Road RIPorter 4.1

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I T heR oad-R P orterBimonthly Newsletter of the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads. January/February 1999. Volume 4 # 1

Targhee Decision Sets Tone for Forest Management

The Targhees excessive road system th reatens the size and h ealth of elk her ds,the com eback of the grizzly bear, and the clean wa ter that Yellowstone cutth roattrout de pen d on . At long last, the Forest Service is considering closing some ro adsand p lacing limits on m otorized recreation. Both steps wou ld begin to restore

balance on the Targhee. Like a stone cast into a pon d, this decision w ill sendripples of chan ge across the West. These ripples of chan ge may crash head on intoa similar decision on the Stanislaus Nationa l Forest th at was recently overturn edon ap peal (see sidebar).

ORV Community Flexes its Muscle The off-roa d veh icle (ORV) comm un ity, locally, regiona lly and n ation ally, is up

in arm s over Forest Service travel plann ing processes. In some p laces, like theStanislaus National Forest in Californ ia, that p ressure is focuse d on legal appeals inconjun ction with Congression al pressure. In other instances, ind ividuals havebecome so angry they are threatening Forest Service employees that do notsup po rt ORV use. Last fall, a bom b was placed o n th e step s of a Targh ee NF DistrictRanger office. The propo sed travel plan/road closures seem to be th e most likelycause for this extreme form of protest, though the case remains unsolved. Fortu-nately, the bo mb w as defused qu ickly, a happy e ndin g for n ow.

In both the Stanislaus and Targhee instan ces, the ORV comm un ity went totheir Congressional represen tatives for assistance in main taining motorized accessto these Forests. On the Targhee, Congressiona l pressure resu lted in the ForestService voluntarily stopp ing their road obliteration pro gram u ntil their newenvironm ental analysis is completed. Non -motorized users either have not foun dthe sam e type of Congressional support, or they h ave not sought similar supp ortfrom th eir repr esen tatives. Regardless, th e Forest Service is getting significantlymore p ressure from motorized users than from non motorized users, even though

Continued on Page 4

Showdownon Roads andMotorized Recreation

In Eastern Idaho, the Targhee National Forest

is on the verge of making a crucial

decision. Large swaths of the nearly two

million acre Forest,after a quarter century

of clearcutting, are riddled with a dense

network of roads.This has resulted in

siltation of streams and unrelenting pressure

from snowmobilers, dirt bike riders, and four

wheelers.


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The Road-RIPorter January/February 19992

From the Wildlands CPR Office...

Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads works to protect and restore wildland ecosystems by preventing

and removing roads and limiting motorized recreation. We are a

national clearinghouse and network,providing citizens with tools and

strategies to fight road construction, deter motorized recreation, and promote road

removal and revegetation.

P.O. Box 7516Missoula, MT 59807

(406) [email protected]/WildCPR

Director Bethanie Walder

Development Dir ector Tom Youngblood-Peterse n

Offi ce Manager

Cate CampbellMotorized Wreck-Recreation

Program Jacob Smith

Newsletter Jim Coefield, Dan Funsch

Int erns & Volunteers Than Hitt, Vivian Roland , Carla

Abrams, John Brooke, Deb Kmon,Mary Ann e Peine, Karen Verm ilye

Board of Directors Katie Alvord, Mary Byrd Davis,Sidney Maddock, Rod Mondt,

Cara Nelson, Mary O'Brien,

Tom Skeele, Scott StouderAdvisory Committee Jasp er Carlton, Libby Ellis,

Dave Forema n, Keith Ham me r,Timothy Hermach,

Marion Hourdequin, Lorin Lindner,Andy Mahler, Robert McConne ll,

Stephanie Mills, Reed Noss,Michael Soul, Dan Stotter,

Steve Trom bulak, Louisa Willcox,Bill Willers, Howie Wolke

Wildlands Wildlands Wildlands Wildlands Wildlands CCCCCenter for PPPPPreventing R R R R Roads

In this Issue Showdown on Roads and

Motorized Recreation, p. 1, 4-5

Depaving the Way, p. 3 Betha nie Walder

Bibliography Notes, p. 6-7

Jacob Smith

Regional Reports, Alerts p. 8-9

Odes to Roads, p. 10-11Colin Chisholm

Field Notes, p. 12-13 Dave Havlick

Wi ldlands CPR Resour ces, p. 15

The age of industr ial recreation is up on us. In November, Wildlands CPR andFriend s of the Earth brou ght environm ental activists together on the m otorizedrecreation por tion of this issue. This meeting was the first step in a long term effort toreign in m otorized and industrial recreation. To un derstand som e of the imp lications,check ou t our cover story. And do nt forget to check out the rest of our regular

featu res, too! New year s greetings to everyon e from th e Wildlan ds CPR staff.

New Year, New Staff ...With h eavy hearts the Wildland s

CPR staff said goodbye to Dana Jensen,our office assistant and inform ationspecialist extraordinaire for the p ast yearand a h alf. But we happ ily welcom e CateCamp bell as ou r n ew Office Manager.Cate brings years of experien ce ma nag-ing non -profit organizations in Montan aand a p assion to fight the increasingdestruction of our public lands fromORVs. She foun d us wh ile lookin g for

assistance with ORV trespass in th eBeaverh ead National Fore st. We arethrilled to have her on board. She will betaking on som e of Bethan ies man age-men t activities, taking over the b ooksfrom Su Gregerson (thanks Su!!), andanswering information requests, so keepem com ing. Thou gh well m iss Danaslaughter an d energy in our office, shepromised to help us out with some of herprojects, and get Cate up to speed asquickly as possible.

A time to renew...Speaking of than ks, we want to thank all of you who respon ded to our annu al

mem bership survey and renewal. We also want to encourage those of you whohavent responde d to pull the su rvey out of the pile it landed in an d send it back to us(filled in, of course). If there is a red m ark on your label, that m eans th is could beyour last issue of the Road-RIPorter . Don t miss a single issue. Renew you r mem ber-ship today!!! (And if youve lost your m emb ership su rvey, wed be m ore tha n h appy tosend you ano ther o ne, just give us a h oller.)

And More Thanks...We offer our h eartfelt thanks to th e Temp er of the Times an d Mountaineers

Foun dations for providing funding to pu blish a special section o n th e ecologicalimpacts o f roads. It wont be ou t un til late 99 or 2000, in Conser vation Biology, but itwouldnt be possible withou t their generou s grants. It also wouldnt be possiblewithout the h ard wor k of Marion Hourdeq uinform er Wildlands CPR Co-Director,who h as been coordinating the peer review process for this section. Thanks also toeveryone wh o has sen t in donations in the last two mon ths and especially to anano nym ous do no r! Wed like to than k the Dillon, Montan a Patagonia ou tlet foroffering t-shirts to people wh o renewed th eir WCPR mem bersh ip, and the HarderFoun dation for a sup plemen tal grant for ou r ORV program .

