, then that leaves most ALL FS land capable of a potential wilderness designation. Maybe this needs a little more investigation.

Far be it for Sierra Club to split hairs over a rule if it helps their cause.

[hirshey]

I used to follow this stuff more, but not so much lately. At one time I believe that for ANY area to be proposed for "wilderness" designation it could not EVER have contained any roads. Maybe they are not drawing a distinction between a "road" for full size vehicles, a "road" for an ATV (maybe that falls under the trail designation), or maybe they just aren't as picky as they used to be.

If they are now willing to overlook the requirement that an area has never been scarred by a road, then that leaves most ALL FS land capable of a potential wilderness designation. Maybe this needs a little more investigation.

Far be it for Sierra Club to split hairs over a rule if it helps their cause.

I don't think they are as picky anymore... I think the Wild Sky and Alpine Lakes wildernesses both had old decomissioned logging roads in them... Also, the area in the Lake Chelan Sawtooths is motorcycle only... for all intents and purposes it is just a trail motorcycles ride on.

It will be interesting to see what happens...

[Skyvalhunter]

A large portion of the Wild Sky is second growth timber which has old logging roads and doesn't fit the true designation of Untrammeled area. Besides it is split in portion by the Beckler river road.
As for geting from the North Shore to the Methow you have to go up a forest Service road for several miles to access the South Naverra trail

[Elkaholic daWg]

A large portion of the Wild Sky is second growth timber which has old logging roads and doesn't fit the true designation of Untrammeled area. Besides it is split in portion by the Beckler river road.
As for geting from the North Shore to the Methow you have to go up a forest Service road for several miles to access the South Naverra trail

  So true. I referred to it as the wild lie.

[washelkhunter]

Sign me up. 

[Elkaholic daWg]

Sign me up. 

  Resistance is futile!

[washelkhunter]

Sign me up. 

  Resistance is futile!

Its sad, it really is. If you fail to police yourselves and abide buy the laws and rules, then others will step in to do that for you and thats the way it works. ATV'ers have no one to blame but themselves for the additional restrictions that are about to befall them. Ce Le Vie

[Elkaholic daWg]

Americans are systematically advocating, legislating, and voting away each others rights. Support all user groups and quit losing opportunity.

[kckrawler]

Whats sad is as a kid, my family (dad, mom, my little sister, and I) would load up the 1972 Ford with 4 bikes and a 19 foot Terry trailer and head for the hills almost every weekend and now that I'm starting my own family, I can't do it...we didn't tear up roads and trails, we didn't litter, we just enjoyed the outdoors together. The majority of riders aren't the ones ruining it, in fact, the ones ruining it probably aren't riders at all  Go ahead and support it washelk but don't come crying to me when they get bored with atvs and start aiming at decommissioning all NF roads...and they will.  Doesn't "WildWash" sound so much nicer than "WildSky" ? Support them now and it will eventually catch up to you...

[TheHunt]

I think we need to have a Hunt-wa trail ride on that trail.  I am up for it and I now many of the Hunt-Wa members have bikes.

[Moose22]

Americans are systematically advocating, legislating, and voting away each others rights. Support all user groups and quit losing opportunity.

 

[norsepeak]

I think we need to have a Hunt-wa trail ride on that trail.  I am up for it and I now many of the Hunt-Wa members have bikes.

Totally agree.  I grew up like a lot of folks with my parents loading up the 1965 motorhome, the jeep and the bikes and heading for the hills.  We rode and jeeped all over the mountains enjoying the mountains.  We didn't tear up trails or roads, we picked up truckloads of trash, we used to help the forest service with trail maintenence.  Now I can't do the same things with my daughter, because of whackos like this who want to shut the mountians down.  The funny thing is the people who whine about keeping things pristine and beautiful in the high country only go up there once or twice a year, while the motorized users are up there a lot more injoying it.  Seems like they just want to KNOW that nobody is up there even though they are not using it.

[hirshey]

I think we need to have a Hunt-wa trail ride on that trail.  I am up for it and I now many of the Hunt-Wa members have bikes.

As far as I know it is not one trail system they are targeting.. If they are concerned about lynx it has to be property abutting loomis state forest.. Also a giant trail ride might fuel the opposition due to concentrated trail damage.. Perhaps a well organized atv trail improvement project would better demonstrate the positives of the atv community.