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http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770918047
Link to the letter mentioned in the article (PDF file) - http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/p...penr=70918047&Category=NEWS01&Params=Id=85914
HANGING DOG – The U.S. Forest Service is seeking the public’s input on a plan to close trails in one of the nation’s most popular off-road driving areas because of environmental problems there.
The agency wants to ban motorized vehicles from trails two, seven and nine in the Upper Tellico Off Road Vehicle Area for a year and close all of the trails except trail one and the upper section of trail two from January to the end of March.
The Forest Service’s call for comments and plan to close trails comes three months after environmentalists threatened to sue the agency over muddy runoff from trails. The Southern Environmental Law Center says runoff is choking out brook trout.
The Upper Tellico, about two hours west of Asheville and 11 miles from Murphy, is one of the nation’s top spots for off-road enthusiasts. It is one of the few places in the Southeast where people driving jeeps, trucks and specially designed all-terrain vehicles can find challenging driving in a wilderness setting.
Off-roaders disagree with allegations from environmentalists. They say they volunteer time and spend their own money restoring trails. And the off-roaders also say their sport is good for the local economy.
Helen Davis, owner of Tellico Cabins, a business that relies on the off-road sport, said Tuesday that the Forest Service hasn’t done enough research to pin water quality problems on runoff from the trails.
“They are just giving in to them too easy,” she said. “They haven’t given any proof that it is causing problems.”
The public has until Oct. 17 to file comments on the plan. A letter from the Forest Service seeking comments is on CITIZEN-TIMES.com.
Terry Seyden, a spokesman for the Forest Service, said the agency has studied the problem. He said workers have collected data on sediment levels in the streams and on fish populations that show runoff is causing a problem.
“We acknowledged that there are some water quality problems and that there is sediment reaching the Tellico River,” he said. “And that is why we are proposing these to actions to address what we feel are the biggest contributors to sediment.”
Seyden said the Forest Service has not studied the economic impact of closing trails.
As part of the plan, the Forest Service will study the condition of about seven miles of trails within 100 feet of streams to determine what should be done in the future to prevent water quality problems.
The 8,000-acre Tellico area straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee line. It has 13 trails for off-road vehicles.
Author's email - [email protected]
Link to the letter mentioned in the article (PDF file) - http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/p...penr=70918047&Category=NEWS01&Params=Id=85914
HANGING DOG – The U.S. Forest Service is seeking the public’s input on a plan to close trails in one of the nation’s most popular off-road driving areas because of environmental problems there.
The agency wants to ban motorized vehicles from trails two, seven and nine in the Upper Tellico Off Road Vehicle Area for a year and close all of the trails except trail one and the upper section of trail two from January to the end of March.
The Forest Service’s call for comments and plan to close trails comes three months after environmentalists threatened to sue the agency over muddy runoff from trails. The Southern Environmental Law Center says runoff is choking out brook trout.
The Upper Tellico, about two hours west of Asheville and 11 miles from Murphy, is one of the nation’s top spots for off-road enthusiasts. It is one of the few places in the Southeast where people driving jeeps, trucks and specially designed all-terrain vehicles can find challenging driving in a wilderness setting.
Off-roaders disagree with allegations from environmentalists. They say they volunteer time and spend their own money restoring trails. And the off-roaders also say their sport is good for the local economy.
Helen Davis, owner of Tellico Cabins, a business that relies on the off-road sport, said Tuesday that the Forest Service hasn’t done enough research to pin water quality problems on runoff from the trails.
“They are just giving in to them too easy,” she said. “They haven’t given any proof that it is causing problems.”
The public has until Oct. 17 to file comments on the plan. A letter from the Forest Service seeking comments is on CITIZEN-TIMES.com.
Terry Seyden, a spokesman for the Forest Service, said the agency has studied the problem. He said workers have collected data on sediment levels in the streams and on fish populations that show runoff is causing a problem.
“We acknowledged that there are some water quality problems and that there is sediment reaching the Tellico River,” he said. “And that is why we are proposing these to actions to address what we feel are the biggest contributors to sediment.”
Seyden said the Forest Service has not studied the economic impact of closing trails.
As part of the plan, the Forest Service will study the condition of about seven miles of trails within 100 feet of streams to determine what should be done in the future to prevent water quality problems.
The 8,000-acre Tellico area straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee line. It has 13 trails for off-road vehicles.
Author's email - [email protected]