How can a National Forest be shut down? Are they closing all roads in and out? Stopping all timber and other comercial operations? Removing all rangers? Removing the forest?

They are mostly restricting off road, utilitie and 4 wheelers off most trails. yea some bozo's have been rutting up the forest and soon no one can ride in the forest unless you are on horseback. Most of the damage I see in the center of Quachita Forest is forest service vehicles, trucks and dozers. Deer season the idiots will be all over the forest and the forest sevice as well as the game officers will be setting in their homes or trucks.

here's a couple of links to Ouachita Forest trails and other forest recreation.

Over 700 miles of trails await you on the Ouachita National Forest. The trails system includes trails and related facilities for hiking, mountain biking, all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), and equestrian. Hiking and interpretive trails range in lengths of less than 1 mile up to the 192-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail, which traverses the entire forest from west to east.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ouachita/maps/documents/Forest_Map.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ouachita/recreation/trails.shtml

We can't afford to maintain what we current have so we are still in the process of purchasing more land for a national park?

Honker raises an interesting point that I didn't thing was an issue. I've always believed that you couldn't sue the government for recreating on public property. Do I have the wrong information?

Liberty, if it's your negligence, then you can't sue. But if some lawyer can make a case that the service wasn't provided that is implied that should be, i.e. the road or trail is open for traffic, then they have a case that the government was negligent. It's called fiduciary obligation. If you stick an axe in your leg at your campsite, tough luck. No chance of sueing the govt.

The US Forest Service is under the Department of Agriculture. National Park Service falls under Dept of Interior. Funding is quite different for the two different agencies.

Honker - Thank you for the good information.

I simply can't fathom a man who has the chance to enjoy the great outdoors in the manner he chooses and then have the balls to sue if he doesn't like the result. The government isn't responsible to make our lives safe and free from any type of mishap, that is the responsibility of the individual. Assess the situation and if you see danger lurking take appropriate action. Don't cross the bridge if it's unsafe, don't drive your atv 50 if the condition only warrant 20. Keep your head screwed on and be responsible for your self. We have a pretty good law about private land here in Maine. If you are recreating in any manner on someone land, permission or no, and you have any type of accident you have no recourse to sue.

Liberty, the rising cost of liability insurance is driving the outfitters in Ontario out of business left and right. And it's making a guided trip unaffordable for most folks. Result is they come up here not knowing what to do or where they are going and wind up getting in trouble or at least having a bad time and not coming back. Too bad we don't have that kind of law here. Doubt it could ever make it through the legislature. Too many lawyers sitting in there.