On Memorial Day weekend, respect public lands

Nothing is quite as jarring to the senses than being out enjoying public lands only to find them scarred by thoughtless acts of others.

Unfortunately, those acts occur all too often in our local forests.

Fragile, emerald green wetlands are turned brown and muddy by thoughtless people who, as far as we can tell, care only about their own fun.

It would be easy to vilify all off-roaders who get their kicks on public lands. But that would be like saying everyone who straps on a backpack is a full-bore environmentalist intent on spiking trees with nails.

For many people, our national forests represent many things. And enabling those many things - from logging and grazing to various types of recreation and wildlife - is the mission of the Forest Service.

It's the multiple-use approach, the doctrine of balancing a number of different kinds of uses of national forest land. And it's not an easy one.

There are folks who would just as soon end all off-highway vehicle use on public lands. And, as evidenced by the tire ruts left in our local meadows, there are apparently some who'd prefer not to have any restrictions at all.

But something has to be done. The Forest Service sees "unmanaged recreation" as one of the "four threats" to the nation's forests, right up there with wildfire. It's easy to understand why.

OHV use has grown from 5 million riders in 1972 to 51 million in 2004, according to the agency. And while OHV recreation is a legitimate use, it has its place. But unmanaged and thoughtless use like we've seen locally translates into serious impacts - wetland damage and erosion, to name two - on the land.

It all comes down to respect - for others and for the land.

- from the Sierra Sun