We also want to than k all the am azing people who h ave volunteered th eir timefor us last year and m ention some new folks by nam e: Jack Wade an d Dan Brister whocomp leted research p rojects for Wildland s CPR, and recent volun teers Carla Abram s,John Brooke and Deb Kmon. In addition, we owe a hu ge thank you to Jon Jensen, whovolun teered aroun d the clock to make sure ou r ORV mee ting was a success. OtherORV meeting volunteers were Mara Bourassa, Jodi Kennedy, Sandy Adkland, andRobert Ukeiley. Many than ks to all!

Colorado OfficeP.O. Box 23 53

Boulder, CO 80306(303) 247-0998

[email protected]


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The Road-RIPorter January/February 1999 3

By Bethanie Walder

It has been almost a year since the Forest Service (seeRIPorter 3:1) ann ounced their proposal to temp orarily h altroad construction in roadless areas while they develop a longterm tran sportation plan . Since then , the Forest Service hasheld field hearings on roads an d roadless areas, receiving over50,000 commen ts nationwide. Newspapers throughou t thecountry h ave editorialized on the imp ortance of both protect-ing roadless areas an d m anaging them mo re effectively.Within the last twelve mon ths, the Forest Service assigned ateam o f people the d ifficult task of creating a na tionwide long-term p olicy on road s and tran sportation for every acre of everyforest. In addition, new environm ental networks have devel-oped to strengthen the grassroots fight to protect roadlessareas, as well as to ensure a n eco logically-based long-termtran sportation p olicy. And o f course, the pe ople who loveroads h ave gone kicking and scream ing to their Congressionalrepresentatives asking them to intervene and promote motor-ized access and ex tractive activities. But on e critical thinghasn 't h app ened since Forest Service Chief Mike Dom beck ann ounced the proposed m oratorium on road construction inroadless areas: the moratorium has n ot been implemen ted.

While the Forest Service continu es to stall on th e mo rato-rium , the fate of ma ny roadless areas wait in limbo . Roadlessareas in th e Cove-Mallard region o f Idaho are som e of the m ostcritical areas who se fate hangs in the balance wh ile the ForestService and administration twiddle their thum bs. Roadlessareas in the east, all smaller than 5,000 acres, may or may no tbe protected. And wh ile the long-term tran sportation policy(curren tly in the de velopm ent stage) will affect road co nstru c-tion, reconstruction, maintenance and removal, it is not clearwhe ther it will address th e long-term fate of roadless areas.

As the Forest Service and Clinton Administration waiverover the temporary m oratorium, an d which roadless areasthem oratorium will protect, the Forest Service continues todevelop its long-term tran sportation p olicy. These twoconcu rren t strategies are integrally linked, an d working tocreate the b est policies at each level will ensu re the bro adestpro tection for Nationa l Forest land s.

While the Forest Service grapples with a du al approach forroadless areas and forest roads/transportation, a two-prongedapproach h as emerged within the environmental commun ityas well. The first is a cam paign to p rotect all roadless areaslarger than 1000 acres.

The Amer icans for Heritage Forests has focu sed atten tionon the imp ortan ce of protecting existing roadless areas. This

camp aign is working not on ly to gain a strong roadless areamoratorium, but to have roadless area protection extendedfrom temporary to perm anent status as part of the long-termtransportation plan.

The second environmental response is focused specifi-cally on the long-term transportation policy and the impact itwill have on all road construction, reconstruction, mainte-nan ce, rem oval and m otorized recreation. The goal of thiscoalition is to he lp create a p olicy that w ill provide oppor tun i-ties to re-create roadless areas by removing roads and restorin gthe watersheds that contain them .

While at first it may seem confusin g to have these issuesdealt with at separate levels, it shou ld ensure th at one issuewon' t be ignored for the sake of the oth er. But it also mean sthat individuals and organizations need to pay atten tion towhat is going on with both roadless areas and roads. The long-term transp ortation p olicy in pa rticular is likely to affect everyaspect of forest managem ent, because n early every extractiveactivity that takes place on pu blic lands o ccurs in con junctionwith roads. If the long-term tran sportation p olicy is not basedon ecologically sou nd scientific principals, but instea d fallsprey to pa rty politics, the resu lt will be mo re roads, clearcuts,industrial recreation, min ing and grazing.

By setting good criteria for tran sportation p lann ing at theNational, Regiona l and Forest levels, we can influence theoverall development of the National Forests. The Forest Servicehas open ed the door for this type of planning and th e pro-roadpeop le have walked right in. It is up to us to make sure theydon't close the door behind th em an d lock us out. For if theydo, they also lock out ou r work to protect an d restore ecologi-cal systems from all of the extractive activities tha t curren tlyoccur within o ur Nation al Forests. As simple as it may seem , if we can stop the ro ads now, then we have a lot less timb ersales, min es and m otorized recreation to stop later. Seems likea good use of our time.

and-wringing and Thumb Twiddling:

Wither the Moratorium?

As simple as it may seem,if we can stop the roads now, then we have a lot less timber sales, mines and

motorized recreation to stop later.

H


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they only com prise abou t 10% of recreationists nationa llyasmall, but vocal, m inority.

Bomb s and Congressional pressu re aside, the m otorizedrecreation comm unity also has held protests against prop osedroad closures. They staged one pro test at a road that has beenclosed for years, and wh ich they h ave been illegally accessing.Perhaps it is fitting that ORV users think of the National Forests

as noth ing more than p laygroun ds. Playgroun ds, after all, arefor children, man y of whom are still just learn ing definitionsof respect and sharing an d h ow to control their anger.

While the Targhee National Forest h as n ot yet decided ontheir n ew travel plan, if any closures are in volved (and m anywill be), it is likely to raise the ire of th e off-road com mu nity.

Targhee Road Impacts Fractured Habitat and Broken Promises

After three decades of run away roadbuilding andclearcutting, the Targhee National Forest stan ds ou t in p ho to-graphs taken from space as a gaping hole in the forested

North ern Rockies splintered every which way by m ore th an3,600 m iles of roads and mo torized trails. When it beganescalating its timber pro gram in th e early 1970s, the ForestService acknowledged impacts, and pro mised to close man yroads once the trees were removed. But the agency hasrepeated ly gone against its word, th e Targhees sprawling roadnetwork continues to grow, and th ere has been an increase indam age to fish and wildlife.

In the wake o f excessive clearcutting an d road building onthe Targh ee:

Grizzly bears have all but disappeared from the forest; Elk populations have declined precipitously. The Targhees

elk hunting season, once am ong the longest in the state of

Idaho, has d windled to a five-day spike-only hun t; Yellowstone cutthroat trout face increasing pressure from silt-ation in the Henr ys Fork an d Burn s Creek drainages. Much o f the siltation is being cause d by illegal all terrain vehicle use.

