Colorado Bans OHV's

[MtnDoo]

....unless land is explicitly OPEN to use via sign or map. State officers to enforce laws on Federal lands.

Congrats to the Colorado voters for bringing us another numb-nutz Democrat King of the hill. Think hard when you vote, people. This could idiot could be your governor next.

MD.





Ritter signs bill tightening rules for off-road vehicles


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
March 20, 2008


DENVER - Gov. Bill Ritter has signed a bill that tightens the rules for off-road vehicles that allows 250 state officers to enforce laws on federal lands.

The new law (House Bill 1069) prohibits motor vehicles from using public lands, trails, or roads unless it's authorized by a sign or other means.

Violations in designated wilderness areas would carry a $200 fine.

Supporters defeated an amendment that would have made the trails open to use unless they are specifically closed. Instead, people will be given maps to tell them which ones are open, or they could check the signs.

Opponents argued it's wrong to use state funds to enforce laws for the federal government.

 

[Kong]

Awesome, I can go play in the wilderness for only $200. What a deal. Kinda like a time share.

just kidding this sucks.

 

[CB Rob]

I don't see the problem. OHV's should stay on open trails, and it should be enforcable.

 

[flatlander dave]

The problem with all trails closed unless posted open is that you can drive any highway vehicle down these trails (forest ROADS). I ride alot in michigan and highway vehicles (cars, 4x4's) do more damage than OHV's. If you look at the amount of acreage that OHV's want to use it is minimial. One section is 640 acres, one mile by one mile. 8 foot wide road one mile long is only .97 acres impacted of 640. The national forest are to be managed for multiple uses, not just tree huggers. There is plenty of wilderness area already. People better wake up this coming election. If Billary or Obama is elected you can bet that there secretary of interior will close more areas to ohv's and snowmobiles.

 

[CB Rob]

Colorado's national forests have great trail systems, with motor vehicle use maps to let users know what trails are open or closed. When the vehicles stay on the trail the damage is limited to the trail, and can be maintained. Off trail uses just makes a mess of things. If you want to be able to ride off trail in Colorado you better get a sled.

 

[Ollie]

Colorado's national forests have great trail systems, with motor vehicle use maps to let users know what trails are open or closed. When the vehicles stay on the trail the damage is limited to the trail, and can be maintained. Off trail uses just makes a mess of things. If you want to be able to ride off trail in Colorado you better get a sled.

That is true. Unfortunetly, it won't be long before the eco-nuts file suit to put sleds in the same boat. You wait and see. Within a year of ultra liberal signing the bill they will try to force (terrorism by lawyer) sleds into the same mold and restrict all access to trails only.

Plus, there is already a movement to shut off access to all back country roads except those being activily used for transportation. That would mean all 4x4 trails that are there just to be used as 4x4 trails would be terminated and allowed to "return to their natural state".

This is just the first step in a short walk to shut it all down. Enviro-zealots only take a little at a time and try to convince us it is for our own good. Next thing you know, you have over 110million acres of wilderness. Remember, wilderness wan't to be used to shut down access. Just look at it now.

 

[OuraySledder]

The Colorado Snowmobile Association supported this bill. The main componenet was enforcement. It does not change boundries or anything like that. The forest rangers are too thinly spread out to possibly enforce rules, which just breaks my heart, but the CSA looked at this as a tool to help the FS enforce laws already on the books by empowering all law enforcement not just rangers to write tickets. It was meant to make us look better by saying, we already obey the rules, go get the rule breakers. That takes away some of the greenies power in the end.

I confronted the CSA pres on this because I don't like the sound of it either. Thing is the CSP and local Sherriffs don't have sleds to chase us with anyway so it is a bit of a paper tiger with a feel good component for the greenies. I have spoken to my Sherrif and the local city cops, they have NO intention of driving up the pass to write stupid boundry tickets. Nothing is really going to change other than sledders as a group, via the CSA have said, go ahead punish the rulebreakers, we will make that easier. It is meant to be instead of further closures, just enforce the existing ones. It helps the FS. Whether you like that or not, so far when we have helped them, they have been more willing to work with us. They are beginning to see the skiers as the whiny ba$tards they really are, and us as co-operative. I don't think they have given us enough, in fact they have taken too much but this is supposed to be a step in the right direction.

 

[Ollie]

Don't get me wrong.
I have zero problem enforcing the laws. There are morons out there that should be banned from owning anthing with a motor.

however,

I am extremely skeptical of anything the greenies sign off on. The wilderness bill, a great bill with a nobal goal that has been turned into a major tool to shut down land. Endangered species act. A much needed and great program with nobal goals, which has been completely destroyed by the greenies using it as a vehicle to shut down access. At this point there is nothing that can been done other than wait and see.

I think we will look back at this in 4 or 5 years and truly regret signing on to this.
Enviro-zealots can't be trusted.

 

[410Fortune]

So unless there is a map available and the trail is signed it is now closed?
Before a trail was closed when it was closed.
I always stay the trail but this is just giving the greenies more power and its a great way to use up more of the $$ that could have been spent keeping our trails OPEN

Whats next? pretty soon they will find some species of bug in the forest and they can close off everything just like the peoples republic of CA

Why dont they enforce the rules they have instead of making up new ones.....

I will continue to obey posted signs and stay on the trail, but we need more $$$ to maintian the trails we have AND OPEN NEW ONES, not close the ones that they dont have time or $$$ to save

Next they will be trying to tell me I cant dye my poodle pink with beat juice.....Oh wait

 

[skibreeze]

The new law (House Bill 1069) prohibits motor vehicles from using public lands, trails, or roads unless it's authorized by a sign or other means.

