Deer Hunting

Ross, Pryor Seek to Halt Implementation of Ouachita National Forest Travel Management Plan

This article is from lst month but is shows not all of Arkansas law makers are for the closing of The Ouachita National Forest Trails and roads. Here's to hoping The Ouachit Nation Forest is not closed to atv and utv travel.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/tvlma_ross-pryor-seek-to-...

WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Mike Ross, D-Ark., and U.S. Senator Mark Pryor, D-Ark., today requested that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack halt any implementation of the recently announced Ouachita National Forest (ONF) Travel Management Plan, citing its potential economic impacts on the area, and to ask ONF officials to re-engage with local and state officials to find a "common sense solution."

On January 4, 2010, the U.S. Forest Service released a Travel Management Plan for Ouachita National Forest eliminating most cross-country travel and considerably restricting access for off-highway vehicles (OHVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The plan is currently scheduled to be implemented by early spring 2010. The announcement came after a 2005 travel management rule issued by the U.S. Forest Service calling for each of America's 155 national forests to designate a travel system for motorized vehicles.

"As an avid outdoorsman, I believe all Arkansans should have access to our public lands and that people should not be prohibited from riding ATVs in a responsible manner in national forests," said Ross. "I do not agree with the Ouachita National Forest's decision to severely limit the use of trails to off-highway vehicles, especially along the popular Wolf Pen Gap Trail System. Many local communities have developed tourism economies around trail riding and, given our current economic climate, this is not the time to implement policies that threaten much-needed jobs in our area."

"The Ouachita National Forest is a state treasure, and the tourism it attracts is an essential part of the economy in Mena and surrounding areas. Severely limiting the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on the Wolf Pen Gap trail system will restrict Arkansans' access to the forest and threaten jobs, and that's not good for anyone. I strongly believe that we can work together with Secretary Vilsack to create a plan that produces reasonable restrictions with reasonable access by incorporating scientific data and input from local communities," Pryor said.

Ouachita National Forest Makes Travel Management Decision
Decision Notice Signed for Travel Management on the Ouachita National Forest

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ouachita/recreation/ohv/

http://www.shopoklahoma.com/atvotv.htm