Boulder News

GUEST COMMENTARY

Reallocate Colorado OHV Funds

By David Lein, Guest Writer, 3-16-10

dAVID lEIN

I grew up hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, trapping and canoeing amidst America’s national forests and other public lands, spending as much time as possible in the outdoors, and I’m an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) user.  I use ATVs while hunting each fall and understand the attraction of these motorized vehicles. 

However, hunters and many others know that experiencing the outdoors should not be a mechanized, sedentary activity. In my opinion, ATV use for hunters (and others) should be a practical aid in moving gear, setting up camps, and getting to trailheads. Their use should not be part of the actual outdoors-hunting experience itself. Unfortunately, for many (maybe most) ATV users, this activity is no longer about experiencing the outdoors; it’s about the thrill.

There are thousands of miles of roads and trails across Colorado and the nation open for ATV use, but we have a responsibility to maintain a balance out in the woods.  Right now, I’m here to tell you, that balance is far out of whack. The result: An extensive and growing network of unauthorized, user-created ATV routes that crisscross the landscape and damage critical wildlife habitat.

To help offset the escalating damage resulting from public lands ATV overuse and abuse, the Colorado State Parks OHV Program, which is funded by a $25.25 annual registration fee on OHVs, has some $3.2 million available each year. But the program currently awards over 90% of the $3.2 million in grants to federal land OHV projects, and very little money goes directly to OHV enforcement or OHV-related restoration. Primarily, the funds are spent for maintenance of existing system routes.

Based on conversations with Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management field staff in Colorado, they state that there are three pillars of responsible OHV management: Maintenance, Restoration, and Enforcement. At present, only one of these pillars is being adequately funded by the OHV program. It is fair and reasonable to expect that the State OHV program do more to help fund these other needs.

Over 40 diverse Colorado groups (collectively representing over 110,000 sportsmen, conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts, landowners, recreationists, counties, former agency law enforcement officers and biologists, etc.) signed and submitted a proposal back in November 2009 to reallocate some of these funds to restoration and enforcement. This was followed with over 4,000 support emails, phone calls, and letters to the State Parks Director and Board members in January alone.

Public lands managers and users need to recognize that the vast majority of people who visit our national forests and other public lands go there to enjoy the wild and natural world in peace and quiet. Motorized recreation has its place, but that minority does not have the right to ruin the experiences of everyone else. Americans and Coloradoans want responsible access to our public lands, but if we live in a world where anything goes, soon there will be nothing left.

In a certain mindset, said Charlie Meyers of The Denver Post, the outdoor resource isn’t worth much unless you can drive to it and unfold a lawn chair. Apart from this geriatric concern, we have the surety that an added lattice of roads and trails will further diminish Colorado’s wildlife habitat--clogging streams with more sediment while pushing deer and elk farther back into a shrinking wilderness.

Several other western states such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and California have already recognized this problem and passed legislation directing OHV registration funds toward addressing the total impact of OHV use, dedicating significant funding to law enforcement and restoration of damaged areas.  It’s time for Coloradoans to follow in their footsteps.

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