Responses are needed *today*. See the recent issue of Iowa Sierran for more
details.


ORV Rules - Sierra Club Action Alert

Email (by Sept 13): [log in to unmask]

Fax (by Sept 13): 801-517-1014

At Issue:

The U.S. Forest Service recently announced plans to specify which roads and
trails are open to off-highway vehicles. The future of our National Forests
and the values they represent are threatened by growing and
uncontrolled use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes and other
off-road vehicles (ORVs), also known as off-highway vehicles (OHVs). As
written, the proposed rules will not protect our National Forests. Your
comments can help ensure that meaningful regulations are adopted.

Action Needed:

Please ask the Forest Service to improve its proposed off-road vehicle
rule, to better protect public lands and wildlife. Comments must be
received by September 13, 2004. Comments can be easily submitted through
the "Take Action" page of Sierra Club's website, by clicking on this url:

http://whistler.sierraclub.org/action/?alid=339

Comments can be submitted by electronic mail or fax TODAY:

Proposed Rule for Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use
c/o Content Analysis Team
P.O. Box 221150
Salt Lake City, UT 84122-1150

Email (by Sept 13): [log in to unmask]

Fax (by Sept 13): 801-517-1014

For More Information:

Sierra Club website: http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/orv/
NTWC website: http://www.naturaltrails.org/
Forest Service website: http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/

Message:

[if possible, it is good to begin with your personal knowledge, naming
specific places that you care about in National Forests that are damaged
and/or threatened by unmanaged off-road vehicles]

As a Sierra Club member, I strongly urge the Forest Service to include
additional measures in the final rule on national off-highway vehicle
policy to ensure basic protections for public land, wildlife and other
types of recreation. These would include:

* Complete off-road vehicle route designations within 2 years of the
effective date of the rule;

* Designate roads and routes, including any unauthorized renegade route,
for off-road use only after public participation and site-specific analysis
of environmental impacts and user-conflicts;

* Immediately end use of all unauthorized renegade ATV and dirt bike routes
pending site-specific study and official designation;

* Remove R.S. 2477 references as they are overly broad and potentially
violate the Congressional moratorium; and

* Ensure that roads and routes designated for off-road vehicle use can be
maintained, monitored, managed and enforced.

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