Interesting Read From Bend Paper

[Grumpy]

The following is a guest opinion in today' Bend Bulletin newspaper. It is excellently written.

Don’t lock OHV users out of our national forests
By Ethan Lodwig / Bulletin guest columnist

Published: March 16. 2010 4:00AM PST

Properly designed multiple-use trail systems can be sustainable and are a valuable resource for the public’s enjoyment. Trail systems that are properly designed can mitigate problems with enforcement and user-created trails. People have no desire to go off the trail when they are given a quality trail experience. Multiple-use trail systems can be enjoyed by everyone: hikers, people with disabilities, hunters, mountain bikers, etc. Often off-highway vehicle users volunteer their time in the maintenance and construction of trails. There are many examples of sustainable and successful multiple-use trail systems in Oregon that have been used for decades.

Recently, there was an editorial article that mentioned that an OHV system in the Ochoco National Forest would only benefit a very few people. There was a study conducted in the Ochoco National Forest (ONF) from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2000 (“National Visitor Use Monitoring Results, September 2001, USDA Forest Service, Region 6, Ochoco National Forestâ€