June 11th, 2007

Oregonian: Mt. Hood Forest draws lines around off-roaders

Oregonian, Sunday, June 10, 2007 MICHAEL MILSTEIN

Mount Hood National Forest wants to squeeze buzzing all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles down to six designated playgrounds, part of a national push by the U.S. Forest Service to control roaming off-roaders who tear up the landscape.

ATVs and dirt bikes now have the run of the forest, although they're not supposed to travel off established forest roads and trails. Problem is: Some do, ripping up the ground, causing erosion and sometimes illegally driving into protected wilderness areas.

"Compared to some parts of the country, it's not out of control yet," said Malcolm Hamilton, recreation manager for the forest. "But the potential is there as more of these vehicles are out there."

Forest Service chiefs have listed off-road-vehicle damage among the top threats to national forests, and all forests are devising plans to control them -- with target dates by 2009. But the federal move to limit riding comes as the popularity booms, making it one of Oregon's fastest-growing recreational pursuits.

The 1.1-million-acre Mount Hood is the most-visited national forest in the Northwest, and the fifth-busiest in the country. A little more than 1 percent of its 4.4 million visitors -- roughly 45,000 people -- ride off-highway vehicles there, visitor surveys indicate.

And where they roam is a polarizing question.

"You either ride ATVs or you don't want to be around them," said Alex Brown of Bark, an environmental watchdog group focused on Mount Hood Forest.

Some riders favor controlled riding areas like those proposed, but argue that Mount Hood isn't dedicating enough space for them. Environmental and hiking groups say the forest provides for off-roaders but ignores the needs of others, such as hikers forced to use failing forest roads that date to the days of large-scale logging.

Forest roads today are open to ATVs and dirt bike-style motorcycles unless the Forest Service closes them, which rarely happens. Forests are now reversing that, closing roads and trails to the vehicles unless they specifically designate the roads open.

An initial draft shuts about 90 percent of the forest's unpaved, high-clearance roads to off-highway vehicles, leaving them to roam roughly 100 miles of roads plus about 120 miles of more primitive trails inside six zones across the forest. The zones generally include currently popular riding areas.

Call for comments

The Forest Service would seek money from state gas taxes to link some roads and trails within those areas, providing riders more routes. But the first step will be to ask for public comment and complete an environmental analysis.

The new proposal means that Bob Auxier and his wife, Nita, of Milwaukie, could no longer ride ATVs from the back door of their Rock Creek getaway on the east side of Mount Hood. Instead, they'd have to load the vehicles onto a trailer and haul them to a designated riding spot.

"It's about the only way we can enjoy the remote areas," said Auxier, 57, who attended one of two recent public meetings on the subject. "We don't have the knees and hips to go and hike."

The Auxiers said the new limits would force riders into smaller spaces, crowding out those who want a more peaceful experience.

The Auxiers' Rock Creek neighbor, Kathy Bashor, has multiple sclerosis and said ATVs are her only way into the forest.

She despises scofflaw riders. "It's like we're being punished for what they're doing," she said. "I'd like to wallop them upside the head."

Others complain that the Forest Service has made it difficult for nonriders to join the discussion. Officials considered holding a meeting about the new plan at the headquarters of the Mazamas mountaineering group in Portland, but dropped the idea when some riders said they'd feel uncomfortable there, said Rick Acosta, a Mount Hood spokesman.

Heather Campbell of the Mazamas said the Forest Service is paying attention to off-highway riding, but ignoring the rest of its decaying road system. Eroding roads leave others without access, she said, citing the road to popular Ramona Falls, closed because of storm damage last winter.

"Where are the roads they are going to maintain for family campers, for hiking, for fishing, for kayakers?" she said.

The national forest has only four law enforcement officers, and she questioned how well they could enforce limits across its sprawling acreage.

Forest officials said they would rely heavily on riders to police themselves.

Clubs hire deputies

The Northern Oregon Motorcycle and ATV Club obtained grant money from the state to pay for extra sheriff's deputies to patrol over Memorial Day weekend around Rock Creek Reservoir, said President Neal Bursell. He said controlled riding areas such as the Forest Service is proposing would help keep the area safe and family-friendly.

"We have had problem people out here," he said. "When they designate areas, we'll be able to control the out-of-control people."

But he said the proposed areas can't handle everyone who will use them.

"It's going to crowd too many machines into too small an area," he said.

Michael Milstein: 503-294-7689; [email protected]