The Draft Travel Management Plan The Forest Service released a Draft Travel Plan which will

guide motorized use on the Targhee. The docume nt need spublic support because it finally acknowledges environmentaldam age from e xcessive roads. The Forest Service propose s to:

Restrict uncontrolled and damaging cross-country motorizedtravel on 6 3 pe rcent o f the Targhee. Withou t these limits onoff-trail motorized travel, elk, grizzly bears and other wildlife

have lost quiet and secure areas, even away from roa ds; Restore key wildlife areas by closing 1,200 miles of road; Close the far-flung network of unofficial ghost roads, cre-

ated by ORV users. Due to the unp lanne d nature of theseroads, they are often quite environm entally dam aging. TheForest Service pro poses to close these u nofficial roads excep tin specific cases where th ey will be signed open .

Continued from Page 1 The Crossr oads This decision could m ark a positive new beginn ing! If the

Fore st Service goes forwa rd with c losing the Targh ees exces-sive roa ds, the agen cy will begin proving th at its new Chief Mike Domb eck actually mean t what h e said on July 1, 1998 :

In fifty years, we will not be rem emb ered for th e re-sources we developed; we will be than ked for those wemaintained and restored for future generations.

But th e Forest Service still may ch oose a different direc-

tion. Under pressure from snowm obilers, four-wheelers, dirtbike riders, and Con gress, the agency abru ptly called a h alt inOctober to its program o f closing dama ging roads. This about-face demonstrated the agencys willingness to abandon thebest available science an d be m anipu lated by overzealouswise use group s who are ch oosing to ignore th e cum ulativedamage from too many roads.

St il l Plent y of Room to Roam Whe n all is said and do ne, the Targh ees efforts still don t

close most road s and tra ils on th e Forest. Over 2100 miles willremain open to motorized recreation - enough to stretch fromChicago to Seattle! In addition, every major section of theTargh ee will still be access ible, leaving a lot mo re wor k in store

for the Targhee to tru ly protect ecosystem s and wildlifeimpacted by roads an d m otorized recreation.

Clark Fork of the Sanis laus, Stanislaus National Forest. John Buckley photo.


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Flip-Flop on the Stanislaus

In 1991, the Stanislaus Forest Plan (California) requiredthe Forest Service to develop a long-delayed plan to con trolORV use on th e fore st. For seven ye ars, the Stanislaus Forestheld p ublic meetings, field trips an d plann ing sessions,culminatin g in a February 18, 1998 d ecision to app rove amotor veh icle travel plan.

Conservationists were extremely disappointed with theplan, as it failed to identify specific trails or areas w ithin th eForest whe re problem s would be fixed. However, the planrestricted ORV use to trails an d rou tes that were eithersigned open or designated as open on m aps. Many forestshave similar closed un less signed o pen policies. Inaddition, the plan iden tified certain wildlife areas as toosensitive to allow snwom obiles during the win ter to protectfishers and m arten s, two species at risk within theStanislaus.

The Stanislaus Plan, however, prop osed to close a m ere24,000 acres, leaving approxim ately 540,000 acres (95% of previous use areas) open to mo torized use. The FS esti-ma tes this to include 1669 miles of ORV rou tes (866 m iles

of which are open to sno wm obiles). But even with itsmin imal closures, this plan raised the hackles of local,regional and n ational ORV groups. Thirteen groups ap -pealed th e decision to the Regional Forester, with theCentral Sierra Environ m en tal Resource Center (CSERC)intervening on beh alf of the Forest Service to suppo rt theirplan, even while recognizing how weak th at plan was.

Sim ilar to th e Targh ee Nation al Fore st Travel Plansituation, Congressional represen tatives pressured theForest Service on beh alf of the ORV user grou ps. In addi-tion, the Californ ia State Recreation Com mission w ithheldgreen sticker fund ing that would nor mally have beengiven to the Stanislaus for managing ORVs.

On Novem ber 1 2, 1998 , Depu ty Regiona l Forester

Gilbert Espinosa bowed to ORV pressur e an d overturn ed th eStanislaus decision. While uph olding the Forest Service onall adm inistrative and pro cedural matters, he com pletelygutted the two main control measures provided by the plan.He determine d the Stanislaus can not h ave a closed unlessdesignated open policy, allowing ORV users to travelanywhere on the Forest unless a sign is posted marking anarea as closed (except designated wilderness an d roadlessareas). He also elimina ted the snow mo bile restrictions. Atpress time, activists are hoping Forest Service Chief MikeDomb eck will review Espin osas app eal. The Wash ingtonOffice is the last op portu nity for adm inistrative relief, and itis questionable whe ther a lawsuit can be filed.

Ask FS Chief Mike Dombeck to supp ort an d stren gthen

the Stanislaus NF motor vehicle travel plan.

Mike Dombeck, Chief USFSP.O. Box 960 90Washin gton , D.C. 2009 0-6090fax (202) 205-176 5

What You can do The Targhee Draft Travel Plan is not reason able; too ma ny

roads will rema in open to motorized use, particularly alongstream s wh ere Yellowstone cutthroa t trout are likely to sufferfrom de graded h abitat. Non etheless, the Draft Travel Plan canbe a step in the right direction. Please take a mom ent to senda letter to the Targhee National Forest Supe rvisor, encou ragingthe Forest Service to ad opt a lternative 3M(-) and not to bow topressu re from snowm obilers, dirt bike riders and four wheelers.

You can also review th e DEIS at HTTP://WWW.FS.FED.US/ TNF/ and send comm ents to the Targhee via em ail:pcom men t/r4_targhee@ fs.fed.us. Please include your fullnam e and physical address.

Address letters by Feb. 1, 1999 to:

Supervisor Jerry ReeseTargh ee Nation al Fore st420 N. Bridge St.St. Ant ho ny, ID 8 344 5

Suggestions:

Dear Supervisor Reese,I supp ort t he Targh ee Nation al Fore sts draft Travel

Managem en t Plans altern ative 3M(-). While not per fect, ittakes positive steps to strike a balance between mo torizedrecreation and th e needs of fish and wildlife. The more than2,100 miles of road and m otorized trail to rema in open tomotorized use is more than enough.

In addition, it is critical that the Targhee:

use effective closure methods to prevent illegal use of closedroads;

keep the cross-country closures and the closed unless signedopen measures in place;

maintain road densities as provided for in the revised ForestPlan.

Thank you for taking positive steps towards restoring theTargh ee Nation al Fore st.

Thanks to Tim Stevens, Marv Hoyt, John Buckley, and t heWildlands CPR staff for contribut ing to this article. For m ore infoabout the Targhee, contact Marv at: 208/522-7927, or Tim at:406/586-1593, and for the Stanislaus call John at: 209-586-7440.

After three decades of runaway roadbuilding and clearcutting,

the Targhee National Forest stands out from space as a gaping hole in the

forested Northern Rockies splintered every which way by more than 3,600 miles of roads and motorized trails.