I'm wondering just how many roads and trails are not marked with a sign, I'm betting it's a bunch, and now the greenies will be out removing the ones that are there. If you compromise with the tree huggers you lose.

 

[Steamboat-RN]

Colorado's national forests have great trail systems, with motor vehicle use maps to let users know what trails are open or closed. When the vehicles stay on the trail the damage is limited to the trail, and can be maintained. Off trail uses just makes a mess of things. If you want to be able to ride off trail in Colorado you better get a sled.

Your enviro-nazi friends called and said your membership check has arrived. Welcome to the club.

Colorado's trail system is shrinking at an alarming rate and many trails have fallen into disrepair. Signage is poor,at best, with many trails no longer marked.The trails around Crusty Butt and Taylor are an exception to the rule in CO.
They already consider our snowmobiles as OHVs and are trying to push this bill to include sleds. There are huge areas around the state that are widely used by OHVs that have little or no signs or maps. Even with the recent push by many local clubs to put up signs and map existing trails we stand to lose the bulk of our riding areas. Left intact, this bill spells doom for OHV's in this state. ALL OHVs. Ride in snow less than 12" deep and you will get a ticket for operating your "OHV" off trail. Happens every Fall and Spring around here.
The enviro-nuts will not rest until all internal combustion engines are silent.

 

[yammerhammer]

That has always been the law in Colorado. OHV's (motorbikes and ATV's)
can not use a road unless marked for thier use.

 

[snowmobiler]

like riding atvs in the forest hurt anything.what a bunch of bs.

 

[OuraySledder]

The new law (House Bill 1069) prohibits motor vehicles from using public lands, trails, or roads unless it's authorized by a sign or other means.

I'm wondering just how many roads and trails are not marked with a sign, I'm betting it's a bunch, and now the greenies will be out removing the ones that are there. If you compromise with the tree huggers you lose.

I'll check into it but my initial understanding was that it is a no change except for the ability to enforce the laws already there. I think Yammhammer has is right, that was already the rule regarding signage. Sleds are different and if they are not mentioned as such in the bill, they need to be.

 

[410Fortune]

has always been

Not always, hell when I was a kid (70's) you could drive right up green mountain
Most of the trails I remember as a kid are now hiking and biking only
I understand the thinking behind this, I mean our trucks straight tear up the side of a mountain...but this just gives them more power to keep taking away OUR LANDS, if its not marked its not a trail anymore... BS, you can hike or bike anywhere you want, just dont try to take your internal combustion engine on that route anymore. Global warming global warming!!

Doesnt matter much anyways with gas prices the way they are we wont even be able to drive to the friggin trail.

They want control over YOU even if it means infringing on your GOD GIVEN RIGHTS and the constitution....

I saw a Prius being parted out on Craigslist, I wonder if the hybrid drivetrain has enough torque to push 37" tires.......hmmmm

I have seen first hand what happens if we continue to let this go, in CA they closed more then 3/4 of the OHV desert area because of some lizard... but believe me when I tell you lizards dont stand a chance if they decide to re-zone the area for mini malls and housing developments... things that will provide the state with more tax $$$$$$$
The damage they do to the land for development of housing makes our "off trail" damage look pathetic.

They want you to be on their roads only, they want to CONTROL YOU in everything you do. It is up to US to vote, to let our government KNOW where we stand on these things...they always sugar coat it and make it sound like its for your own good.... I will tell me what is for my own good... pretty soon there will be no where to hide... if you want to go 4x4ing you have to 4x4 in a private OHV park.... kind of like what we did to the American Indians... look how much land they have left....

 

[duke1n]

The CO legislature is also considering having CO adopt special tougher auto emission standards similar to CA standards. Get ready to cough over extra money when buying a car or truck in CO because of the special equipment needed for just our cars. Hey, if we keep it up we can be just like CA. Our Boulder is their Berkeley.

 

[Snowmark]

closed

my experience has been that most of the good trails that you really want to ride are unmarked although they have been there for decades...many trails have had ore and heavy equipment hauled over them by much more primitive vehicles and to close them to modern, efficient vehicles is ridiculous

 

[OuraySledder]

The big problem I see is that we will be default criminals and that is unnecessary. I have posted before that I am going to ride where I am going to ride. Where I am, regardless of who they put on the job of enforcement, it is going to remain extremely difficult to catch anyone.

I think my best tact is to volunteer to patrol the wilderness I will need a new D8 163 in order to access the backcountry. I will need a USFS truck and credit card for fuel too It is simply too dngerous to send unqualified personell into such remote, avalanche prone areas.

I will "try my best" to catch the hooligan sledders but suspect I will be unable in the end. Might get me a season of free sledding though right?

 

[RideCo]

That has always been the law in Colorado. OHV's (motorbikes and ATV's)
can not use a road unless marked for thier use.

That's how it's been in Northern Colorado (Red Feather, Poudre Canyon) for a while. We've been ticketed for riding on trails that we normally ride and had NO closed sign or gate, but supposedly weren't officially open yet??? Bull dike tree pig said to check the with the Forest Service before we ride to make sure trails are open.

 

[OuraySledder]

That's how it's been in Northern Colorado (Red Feather, Poudre Canyon) for a while. We've been ticketed for riding on trails that we normally ride and had NO closed sign or gate, but supposedly weren't officially open yet??? Bull dike tree pig said to check the with the Forest Service before we ride to make sure trails are open.

What a load of poop. I don't stop to talk to them anymore. I would ride back out and wait for them to leave before loading up. Make them work for it