If you've ever ridden the Oregon Dunes you know what a unique experience it is. Unfortunately, the Forest Service is implementing their Travel Management plan (a.k.a. Closures). Slated for closure are large portions of Florence, and Winchester Bay (including Banshee Hill), and large portions of the Coos Bay area. It won't stop there. More are coming. Groups who want to see the entire dunes closed have already filed lawsuits, including those to stop the Riley Ranch project, a project that would give improved dune access and recreation facilities for not only ATV's, but also horse riders, fishermen, campers, hikers, etc...

Several Northwest clubs are working to unify the fight against closures. To anyone that is or knows of an off-road enthusiast, please help us out - join the Blue Ribbon Coalition and - or donate if possible (Be sure to mention the Oregon Dunes Account) and send this out to any off-roaders you may know. A website will also soon be up at: www.savetheridersdunes.com

Please help spread the word!

Thanks!

 

Hope all goes well for you folks. It's an uphill battle these days.

 

Here is a map of the proposed closures on the north side of Florence. Blue Ribbon Coalition has set up an account for donations to help battle these closures. Please help us spread the word.

savetheridersdunes.com

 

That really sucks... I rode around Coos Bay about 15 years ago and was one thing a wanted to do "again" with my kids..

 

We are definitely trying to fight this, by spreading the word, donations, and uniting the off-road community -ATV's, 4x4's, bikes, buggies- because it won't stop at the dunes.

We want to promote responsible riding, and we want to keep the dunes and trails open for many years to come. These dunes are a very unique riding experience that we don't want to keep to ourselves. We don't want to see them go away.

xcitmt,

Hope you get to come out this direction. We'll fight to keep the doors open for ya!

 

Its a sad day in america when people who think they are saving the environmenl are just furthering peoples drunk on power agendas/communists.

 

Unfortunately it isn't so simple, and generally it is NOT environmentalists on power agendas...it is environmentalists who are disgusted with the abuse...not use...of the environment caused by ATV riders. I have been an off-road enthusiast for over 30 years, but every time I see piles of beer cans and trash left out in the middle of nowhere, I am outraged at the irresponsibility and carelessness of my fellow riders...does that make me an environmentalist?

As a whole, ATV riders do not set a good example for the non-riding public to see. We ride irresponsibly and without helmets...we let our kids ride without proper training or on machines way too big for them...we ride machines with loud exhausts and think everyone else enjoys the racket...we drink irresponsibly while on our machines...we leave trash and beer cans everywhere...we trespass on private land...and we take extreme liberties with where we ride and do not stay on designated trails.

It's because of a MAJORITY (not a minority unfortunately) of riders doing any or all of the above that we have given our sport a bad reputation in the eyes of the non-riders...they see the shredded land strewn with trash, and realize the people causing the damage (us) are not going to clean up their act, and so they feel compelled to do something to save the land.

I for one don't blame them for their intentions, albeit done in a "squash the fly with a sledgehammer" method.

IT'S TIME TO WAKE THE HELL UP FOLKS!!!!

If we don't start riding responsibly, we will lose all of our riding areas to "environmentalists" who use the evidence we provide them to close our riding areas.

The attitude of "do whatever the heck I want" has got to be replaced with "Tread Lightly" and "Pack out what you pack in" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

Education is an avenue for change with young riders, but for the old dogs who have it set in their minds as to what their "rights" are, I don't see anything other than taxations and fees to offset the costs of cleaning up after the messes they will leave/have left behind.

I rant...

 

Its sad but true! I see it all the time as well. People just throw there beer cans and other small trash anywheres and causes everyone problems! It would be nice if they would just take it back with them!

 

I'll say it again. Travel Management is a presidential directive provided to you by George Bush.....not the Forest Service. Forest Service is doing what their told. They don't make up the rules. Please don't blame the Forest Service for Travel Management. Also doesn't mean that they close all trails, just illegal ones.

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Edit:

"Slated for closure are large portions of Florence, and Winchester Bay (including Banshee Hill), and large portions of the Coos Bay area. It won't stop there." FALSE


Read this.....Nobody is taking away the riding area. There will be changes (some closures), but there will also be improvements to some trails and possible new trails.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/proj...ope-letter.pdf

 

Tex......I've been saying it's "not so simple" for a year now. Everything is the treehuggers, or the lefties fault. Travel Management is a George Bush initiative. There is a lot to it, other than "trail closures". The "trails" they close are the non-trails that cut between real trails, or special routes off the map. Old logging trails that were NOT designated for ATVs. Rarely are they closing active, legal existing ATV trails just to screw ATV riders over. All Forests are currently reviewing their trial systems due to Travel Management. Some are complete, most are still in-process. Thankfully the Forest Service looks at each location differently and doesn't use a cookie cutter approach to making decisions on ATV use.

What's wrong with protecting and being concerned with the places we ride. I don't want to ride in a pre-designed sand pit. Do ATV riders want to be associated with an anti-environment platform? I hate the environment?....Not a good association.

All I can say there, is to do a basic search on YouTube with the letters ATV and watch some of it. It's an endless parade of video displaying their guilt....land destruction and drunk riding, pipes, donuts on school soccer fields, trespass, river crossings in trout streams to clean off the mud. Youth riders (16 -24) are a problem for sure. Not a lot upstairs it seems, with no training on basic public behavior by their parents. Private property means nothing to them generally. No offense to the responsible younger riders/readers on here.

One thing I will say is that a lot of times, local town scumbags use our ATV trails to dump their crap and it's not the ATV riders fault. They're too lazy, dumb, broke to know any better. I see it all the time....about 100 yards into the trail in a big pile of junk some bastard dumped.

Lot of folks around here are extremely responsible riders who care about the trails and the environment. They are true environmentalist because they love and care for their environment and the places they ride....but they don't like being called one per se. In Maine we get tons of out of state riders, but they too are generally respectful of the trials. The issue is complex and appears to be different in different parts of the country. I thankfully live in a state (sector of the country) where there is not a majority of problem people. There's more respect and an overall sense of concern here it seems.

A license to ride is needed IMO.