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ORV Pollution By Jacob Sm ith

The dram atic increase in ORV use on pub lic lands isrespon sible for a host of adverse impa cts on wildlife, vegeta-tion, soils, water qua lity, and no nm otorized recreationists. Thecontamination of air, water, and soil by ORV pollution isamong the most significant of these impacts. 1 There are atleast four m ajor ORV pollution con cern s:

* air pollution toxic emissions (e.g., carbon mo noxide)* air pollution particulates (e.g., dust)* soil, snow, and water pollution direct contamination, air

pollution settling on sur faces, all of these p ollutants concen -trating in waterways

* pollutants discharged directly into water bodies motorizedwater craft (e.g., jet skis)

Toxic Emissions Air pollution is probab ly the best stu died of these, and air

quality problems relate bo th to em issions a nd d ust (Fritsch1994, Hare and Springer 1974,Kockelm an 19 83, USDI 197 8). The two-stroke en gines that typically p ower ORVsare highly inefficient and p roducerelatively high em issions of carbonmon oxide (CO) and unbu rned hydrocar-bon s (White et al. 199 3). Kasn itz an dMaschke (citing Californ ia Air Resou rcesBoard 199 6:7) repor t that: One two-stroke off-road m otorcycle or all-terrainvehicle emits as mu ch h ydrocarbonpollution per mile as 118 pa ssenger cars,while relatively cleaner four-strokeengines still emit mo re than seven timesthe level of carbon m onoxide as newcars. Fussell (199 7), Slud er (1995), andKillman et al. (1973) repo rt similarlystartling results.

These concern s are compo un ded by th e fact that ORVs arenot typically regulated in the sam e way as m ost other m otorvehicles, and are not equipped with pollution control equip-

men t (White et al. 1993).Areas wh ere ORVs are op erated in large n um bers, espe-cially under certain topograp hic and climactic conditions, areespecially pron e to severe air pollution pro blems. One of thebest exam ples of this is the west en tran ce to YellowstoneNational Park during the winter snowm obile season . Althoughthe National Park Service has n ot yet adequa tely studied theeffects of this pollution on wildlife and plants, health imp actsto Park Service employees an d Park visitors have becom e aserious con cern (Fussell 1997).

During the winter of 1994-199 5, air quality mon itoring atthe Parks west entran ce detected carbon mo noxide (CO)levels exceeding Federal standards (Ingersoll et al. in press:103 citin g USDI NPS, Air Quality Division 1 99 6). Desp iteresearche rs identifying air qu ality as a som etimes significantpro blem in Yellowston e National Park as ear ly as 1981 (Aun e1981), little is known abou t the con sequen ces of this type of air pollution, especially the cum ulative and longer-termimpacts.

Particulate Emissions In drier con ditions, ORVs are n otorious for sen dingquan tities of dust an d par ticulates into th e air (Baldwin 1970,Kasnitz and Maschke 199 6, Kockelman 1983). The largequan tity of particulate air pollution (dust) caused by ORV travelon un paved roads and trails is a serious h ealth risk (Kasnitzand Maschke 1996:7). They explain that [r]ecent healthstudies have also associated particulate pollution with im-paired lung function, increased emergency room visits andincreases in m ortality (Kasnitz an d Maschke 1 996:7).

Surface Contaminants Much of the p ollution that ORVs emit into th e air eventu-

ally ends u p settling on the soil and water, and o n th e snowdurin g winter m onth s (see, for exam ple, Aun e 1981, Elgmark e tal. 1973, Ferrin and Colthar p 1974 ); mu ch of this contam ina-tion works its way into nearby wa terways (Aun e 1981). Thatthese p rocesses can o ccur slowly (Cole and Land res 1995 )doe sn t mitigate their po ten tial severity. ORVs can leak fuel,oil, antifreeze, and o ther chem icals.

For instance, one stud y found th at [c]oncentrations of amm on ium, nitrate, and su lfate in snowm elt positivelycorrelate w ith vehicle [snowm obile] usage (Ingersoll et al. inpress: 103). Similarly, lead con tamina tion ha s been welldocum ented near ORV travelways and roa ds (Cann on a nd

Bowles 196 2, Collins and Snell 1982, Warren and Delavault1960). Although lead has pro bably diminished in significanceas an ORV pollutant, th is research su ggests the po tential for

vegetative dam age and wildlife consum ption of othe r fuelcomp on ents and add itives is severe. Sheridan (1979) repor tedthat ORV ruts can also contr ibute to water pollution levels.

Water Pollution Water pollution can be a pa rticularly severe problem w ith

motor ized watercraft (such as p erson al watercraft), as they alsoprodu ce large volume s of toxic pollutan ts (including the toxicfuel additive MTBE), but their e missions e nd up directly in thewater (Taho e Research Group 1 997, Fiore et al. 1997,Tjarn lund et al. 1995, Tjarn lund e t al. 1996, Mele 1993).

Bibliography Notes sum mariz es and highlights som e of thescientific literature in our 6,000 citation bibliography on t he

ecological effects of roads. We offer bibliographic searches tohelp activists access important biological research relevant toroads. We keep copies of most articles cited in Bibliography

Notes in our office library.

Bibliography Notes

1 More generally, roads and road edges are docum ented sou rces of air pollution(Noss 1996, Reed et al. 1996, Santelman n an d Gorham 1988).

Eating dust at a smallmot orcycle race.Sheridan Valley,W. Mojave Desert.

Howard W ilshire photo.


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Literature Cited Adam s, E. S. 1975. Effects of lead and hydroca rbons from

snowmobile exhaust on brook trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 104 (2): 363-73.

Aune, K. E. 1981. Impact of winter recreationists on wildlife in aport ion of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. M.S.Thesis, Montana State University, Bozem an. 111 Pp.

Baldwin, M. F. 1970. The snowm obile and environmental quality.Trends 7 (2): 15-17.

California Air Resources Board. 1996. Program update for off-highway motorcycles and ATVs. CA. Air Resources Board. ElMonte, CA.

Cannon , H. L. and J. M. Bowles. 1962. Contamination of vegetation by tetraethyl lead. Science 137: 765-766.

Cole, D. N. and P. B. Landres. 1995. Indirect e ffects of recreationists on wildlife. In Wildlife and Recreation:Coexistence through managem ent and research. R. L. Knightand K. J. Gutzwiller (eds.). Wash. DC: Island Press.

Collins, B. J., and N. J. Snell. 1982 . Lead contamination associatedwith snowmobile trails. Environmental Research 27: 159-63.

Elgmark, K., A. Hagen , and A. Langeland. 1973. Polluted snow insouthern Norway during the winters of 1968-71.

Environmental Pollution 4: 41-52.Ferrin, R. S. and G. B. Coltharp . 1974. Lead em issions from

snowmobiles as a factor in lead con tamination of snow.Proceedings of the Utah Academy of Science, Arts and Letters51 (1): 116-18.

Fiore, M., C. Hoonhout, V. Herbert, J. Herz, S. Sotomy, and G.C.Miller. 1997. Inter im Report on the Lake Tahoe Motorized

Watercraft Study. Department of Environmental andResource Science s, University of Nevada, Reno, NV.Fritsch, A. 1994. Off-road Ethics: Environmental Resource

Assessment of Recreat ional Off-road Vehicles, AppalachianScience in the Public Interest. Mt. Vernon, KY.

