Free Republic

Despite a long process involving collaboration between local officials the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Western Colorado, the federal land agency is proceeding with the closure of roads that have been traveled for 50 or more years. The road closures comprise a portion of the BLM’s Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Mesa County, of which, 73 percent is controlled by the federal government . ... public roads, used by off-roaders, hunters, farmers, ranchers and, during wildfire season, firefighting crews. ... Jody Green, a member of Public Lands Access Association and long-time activist working to preserve access into federally-managed lands,...

The booming popularity of off-road vehicles has left laws stuck in the mud. Idaho is now hoping to catch up and inject some order to its trails. A series of proposed rules would govern anything that motors across mud, sand, dirt or snow. The changes largely have been sparked by the increasing number of four-wheelers. The number of these vehicles registered in Idaho has doubled since 1999 and now stands at 52,371, according to the Idaho Parks and Recreation Department. "We need to be proactive here and establish what the rules of the road are going to be," said the...