Motorized VS non-motorized backcountry

The debate about motorized vs non-motorized use of the National Forests heated up in western Montana recently as the Forest Service is holding meetings for people to present their viewpoints so they can update their travel management plan. The debate is largely about the use of ATVs and snowmobiles VS hiking biking and horseback riding. ATV sales have exploded in recent years changing the face of the backcountry in the northwest.

My view of the ATV situation is that it's getting out of control. If the situation in Montana is anything like it is with ATV use during hunting season in Eastern Washington then it is out of control and beyond the ability of the Forest Service to enforce the restrictions.

It was the ugliest meeting I've ever been to,” said Friends of the Bitterroot president Jim Miller. “It was very ugly and sad.”Miller said the crowd was heavily weighted in favor of pro-motorized recreation. People were “aggressive, belligerent and angry. ... The ‘f-word' was used more than once in comments.”“It was not a meeting that I would have liked to have my wife or kids at,” he said. At one point, as a woman spoke about wilderness, a man in the crowd allegedly said, “Put a bullet in her head.” His words were loud enough for a number of people to hear, including a Forest Service official.

(gosh I hope that wasn't one of my family who said that!..But attitudes like this don't surprise me. "put a bullet in her head." ? My gosh! I can't tell you how disappointed comments like this make me because I know people who would say such things. My dad would roll over in his grave if he heard this. How things have changed.)

The situation was intimidating for anyone who wanted to speak in favor of non-motorized recreation, Miller said.

Jim Hundley, of the Selway-Pintler Wilderness Backcountry Horsemen, called the meeting “basically a mob scene. It was very ugly and intimidating.”

Dan Thompson, of the Ravalli County Off-Road Users Association, agreed the meeting got out of hand.“We really regret the inappropriate behavior of a few people,” Thompson said. “Fortunately, they weren't members of our organization. ? Hopefully people will be better behaved and respectful in the future.”

I've heard the "behavior of a few people" argument used to explain why there are now ATV trails going everywhere in the woods despite restrictions. And they maintain these trails by hauling around a chain saw and cutting downed trees. It's clearly the behavior of quite a few people, not just a few people. It's also a management problem for the Forest Service and I think the meeting illustrates how far things have gotten out of control both in the meetings and in the backcountry.

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I have to add that I do think many people are responsible with ATVs and I've looked at the issue from both sides as I've ridden them around myself and have a number of friends who own both ATVs and snowmobiles. Having said that, I think this meeting speaks volumes about the conflict. That's me on the left in the photo above. I really enjoyed the ATV ride my friend treated me to.

The entire article is HERE .