Fussell, L. M. S. 1997. Exposure of snowmobile riders to carbonmonoxide: Emissions pose potential risk. Park Science:

Integrating Research and Resource Management 17(1): 1, 8-10.Geological Society of America, Committee on Environment and

Public Policy. 1977. Impa cts and Management of Off-roadVehicles. Report of the Comm ittee on Environment an dPublic Policy. Boulder, CO. 8 pp.

Hagen, A., and A. Langeland. 1973. Polluted snow in southern

Norway and the effect of the m eltwater on freshwater andaquatic organisms. Environmental Pollution 5: 45-57.

Hare, C. T., and K. J. Springer. 1974. Snowmobile EngineEmissions a nd their Impact. Southwest Research Institute.

Ingersoll, G.P., J.T. Turk, C. McClure, S. Lawlor, D.W. Clow, and M.A.Mast. 1997. Snowpack chemistry as an indicator of pollutant emission levels from motorized winter vehicles inYellowstone National Park. Proceed ings of the 65 th AnnualMeeting for the Western Snow Conference. May 4-8, 1997.Banff, Alberta. pp. 103-113.

Kasn itz, M. and E. Maschke. 1996. Backcountry giveaways: HowBureaucratic Confusion Subsidizes Off-highway VehicleHarms. A Repor t for the California Green Scissors Project.CALPIRG, Santa Barbara, CA.

Kockelma n, W. J. 1983. Managem ent concepts. EnvironmentalEffects of Off-road vehicles: Impacts and Managem ent inArid Regions. H. Wilshire and R. Webb (eds.). New York:Springer-Verlag.

Killman , R. E., S. S. Lestz, and W. E. Meyer. 1973. ExhaustEmissions Characteristics of a Small 2-stroke Cycle Spark Ignition Engine. Society of Automotive Engineers andPenn sylvania State University. New York, NY.

Liddle, M. J., and H. R. A. Scorgie. 1980. The effects of recrea tionon freshwater plants an d animals: A review. BiologicalConservation 17: 183-206.

Luckenbach, R. A. 1978. An analysis of ORV use on de sertavifaunas. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and

Natural Resources Conference 43: 157-62.Mele, A. 1993. Polluting for Pleasure. NY: W. W. Norton & Co.Noss, Reed F. 1996. The ecological effects of roads. Road-

Rippers Handbook. Wildlands CPR, Missoula, MTReed , R. A., J. Johnson-Barnard , and W. L. Baker. 1996.

Contribution of roads to forest fragmen tation in the RockyMountains. Conservation Biology 10 (4): 1098-106.

Santelmann, M. V., and E. Gorham. 1988. The influence of airborne road dust on the chemistry of Sphagnum moss.

Journal of Ecology 76: 1219-31.Sheridan , D. 1979. Off-road Vehicles on Public Land . U.S.

Council on Environm ental Quality. U.S. Government PrintingOffice. Washington, D.C. 84 pp.

Sluder, C. S. 1995. Development of a Method for DeterminingExhaust Emissions and Fuel Consumption of Vehicles in On-road Operation. University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Tahoe Research Group. 1997. The Use of 2-cycle engineWatercraft on Lake Tahoe : Water Quality and LimnologicalConsiderat ions. University of Californ ia, Davis, CA.

Tjarn lund, U., G. Ericson, E. Lindesjoo, I. Petterson , G. Akerm an,and L. Balk. 1996. Further studies of the effects of exhaustfrom two-stroke outboard motors on fish. Marine

Environmental Research 42 (1-4): 267-71.Tjarn lund, U., G. Ericson, E. Lindes joo, I. Petterson , and L. Balk.

1995. Investigation of the biological effects of 2-cycleoutboard en gines exhaust on fish. Marine Environmental

Research 39: 313-16.U.S. Departme nt of the Interior. 1978. Interim Managem ent Plan:

ORV Use of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Draft. U.S.

Department of the Interior, National Park Service, CapeHatteras National Seashore, Manteo, NC.U.S. Department of the Interior. 1996. Carbon Monoxide and

Particulate Matter Levels at Yellowstone, W. Entrance Station:Results of an Ambient Air Quality Study, Winter 1995.National Park Service, Air Quality Div.

Warren , H. V. and R. E. Delavault. 1962. Contamination of vegetation by tetraethyl lead. Science 137:765-766.

White, J. J., J. N. Carroll, J. G. Lourenco, and A. D. Iaali. 1993.Baseline and Controlled Exhaust Emissions from Off-highwayVehicle Engines. Prese nted at the Small Engine Techn ologyConference. Pisa, Italy.

Liddle and Scorgie (1980 ) report that fresh water m otorizedboating results in outboard motor pollution, wash, and sewage.

Thus, not only does th is pollution h ave the poten tial tohar m so ils, soil organisms, and plan ts, it often ends u p inaquatic habitats (Geological Society of America 1977, Hagenand Langeland 1973 ), where m any species are especiallysensitive to it. Adam s (1975 ) determ ined that the h ydrocar-bons and lead emitted from snowm obiles was adverselyaffecting broo k trout. Similarly, Lucken bach (1978) noted th atamph ibians and other desert water source inh abitants can be

susceptible to ORV pollution.There are other con cerns. For instance, Kasnitz and

Maschke (1996, citing California Air Resources Board 1996)no te that m any ORV recreation areas are located ad jacent to orin urba n areas already su ffering from seriously degraded airquality. Trash and hum an waste is another p otential concern,although th ese are rarely addressed in th e scientific literature(Baldwin 1970). In short, in add ition to h abitat degradationand fragmen tation, wildlife h arassment, and the crush ing anddisrupting of vegetation an d soils, land m anagers m ust takecare ful stock of ORV-cause d air, soil, and wa ter p ollution intheir efforts to man age responsibly and pruden tly the recre-ational uses of pu blic land s.


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9/16


One of th e m ost con troversial and d ifficult decisions e verpr op osed by th e Bureau o f Lan d Managem en ts (BLM) ArcataField Office is one step closer to being imp lemen ted. OnOctober 1, the Arcata Field Office decided to close Black SandsBeach in th e King Range Nation al Conse rvation Area (NCA) tooff-road vehicles.

Locate d in SW Hum boldt Coun ty, th e King Range NCA on

Californ ias Lost Coast is on e o f the BLMs m ost p op ularholdings. The area has been featured in major newspapers an dnational magazines, and u se of the area by hikers and back-packers h as increased tremen dously. The BLM estimates th atin 199 6 the Lost Coast Trail in th e western por tion of the KingRange received 14,000 recreation visitor da ys.

The areas pop ularity is mostly due to a spectacular blen dof beach, surf, marsh , ancient forest, grassland, chapa rral, andstream side hab itats. This diversity of ecosystems hosts a greatvariety of plan ts an d wildlife.

The vast majority of the NCA is closed to motor vehicles.Over the last few years the BLM has even closed and restored afew old roads by planting n ative plants an d scarifying theroadb ed. This, coupled w ith the fact th at the BLM sup portswilderness d esignation for m uch of the NCA (conse rvationistshave proposed far more) made the con tinued use of mo torized

vehicles on Black Sand s Beach a sad ano maly.The BLM first pro po sed clos ing th e bea ch to ORVs in

October 19 97. In th e n ext year, the BLM weathered a blisteringstorm of criticism from vehicle enthusiasts. BLM staff havebeen hara ssed an d called everythin g from bigots to jack-booted thugs, and some were concerned for their safety.

