US Forest Service decides to close the Tellico trails

[off.track]

is there no other solution except closing it off completely?

[1leglance]

So no one thinks there's any merrit to this concern about silting of the streams?

My viewpoint is that I am tired of being the low hanging fruit.
If the real goal is to help the world be a better place then let's make moves on the things that will make a real difference,
like all that mass of plastic in the Pacific,
agricultural dust generation in the southwest (vs stupid measures against off highway play),
real corp fuel mileage reg's & enforcement (an 80's Ford Escort diesel got great mileage),
allowing more clean small diesels into the USA instead of stupid tariffs, preventing land developers from turning virgin desert into trackhomes while city centers die out,
getting rid of wasteful irrigation in central Phoenix that allows thousands of gallons of water to be wasted,
putting some of the billions we spend on military stuff into outdoor enforcement and upkeep,
realizing that motorized access to the backcountry is important as a therapy and form of recreation of many many people,
and so much more.

But instead there are people who just don't like motorized recreation and will come up with lots of reasons, some real and some not so real to stop the fun.

[4WD School]

So no one thinks there's any merrit to this concern about silting of the streams?

Not based on the Forest Service's own internal experts or the independent engineering survey that was commisioned.

The Forest Service (and Dept. of Justice) are worried about being sued over the Clean Water Act. If a precedent can be set at Tellico, the environmental lawyers would go wild.

[grouch]

But instead there are people who just don't like motorized recreation and will come up with lots of reasons, some real and some not so real to stop the fun.

I can't remember where I saw it but I know the local Trout Unlimited group has been trying to get the trails about the water shed closed for many years. TU has a lot of sway when it comes to these things due to it's members. Most chapters have a fair amount of retired people that want to John Muir their whole world. They are a mobilized and motivated army ready for a cause. Combine that with a few attorneys and other busy body types and this is what you get. I have seen some pictures of the heavily depleted trout habitat and it is more than disheartening. Without crystal clear water, trout (brookies in particular) can't live and the bugs they eat need clear oxygenated water to hatch. Dirty water means dead trout, it's as simple as that.

I didn't spend a lot of time looking for it but this is the best I could come up with concerning TU and Tellico.

http://www.tu.org/press_releases/200...ighway-vehicle

http://www.nctu.org/uppertellicosurvey.html

As a guy who loves to fish I am not sure what to think about this. I haven't been to Tellico so I can't comment but from the pictures I have seen in magazines and online it looks to be a place where a guy goes to test out his new 44" Swampers. Everyone here knows this does a lot of damage to the trails which does cause water run off problems. I used to think so screw it when it comes to stuff like this but since I moved to the East and started driving off road here, I can understand how fragile this type of environment is. The area's I go to will maintain a nice balance between recreational uses and environmental concerns as long as they remain little used. If they start to get the heavy use like Tellico had, I am sure some busy body lawyer will shut my stuff down too.

[4WD School]

The Tellico trails are actually old logging roads. They were not placed or designed by the Forest Service.

Over half of these old roads were closed when the Forest Service bought the property in 1986.

The remainder have been used and maintained by the 4WD community ever since.

Tellico offers all level of challenge, but only the extreme stuff gets into the magazines, etc.

Photos by the anti-access folks are taken out of context. That's what they do to shape public perception.

This area is incredibly beautiful and that's why we treasure it so much. Any farmer can pile some rocks in his pasture and create a rock crawling pile.

Tellico is unique due to its lush vegetation and clear cold streams. We have been protecting that for 23 years.

Unfortunately the Southern Environmental Law Center decided it wanted to set a legal precedent based on the Clean Water Act and they decided to team up with Trout Unlimited, PEER, and WildSouth to do that at Tellico.

Prior to the legal threats, all parties attended "Water Quality" stakeholder meetings every year at the Forest Service offices.

The 4WD community is an easy target for the environmental fringe. The vocal minority.

The irony is that OHV recreation is increasing and fishing is decreasing.

[grouch]

The irony is that OHV recreation is increasing and fishing is decreasing.

The irony for me is that TU fights for fishing access. I just can't seem to line that up in my head other than "we know better about what we are doing than you" BTW, public opinion had nothing to do with this.

[4WD School]

I agree.

To a large degree the trail closures at Tellico have restricted the fishing access too.

Public opinion is seldom considered in these matters, even though they are public lands.

[1leglance]

One thing that really bothers me is that usually the action taken is complete closure..
not just shutting down any trails that cross streams or just the areas that cause problems...but complete and total shutdown.
It seems the other side rarely wants to meet part way or try anything other than getting their way.

Maybe we would do well to learn from their success and start filing lawsuits to keep access open. Using whatever legal means we can based on whatever someone smarter than me can come up with.

But sadly enough I seriously doubt anything will come of this...no 4wd magazine will give it more than a small 1/4 pg at most, no manufacturer will use their legal team to act, at SEMA you might get a blip on the radar at most.

I wonder how far away the day is where we read Overland Journal to see places outside the USA where dirt roads & trails are still in use.

[paulj]

From a 1996 trail ride report
http://www.humvee.net/pix/tellico/tellico.html

Several streams leading to the Tellico River provided ample fording opportunities as seen here at a somewhat swollen and rushing Trail 5 crossing. The higher water level and muddiness also hid the rocky bottom.....navigation by sound and feel.

[Haggis]

From a 1996 trail ride report
http://www.humvee.net/pix/tellico/tellico.html

So what? Is that suppose to be evidence that OHV vehicles are the root cause? It obvious from that photo that it has been raining and the ground is soaked. The stream is riled up even before the stream crossing. A stream out here in the east that doesn't see one lick of stream crossings or has any trails by it will turn discolored and cloudy from even a moderate rain fall. This is from the natural erosion of stream banks, the stirring of settled sands and sediment from the creek bottom and the release of tannins from built up leaf litter on the forest floor. One heavy downpour will put more sediments into a stream in an hour than a whole herd of off-roaders in a month. Photos like this are only posted to elicit an emotional response.