The Appropriate Role of Off-Road Vehicles in National Forests
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1998 Treadmarks on the virgin land : the appropriate role of off-road vehicles in national forests John C. Adams The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Adams, John C., "Treadmarks on the virgin land : the appropriate role of off-road vehicles in national forests" (1998). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5792. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5792 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University ofIVIONXANA Pennission is granted by the author to reproduce tliis material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. ** Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature** Yes, I grant permission ______ No, I do not grant permission Author's Signature \J Date 6T// /9 ^ Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author's explicit consent. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TREADMARKS ON THE VIRGIN LAND The q^rofniate role o f off-road vehicles in naticmal forests by John C. Adams A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of Üie requirements for the degree of Master of Science The Univwsity of Mkmtana Spring, 1998 Aj^noved by: Dean, Graduate School Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number; EP36593 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Oiuartalion PuUiaMmg UMI EP36593 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest' ■<ïr ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The University of Montana Abstract TREADMARKS ON THE VIRGIN LAND The appropriate role of off-road vehicles in national forests €> John C. Adams Awroved by of Ih^ Supervisory Committee, Professor Henry Harrington Department of Envircmmental Studies In recent years off-road vehicle (DRV) numbers have increased dramatically. Simultaneously, machine technology has improved radically. As a result, ORVs today are going new places in unprecedented numbers. Forest Service management plans in Montana and ncnthem Idaho in large measure Ml to raticmalty regulate 0RV use, leaving an inappropriately high number of national forest trails open to motorized use. ORV advocates are taking advantage of this vacuum in trying to permanently entrench motorized use in these areas. National forests represent a unique opportunity to provide Americans invaluable opportunities to enjoy natural experiences. ORV use disrupts natural experiences, and undermines this valuable function of the natirmal forests. Permitting ORV use to become entrenched in massive pordons of our national forests, accordingly, runs contrary to wise policy and common sense and jeapordizes Americans* opportunity to enjoy natmal experiences. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I : A BRIEF HISTORY OF ORV USE ON NATIONAL FORESTS 6 Increasing numbers 7 Snowmobiles 9 Improving technology 12 Public land management 15 Executive orders ignored 19 Forest Servke travel planning 21 Failure to address changes in technology 21 Travel Plan changes 26 Creeping motorization 2S Conclusion 35 CHAPTER 2: THE POLITICS OF WISE USE AND OFF-ROAD VEHICLES 37 The discourse of Wise Use 43 The frontier myth 46 Scarcity 53 Symbolism of the machine 57 ORVs take the wei^t 62 ORV discourse on record 63 Omclusion 67 CHAPTER 3: THE NATURAL EXPERIENCE AND MOTORIZED VEHICLES 71 Defining a natural espwience 74 Solemnity 76 The natural order of information 79 Engaging with a community of life 83 The natural experience 85 The impact of motorized vehicles on the natural experience 87 Solemnity 90 The natural order of informaticai 91 Engagement witit a natural community 92 ORV impacts on setting for nounotorized observers 98 Solemnity 101 The natural mder of informatioi and opportimities fr>r engagement . 103 CHAPTER 4: WHY DOES A NATURAL EXPERIENCE MATTER? 106 Spirituality 107 Our need for die Other 110 Buidling an ethical relationship with the worid 113 ConclusicxQ 115 CHAPTER 5: THE APPROPRIATE ROLE OF ORVS IN NATIONAL FORESTS 116 National foreests and the natural expérience 117 u Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Public expectations 119 Displacement 124 Succession 127 Recreaticm Opportunity Spectrum 128 Cmiclusimi 131 CONCLUSION: THE HUSH OF THE LAND 140 REFERENCES 146 APPENDIX A 157 APPENDIX B 163 lU Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES New Motorcycle Sales 9 U S. Snowmobile Sales 10 Table 1 ; Motorized Trail Miles, Regi<Hi 1 24 Montana OHV Fund 29 1997 Symms Act Funding 33 Modem Day Cowboys 66 Table 2: A & A research 122 Montana Trail Users 123 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Introduction On May 17 and 19, 1997, U.S. Representative Rick Hill (R-MT) co-chaired field hearings of the House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health with Representative Helen Chenoweth (R-ID) in Wallace, Idaho, and KaUspell, Montana. The hearings were designed to promote maximum motorized use of national forests in the Northern Rockies, and particularly to promote the use of off-road vehicles. To ensure unqualified support of expanded motorized use. Representatives Hill and Chenowet, the only committee members presen, handpicked the witnesses. A few federal land managers were invited to be cross-examined and intimidated, some local county officials were invited to tout the economic value of motorized forests, and the balance of witnesses were representatives of local off-road vehicle clubs. In Kalispell, three conservationists were permitted to testify at an all-day hearing only after a local grassroots environmental groiip had taken Representative Hill to task in the media. In Wallace, after six hours of testimony from a variety of motorized enthusiasts, two conservationists were permitted to testify for four minutes each. The one-sided hearing is an old congressional trick popular with conservative, western members of Congress hoping to intimidate local officials or beat up on liberal, eastern, know-nothing politicians trying to tell people in the West how to live their lives. That such a hearing would be called for and controlled by off-road vehicle advocates, Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. however, indicates their ascendance in extreme-right. Wise Use politics, and of the coming battle over motorized use of public lands. In the Northern Rockies, Idaho and Montana, off-road vehicles have taken center stage next to the cattle, logging and mining industries that traditionally dominated conservative public land politics. Off-road vehicles (snowmobiles, off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles collectively, or ORVs) have long been used on public lands in small numbers. In recent years, however, ORV nurnbers have increased radically. Simultaneously, machine technology has improved dramatically. As a result that ORVs today are going new places in unprecedented numbers. The increased numbers and range of ORVs are causing major management problems on national forests in the Northern Rockies. Forest Service management plans in Montana and northern Idaho in large measure fail to restrict ORV use, leaving numerous trails, and in some cases large off-trail area, open to motorized use. In Montana and northern Idaho, 58% of national forest trail miles permit some type of motorized use ^ during the year (U.S. Forest Service 1996b). As one all-terrain vehicle (ATV) magazine puts it, ‘There’s virtually no end to the ATVing opportunities in this huge state [Montana], making it a prime summer ride spot,” (The rugged individualists of 4-Wheel ATV Action 1997). ORVers are taking advantage of this vacuum in policy by staking “claims” to vast areas, and, with the help of state subsidies, converting traditional foot and horse trails into motorized thruways and grooming thousands of miles of snowmobile trails. Traditionally, Congress does not designate as wilderness areas