In addition to th is inform al pressure, ORV enth usiasts sent650 comm ents opposing the closure, and two mem bers of Congress joined their cause. Opponents of the closure domi-nated a public hearing in Redway, California where BLM staff were verbally abused throughou t the meeting.

To counteract this assault against the BLM, the CaliforniaWilderness Coalition (CWC), the Environmental Protection InfoCenter (EPIC), Northcoast Environmental Center, and the SierraClub generated 859 pro-closure comm ents from the p ublic.Since the BLM, Forest Service, and other agencies considerperson al letters (as opp osed to petitions and form -letters) the

mo st powerful form of comm un ication , it is significant thatconser vationists sen t 253 p ersona l letters to the BLM asopp osed to the 70 sen t by oppon ents. The CWC also won thesupport of eight members of Congress.

In Septem ber, the BLM cleared the last hu rdles necessarybefore ren dering a final decision . First, the Californ ia CoastalCommission reviewed the proposed closure for consistencywith the California Coastal Act. The ORV lobby argued that theclosure violated the Act by reducing pu blic access to the beach .At a meetin g in Eureka, the Com mission voted 10-1 to supp ortthe BLMs proposed closure. Republican Governor Wilsonsapp ointees joined Coastal Com mission Demo crats in voicingsupport for the BLM.

Lost Coast Loses ORVs The last h urdle was mo re d ifficult. A few years agoInterior Secretary Bruce Babbitt created resou rce ad visorycoun cils (RACs) com posed of mem bers of the pub lic andvarious e stablished interest group s. These RACs were instru -men tal in developing BLM grazing reform policies an d gen erat-ing public suppo rt for them . Norm ally, such wide-ranging and(hop efully) mea ningful reforms would have been h eld up infederal court for years.

The North west Californ ia RAC encou raged t he BLM toleave Black Sands Beach op en to vehicles for a trial period

durin g which the ORV users wou ld have to prove that theywould speed , litter, shoot, and h arass hikers less than in thepast. If they could demon strate courtesy, then they would beallowed to use the beach indefinitely. The RAC passed th isrecommen dation over the strenuou s objection of its conserva-tionist mem bers (a CWC staff memb er serves on the Northw estCalifornia RAC). After this tremendously contentious meeting,the BLM discovered that the rules of order for the RACs specifythat a consensu s is necessary to forward m ajor recomm enda-tions to the BLMthe RACs proposed compromise was invalid.This is fortunate since the Arcata BLM has always followedRAC recom men dations in th e past.

Despite the BLMs official closure announcement, ORVenth usiasts may app eal and sue in federal court. Given th eBLMs firm legal ground and extensive public support, it isun likely the a gencys decision will be reversed.

Meanwh ile, nature also cast its vote for the closure bysendin g a sleeper wave to destroy th e Black Sands Beachparking lot. Anyone n ow wishing to ride on the beach m ustwinch their ORV down a cliff with cab les (a few d iehards haveactually done this to avoid walking). The BLM says it does nothave the m oney to repair the parking lot, and conservationistshave urged the agency to spend its money elsewhere.

Activists should note th at the con servation comm un ity didnot h ave an active campaign to en courage th e BLM to closeBlack Sand s Beach to m otor vehicles. The BLMs wildern essprop osal for th e King Range sp ecifically excludes Black SandsBeach so that vehicle use could con tinue th ere. The closureprop osal was in itiated by BLM staff, not b ecause of pu blicpressur e, but be cause it was the right thing to do. In a na tionwhere p ublic land m anagers are often overly timid and afraidof controversyeven to the p oint of ignoring ecologicalharmthe Arcata Field Offices decision to close Black SandsBeach is refreshing and gratifying. What you can do:

Please let the BLM know h ow mu ch you app reciate whatthey have done by contacting:

Lynda Roush, Area Manager, BLM, Arcata Field Office1695 Heindon RoadArcata, CA 95521-45 73Phon e: (707) 825-230 0Fax: (707) 825 -2301E-mail: [email protected]

Thanks to Ryan Henson an d th e California WildernessCoalition for this article.

Black Sands Beach on the s outh end of t he Lost Coast. Jim Coefield photo.

Black Sands Beach stretches for 25 miles along the longest

wilderness coastline in the lower 48.With this ORV closure, the only way to explore it will be on your own two feet!


10/16


Every year for a decade n ow my friend , Tom , and I meet som ewhe re in thedesert. Our goaland it is, increa singly, a very difficult on eis to find a place wh erewe wont see a hum an sou l for a week. Going off tips from friend s or map guess-work, weve mana ged to spen d lots of time alone in the canyon s. Our quest forsolitude is addictive; a ne ed to get away from the ever-increasing spee d of ou reveryday lives.

This year we return to a remote area we visited man y years ago. Back then th erewas no trailhead, no trail, no cairn s. Wed parked th e car beside the h ighway andvanished into th e desert. This year we arrive late on a March d ay, appalled to findthat a trailhead has be en bu lldozed, as well as the beginn ings of a road. A bulldozerrests near by. At once a vacuou s feeling I recognize but can t nam e slithers into m ygut. Tom sh akes his head; no words are necessar y.

Despite this transgression, we stick with the plan ; we have come too far to turnaround. Our plan is to hike up on e canyon, over the mesa top and down into

ano ther. Lets call them Billy and Bob Canyon s. Both h ave long, sinuou s narrowsand req uire rock climbing and a few rappels. We shou lder our packs an d hike eastup Billy. Potho les brim with wate r, primro se bloom , cottonwood leaves glowtranslucen t in the twilight. At nightfall we find a slickrock shelf where we co ok dinn er to an ow ls soft, reedy hooting.

Later, we lie back an d watch the sky, emblazoned by th e Hale-Bopp com et,which com es aroun d once every 10,000 years. I hu ddle in my bag, feeling like achild on Christmas mo rnin g. All those stars, each with its own story. I try to fathomwha t the earth was like the last time Hale-Bopp came arou nd. I sleep so well in thedesert.

Canyon wrens wake us in th e mor ning, their descen ding trills echoing off canyon walls. The desert bestows rituals like sma ll gifts; time an d again theysurp rise. Waking to canyon w rens is one o f these; sleeping on slickrock, because it isclean an d smo oth an d soft; the search for water; silence. To fall into these r ituals isto rest and h eal. They are rituals desert peo ple have always followed, as far back asHale-Bopp s last jour ney, maybe farther. Who are we to ch ange th em?

As soon as the sun h its us we begin h iking. The canyon con stricts, until myelbows bum p the frigid, fluted walls, colored like the flesh of salmo n. Goose bu mp spep per m y arms. Deep in Billys guts, whe re the sun may n ever warm the walls, weswim up to our n ecks throu gh longer and deep er stretches of water. My clickingteeth echo.

