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    • State Mulls Restricting Off-Road Vehicles In Forests Save Email Print
    Proposal would limit off-road vehicles to certain roads, trails
    14 comments
    A | A | A

    Nebraska forest officials are considering restricting off-road vehicles at the state's national forests and grasslands.

    The proposed rules would confine off-road vehicles to designated roads and trails. There are now few restrictions.

    The changes could also affect hundreds of miles of roadways and trails now open to both highway and off-road vehicle traffic.

    Open houses to discuss the changes are planned for January in Valentine, Chadron, North Platte and Grand Island.

    Areas that would be affected include the Nebraska National Forest Bessey Unit near Halsey, the Samuel McKelvie National Forest near the confluence of the Snake and Niobrara rivers and the Nebraska National Forest Pine Ridge Unit near Chadron.

    The Oglala National Grassland in the northwest corner of the state would also be affected.
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    Posted by: TD on Jan 6, 2008 at 07:39 PM
    Off road riding has become even more popular around the Country it is to bad that the State of Nebraska would like to take this away from our kids.Taking away areas for kids to ride off road will only move them to the street to ride motorcycles which we all know the safety concerns of the streets.I have read some of the other comments and all riders are not immature drunken idiots.We are parents looking to enjoy family time with our kids on weekends after week of work and school.I don't believe Nebraska has enough places for off road riders to go now.Let's remember *Nebraska The Good Life*
    Posted by: Scott Bonacci on Jan 1, 2008 at 10:15 PM
    we have been riding in Bessey forest for 40 years & it looks the same today as it did then.The only thing that has changed out there is the cattle are ruining the land scape.
    Posted by: Laura on Dec 30, 2007 at 05:07 PM
    This seems like an important decision to protect our parks, the wild life, and people using the parks. When I've seen these recreational ATV users, they all appear to be underage, immature, often drunk, and usually reckless. It's more important to protect our parks and wildlife than to provide more recreational space for this group. They have places to ride other than state parks. Personally, I think dirt bikes and ATVs should have user fees so high, if they do not have a legitimate commercial purpose, that they all but disappear.
    Posted by: Dustin on Dec 30, 2007 at 03:46 PM
    I guess I'll continue to go to Iowa etc. to ride my atv. Allowing ATV's in Nebraska wouldn't allow our wonderful state to maintain it's 'holier than thou' immage. So I'll take my red neck four wheeler and red neck money somewhere else.
    Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 30, 2007 at 03:10 PM
    IT IS ABOUT TIME!!!!!
    Posted by: Z on Dec 30, 2007 at 10:11 AM
    Let's slowly take everything that is fun to people away. This is stupid. Lets just make it so everyone stays home and sits on the couch doing drugs. What is this country coming to.
    Posted by: VANCE on Dec 30, 2007 at 10:03 AM
    Public lands don't need to be scared with trails and washs out caused by ATV's and 4x4.
    Posted by: jd on Dec 30, 2007 at 09:58 AM
    I think if you follow any of the new laws nation wide, on the subject it is affecting everyone. In AZ, they are proposing closing the forest to all who ride. Any trail or road would be considered closed unless it had a sign saying it is open. In the New York Times today there is a 3 page article on this very subject. It is not about people hurting themselves or worse, it is an enviromental issue. When the idiots go past a gate that is keeping people out of a wilderness area, it has affects on all. In AZ, we are faced with the people who do not care and will take a quad down a single track in order to make their own riding space. This is not right on any account. It is only going to get worse. Do I agree with the whole issue, no but I want to continue to ride and am tired of getting run off the trail by people who do not care about anything except going fast and damaging the land. So I will have to agree with the bill.
    Posted by: J on Dec 30, 2007 at 09:12 AM
    Off road vehicles do an awful lot of damage to trails. They don't tend to stay on the trails that are made for them and cut new trails and damage/erode landscape. They scare wildlife. There is a potential for fire from the engines. They pollute and are very noisy and don't share trails with hikers and horses. If they get designated trails, then all users are happier if all obey the rules. Sadly, a few off road users don't feel the rules apply to them, which probably started this entire thing. Right now, all of these trails are walking or horse paths, and are being used by the ATVs and dirt bikes and the like. Ever see a walking path chewed up by a dirt bike or ATV? Also, ATVs need a wider path than a hiker, so they're widening paths in areas that aren't designed to be widened. Common sense and horsepower sometimes don't go together.
    Posted by: Lynn on Dec 30, 2007 at 08:58 AM
    I've gone to Bessey Natl. Forrest my whole life. I've ridden everything from a motorcycle to a dune-buggy. There is over 90,000 acres of forrest that most humans have never seen. But----cows have! The government allows cows to trample the ground, but wont allow tax payers the enjoyment that the forrest was made for? How much do the ranchers pay to have their cows destroy the forrest that our forefathers planted during WWII? That's who I would be going after, not the few off road vehicles.......
    Posted by: John on Dec 30, 2007 at 08:53 AM
    I hope they go through with this. These idiots are dangerous. They think they have the right of way over pedestrians. What's more they have a terrible impact on our enviroment.
    Posted by: Henry on Dec 30, 2007 at 08:46 AM
    The government CANNOT Legislate COMMON SENSE! The trails that they are talking about making off limits were built with money collected by the people that use them. What’s next is the state going to ban hiking because you can get blisters on your feet? These folks need to remember THEY WORK for the public, and can be replaced in the next election with people that WANT to serve their interests, not officials that want to squash their constituents pursuit of enjoyment.
    Posted by: dj on Dec 30, 2007 at 07:49 AM
    How about we just say we want to save some of the wilderness areas for our kids and grandkids to enjoy. Instead of letting a bunch of crazy people on off road vehicles that don't care about anything destroy it all for everyone. Have a good after life.
    Posted by: Mel on Dec 29, 2007 at 11:01 PM
    What is the purpose of this? To save people from themselves? My goodness - could we spend the time, money and effort on some real issues like a war that is killing thousands of innocent? Telling people that they can't use their off-road vehicles on the off-road seems very backwards to me. I'm sure people are hurt or even killed by this, but there is such a thing as allowing people to live the way they want to. Lets use some common sense. How about instead we just make a simple law that says you cannot be on or cross a walking path. If you want to engage in a dangerous sport, use a helmet, try not to hurt anyone else, bless you and have a good life.
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