CHEYENNE - Saying they have been unfairly painted with a broad brush, off-road vehicle users stated their opposition to a petition by environmental groups to close three dirt roads in the Medicine Bow National Forest.

The conservationists want the roads in the Vedauwoo climbing area to be closed immediately to stem soil, water and vegetation damage by illegal motorized activity.

A small percentage of off-road enthusiasts is responsible, said Jed Gerig, an all-terrain vehicle rider and co-owner of Polaris Suzuki of Cheyenne. The law-abiding operators do their best to police violators but can't do it alone, he said.

"These people need to be penalized. There need to be big fines … so people think twice about it," he said.

Leon and Dion Clark of Cheyenne, in a letter to forest managers, pointed out officials' responsibility to provide access to hikers, climbers, photographers, campers, RV owners and livestock owners, along with motor sport enthusiasts.

"The environmentalists want to toss everyone and everything out," they wrote.

Gerig said closing the roads would increase pressure on an already inadequate trail system.

If the proposal by Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and four other organizations is honored, other roads and trails in less-sensitive areas should be opened, he said.

Tracy Williams, interim trails program manager in the state Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, agreed that ATV riders have few options in the Cheyenne and Laramie area.

"People call up all the time asking us, 'Where can I ride?'" she said. "There aren't that many areas in this part of the state."

Toward that end, Williams is working with federal and other state agencies and county governments to identify roads and trails that could become part of the Wyoming Off-Road Vehicle Program.

Once byways are enrolled in the program, fees paid by off-road users to use trails in the system - $15 per vehicle - are applied toward maintenance in partnership with the agencies that have jurisdiction over the paths.

Riders on officially designated Forest Service roads that are not enrolled in the state trail system must be licensed, thereby eliminating riders under 16.

Gerig said that limits opportunities to teach youngsters how to ride properly.

"There are no national forest or state lands in Laramie County that I can take my son … where I can ride with him and teach him the importance of staying on trails and not destroying the environment," he said.

David Eldred of Cheyenne, who owns a cabin in the Snowy Range and fishes, hunts, snowmobiles and rides ATVs, agrees that more trails are needed so parents can take their children, properly outfitted and on age-appropriate ATVs, on outings.

He was fined $100 last year for allowing his son to ride an ATV on a Forest Service road as the family headed for a picnic.

"We don't have a place in town to let our children and families recreate with off-highway vehicles, and when we go to the forest they say you have to be 16 or a be licensed driver," he said. "That's not practical."

Eldred was particularly incensed that the ticketing officer questioned his parenting ability.

"The flip side to this is my kid can be doing much more destructive things like rotting his brain in front of a television," he said. "Don't challenge my parenting skills."

Clint Kyhl, district ranger for the Laramie Ranger District, said there are only 10 miles of state-enrolled trails in the 2.9 million-acre Medicine Bow National Forest.

However, forest officials this fall will propose about 120 more miles of trails that can be included under the state program - some by converting low-use roads, others by constructing new trails. About 200 miles of existing roads would be closed, he said.

"We believe a solution to our illegal off-road activity is to provide an opportunity for those motorized users to use the national forest," Kyhl said. "Under a managed motorized trail system, we can mitigate environmental impacts. User groups can help with trail improvement projects - we can have them adopt certain segments - and we can increase our law enforcement."

Besides working to expand the state off-road vehicle trail system, Williams said her agency uses off-road fees to educate riders about ethics, availability of trails and importance of staying on trails.

The program gave $100,000 to the Forest Service to help enforce rules and patrol trails statewide. Kyhl complimented Williams for the money, along with $50,000 to help with the study of potential new trails.

Capital bureau reporter Robert W. Black can be reached at (307) 632-1244 or {M3robert.black@casperstartribune.net.

NewsTracker

* Last we knew: Conservation groups petitioned the U.S. Forest Service to close three roads in the Medicine Bow National Forest due to off-road motorized vehicle damage.

* The latest: ATV operators say a small minority are giving the majority a bad name, and that more trails are needed.

* What's next: Medicine Bow forest officials are studying the petition and also plan to propose 120 miles of new trails this fall.