Shivering and laughing hysterically at once, we come to the en d, where a climbthrough an angled slot leads to a patch of sunshine; we sprawl naked like drenchedlizards. I am eu ph oric that a place like this still exists away from the h um an th ron g.But the trailhead? The bulldozers and the n ew road? Suddenly my joy is tainted by adeep sad ness; I am m ourn ing the loss of this place even wh ile I wade th rough its

osing

L Wild Placesof our Childhoods by Colin ChisholmOdes to Roads

the


11/16


profundity.I am n o stranger to this mourn ing, nor are m ost people. Many of us have lost

the wild places of our childhood s. Before Id turn ed eighteen my childho odmea dow had b een bu lldozed for a golf course. I began to believe that any p lace Iloved would be plowed over or paved un der in the nam e of progress. All aroun dus wild places slip away, and were in a kind o f frenzy to know them beforetheyre gone. Thus the boom in outdoor recreation an d the rabid growth of thenew west, where funhogs rule the land.

Night births a full eclipse of the m oon . Its been twenty years since I sawone, when my little brother woke m e with his cries, afraid of wha t he tho ughtwas Gods eyeball in the sky. I fall asleep q uickly, wakin g only on ce to Hale-Bop p,a waterfall of light spilling on to the silken lan d.

On the four th day we cro ss a freshly graded dirt road. I ask Tom w here itsgoing and he rem inds me that most roads lead nowh ere. From h igh on a mesa Istare into the vast desert, and everywhere these nowhere roads criss-cross theland like so many lines on a ma p. A spum e of dust rises from one like a harbin-ger of the teeming m asses waiting for the light to turn green just beyond thehorizon.

Bob is mu ch like Billy. Lush garde ns sp ill from cr acks in leviath an b ou lders.Water seeps from sp rings, poth oles glimm er in the sh adows, bobcat tracks windleisurely through th e mud . We stumble upon an Anasazi ruin; thumb prints of the makers cover the walls like a sea of tiny waves. At night, coyote calls spiral

from the canyon rim.On the last day we find a

Snickers wrapp er, a bloody ban d-aid,a Nike snea ker and blooms of toiletpap er. Boot prints abound . The spellis broken; for th e first time all week Icant hear the little things. My brainfloods with wh ite noise. I smell thebulldozer before I see it, tearing itsway into the desert.

People are coming, whether Ilike it or n ot.

In the long run, perhap s none of this matters. The desert thrives on ageological time scale, while hum ansthink mostly in terms of our sh ort

lives. Billy and Bob Canyons will be h ere in a thou sand years, relatively un-touched . The road, our bone s, will blow as sand into the desert.

Tom and I make the m istake of driving back thro ugh Moab, where Jeepsseethe arou nd u s. I want to be angry at these peop le, but what I feel is sham ebecause I am n ot so different. My comp licity is apparen t in my own de sires, onlyslightly different from their own .

I roll down th e window an d breathe in the sweet sme ll of sage. Only whenwe are twenty m iles out of town do I calm. We stop to camp , and looking up atthe n ight sky I find Hale-Bopp . I stand th ere, silent, wonder ing what th is placewill be like the n ext time Hale-Bopp com es aroun d.

..

The desert bestows rituals like small gifts; time and again they surprise.

Waking to canyon wrens is one of these; sleeping on slickrock, because it is

clean and smooth and soft; the search for water; silence. To fall into these

rituals is to rest and heal.

Colin Chisholm is awriter from

Missoula, MT whose pieces have

appeared in Audubon and The

Sun. He comet-watches as often as

possible, in thedarkest parts of the

desert he can find.


12/16


1. Travelway (TW) Id Num ber: [______ / _________________ / ____ ] or FS Road #: [________ ]Quad # Twn -Rn g-Sec Suffix #

2. Forest: [ ] 1. IPNF [ ] 2. Colville [ ] 3. Kootenai [ ] 10. Other[ ] 4. Targhee [ ] 5. Gallatin [ ] 6. Bridger-Teton _______________[ ] 7. Lewis & Clark [ ] 8. Boise [ ] 9. Helena

3. Unit Name [_______________________________________ ]

4. What is the status of this road segmen t according to the FS inventory? [____ ][ ] 1. Open [ ] 2. Closed [ ] 3. Restricted [ ] 4. Segment not included in FS inventory

5. What is the grou nd -truthed (RSP) status of this road segmen t?[ ] 1 . Op en [ ] 2 . Clo se d [ ] 3 . Re str icted [ ] 4 . Co uld n ot fin d

6. What closure d evices are in p lace on th is TW or con necting road segmen ts that affect this TWs closure status?Enter app ropriate num ber: [______ ]

0 = no device 6 = slash /deadfall1 = post and sign 7 = wood gate w/ wire fence2 = e ar th b er m (ke lly h um p ) 8 = r oa db ed ob lite ra te d/r eve ge ta te d3 = p osts an d rail 9 = m ultip le closure devices (list #s or describe): ___________4 = steel gate 10 = other (describe): ___________________5 = boulders

If th ere is no closure affecting this TW, skip to qu estion 14.

7. Closed to vehicle typ e (accor ding to FS inven tory): [_____ ]1 = Motorized > 50 inches2 = All vehicles3 = Closure does not appear in FS inventory.4 = Restricted use; please specify :[________________________]

8. Closed to vehicle type according to RSPground -truthed inventory: [____ ]

1 = Motorized > 50 inches2 = All vehicles3 = Segment is not closed to any vehicle4= Segment open with gate key or combination

The Road-Rippers Guide to the National Forests includes asamp le data inventory sheet for mon itoring ghost roads and roadclosure effectiveness. Many groups have used the original formfrom th e Guide , and m any find they n eed to m odify it to fit theirparticular needs.

This form is the m ost recent version used by PredatorProjects Roads Scho lar Project (RSP). The RSP has been mo nitor-ing ghost roads and road closure effectiveness an d watershedimpacts of roads in the north ern Rockies for several years. It isfairly self-explanatory once you kn ow where to look for closuresand ghost roads. To do th at, you can refer to th e Road Rippers Guide to the National Forests or ca ll Wildlands CPR for m oreinformation . You sh ould find th is revised form a b it more e ffectivethan th e version in the 1995 Road-Rippers Guide .

Just four simple steps will take you from the Forest Serviceoffice into the field to document illegal roads and ineffective roadclosures with th is form .

1. Get a forest road m ap an d copy of th e Forest Plan.2. Ask for a list of all road closures an d a m ap sh owing the

closures.3. Use aerial photos from th e Forest Service to look for roads

that exist on th e ground but aren t recorded on the Forest Servicemap s. Draw these p ossible ghost roads onto you r forest map . Alsodraw in all closures.

4. Go into the field, with m aps, camera an d inventory sh eetsand field check all closures and suspected ghost roads. Dontforget to pho to-documen t everything you see!

Once youve done th at, put the information into a repor t andmeet with the Forest Service to discuss your findings and p ush formore effective road m anagem ent, including closures an dremoval.

For mo re inform ation on developing a road mon itoringprogram, order a copy of the Road-Rippers Handbook or callWildlands CPR to setup a Road Inventory Workshop in yourregion.

Thanks to Dave Havlick and the Roads Scholar Project for this form.

Travelway and Road ClosureInventory Form

Ineffective road closure. W ildlandsCPR file phot o.


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9. FS Auth orized closu re date s: [____ ]1 = All year2 = Season al: From __________ to _________3= Not in FS inventory

10. Is the closure b eing checked within th e FS auth orized closure dates?[ ] 1. Yes [ ] 2. No [ ] 3. Not in FS inven tory

11. Status of closure d evice as describe d by RSP invento ry: [_____ ]

1 = Exists and e ffectively closes road segm ent to all vehicles.2 = Indicated by FS inventory, but n o device found in field check.3 = Exists but does n ot effectively close road to som e or all vehicles.

If #3 above, answer question 12. Otherwise, skip to quest ion 13.

12. Why is closu re no t effective? [___ ]1 = Vandalism 4 = Open access to anyone with a gate key.2 = Unlocked gate 5 = Detour that allows all m otorized veh icles3 = Detour that allows ORVs to bypa ss closure.

13. Please pho tograph a ll closur es: Roll # ______ Frame # ______

14. Total segme nt lengthmeasu red by odom eter or estimated from map : [_________ ]

15. What kind of road is this? [ ___ ]0 = user created (4WD, dirtbike or ORV) 5 = private access road or driveway1 = logging system road 6 = powerline access2 = skid trail 7 = ranch/fenceline3 = fire road 8 = firewood cutting4 = min ing road 9 = other: _______________

16. Rate the degree of use on ro ad: [___ ]0 = no use evident1 = game, non -motorized, or foot use evident2 = ORV tracks visible3 = standard vehicle or 4WD tracks visible4 = bare soil evident from tire wear; no distinct tracks

17. Rate the vegetation presen t on TW: [___ ]0 = primarily trees (< 50% of cover is brush, grass or soil)1 = primarily brush (< 50% of cover is grass or soil)2 = primarily grass (< 25% bare soil exposed)3 = grass/forbs interm ittent with bare soil (bare soil area is between 2 5-50% )4 = primarily bare soil (bare soil is > 50% of surface)

18. What is status of the worst erosion on TW? [___ ]0 = erosion negligible, surface stable with no ru ts1 = TW surface flow, wheel ruts > 1 deep2 = overland surface flow chan neled down TW (seasonal channel)3 = live stream channeled down TW4 = unstabilized slumping of TW cut slopes

19. How man y stream crossings are there o n TW? [___ ]

20. Evidence of illegal dum ping? [ ] 1. Yes [ ] 2. No

21. Pho tograp h of road : Film roll # _______ Fram e # _______

22. Comme nts: (e.g. evidence o f noxious we eds, notes on road o r closure, is the road getting use?)

Inspected by: ____________________________ Date: __________________use initials or full nam e


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Wildlands CPR Publications:Road-Ripper's Handbook ($15.00, $25 non-members) A

com preh ensive activist man ual that includes th e five Guideslisted below, plus The Ecological Effects of Roads , Gather- ing Information with the Freedom of Information Act , andmore!

Road-Ripper's Guide to the National Forests ($4, $7 non-mem-

bers) By Keith Hamm er. How-to proced ures for gettingroads closed and revegetated, descriptions of environm en-tal laws, road den sity standards & Forest Service road p oli-cies.

Road-Ripper's Guide to the National Parks ($4, $7 non-members) By David Bahr & Aron Yarm o. Provides ba ckgroun don th e National Park System an d its use of roads, and out-lines how activists can get involved in NPS planning.

Road-Ripper's Guide to the BLM ($4, $7 non-members) ByDan Stotter. Provides an overview of road-related land andresource laws, and d etailed discussions for p articipating inBLM decision-making processes.

Road-Ripper's Guide to Off-Road Vehicles ($4, $7 non-members) By Dan Wright. A com preh ensive guide to reduc-ing the use an d abuse o f ORVs on pu blic lands. Includes anextensive bibliography.

Road-Rippers Guide to Wildland Road Removal ($4, $7 non- members) By Scott Bagley. Provides techn ical infor ma -tion on road construction and removal, where and whyroads fail, and how you can effectively assess road rem ovalprojects.

Trails of Destr uction ($10) By Friends o f the Earth an d Wild-lands CPR, written by Erich Pica and Jacob Smith. Thisrepo rt explains the ecological imp acts of ORVs, federal fun d-ing for motorized recreation on p ublic land s, and the ORVindustrys role in pu shing th e ORV agenda.

WILDLA N D S CPR MEMB ERSH I P/ORD ER FORM

Please send this for m and your check (payable to Wildlands CPR)to the address below. Thank you!

Wildlands CPR PO Box 7516 Missoula, Montana 59807

Prices include shipping: for Priority Mail add $3.00 per item;for Canadian orders, add $6.00 per item.

Ask about reduced rates for items ordered in bulk.

Please send me the following publications/resources:

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Bibliographic Services:Ecological Impacts of Roads: A Bibliographic Database (Up-

date d Feb. 1998 ) Edited by Reed Noss. Comp iled by DaveAugeri, Mike Eley, Steve Hum ph rey, Reed Noss, Paul Pacqu et& Susan Pierce. Contain s app rox. 6,000 citations includ-ing scientific literature on erosion, fragmentation, sedimen -tation, pollution, effects on wildlife, aquatic an d h ydrologi-

cal effects, and other information on the impacts of roads.Use the ecological literature to un derstand an d develop roaddensity standards, priorities for road removal, and otherroad issues.

Database Searches We will search th e Bibliography o n thesubjects that interest you, and provide results in IBM orMacintosh forma t (specify software), or on pap er. We alsohave prepa red a 1-disk Bibliographic Summ ary with resu ltsfor comm on ly requested searches. Finally, we offer the fullbibliography. However, you m ust h ave Pro-Cite or a com -patible database program in o rder to use it.

Bibliography prices Sliding scale (all prices include ship-ping):1) Non-pr ofits with bu dgets un der $ 100,000/yr.

2) Non-pr ofits with budgets $ 100,000-$500,000 /yr.3) Non-pr ofits with budgets over $50 0,000//Universities4) Government Agencies5) For-profits and other sFull Bibliograph y: $45 (1) / $100 (2) / $20 0 (3) / $300 (4) / $1000 (5)Summary (one disk): $7 (1) / $10 (2) / $15 (3) / $25 (4) / $35 (5)Searches (add m aterial costs of 15 cen ts/page, $3 minimum ,and /or $3 per disk):$3 (1) / $5 (2) / $10 (3) / $15 (4) / $25 (5) (The first 10 sea rch es/ year are free for m emb ers. )


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The Road-RIPort er is prin ted on 100% pos t-consum er recycled, non-chlorin e bleached paper.

Wildlands C enter for P reventing R oadsP.O. Box 7516Missoula, MT 59807

Babies have been birthed with less st raini ng than t he Forest Service is going through in producing its road policy. Missoulian editorial

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