By James Ronald Skains
Journal Correspondent

"Cross country ATV riding on the Kisatchie National Forest will end in January 2005 unless reprieve is issued."

Jim Caldwell, the Public Affairs Officer of the Kisatchie National Forest made the above announcement at a public meeting at the Alexandria Convention Center. The meeting was held to give the public an opportunity to express their sentiments concerning the ban on ATV riding on the Kisatchie National Forest.

"Beginning in mid-January of '05, all cross country ATV riding will be prohibited on the Kisatchie," Caldwell stated emphatically. "This is not just a local decision but was made at the highest levels of the U.S. Forest Service."

"This is not just a local matter for the Kisatchie," Greta Boley, Supervisor of the 600,000-acre plus Kisatchie National Forest that is centered in north central Louisiana, told the Piney Woods Journal. "This is a problem of ATV damage to the forest that is faced by nearly all of our National Forests."

More than 200 people attended the three hour Reception and Public Meeting held in October. The public was invited to submit written comments as well as make a five minute oral statement of their sentiments to the banning of ATVs on the Kisatchie.

All oral comments made by both the public and the sponsoring government agencies present, the U.S. Forest Service, Louisiana Department of Agriculture, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries were recorded. Transcripts of the comments and statements are available to interested parties.

The apparent ban on cross country ATV riding on the Kisatchie followed a long time build-up of incidents concerning damage to the forest by ATV riders. Jim Caldwell and other Kisatchie officials have conducted several "media tours" of areas damaged by ATV vehicles in the last couple of years.

Several areas seen by this reporter on field trips conducted by the Kisatchie officials resembled mud racing tracks. ATV routes in the Kisatchie in many places had ruts 10 to 12 inches deep. Numerous mud holes had been either purposely installed on the routes or had naturally developed by repeated crossing by ATV vehicles.

Nearly 20 people signed up to make oral statements at the public meeting. Not all the public comments and statements came from deer hunters using guns.

A couple of those in attendance who made comments questioning the impact on the ATV ban identified themselves as hog hunters.

"Wild woods hogs do much more damage to the Kisatchie than do ATV vehicles," one wild hog hunter stated. "Us hog hunters are actually providing a tremendous benefit to the Kisatchie by ridding them of the hogs. However, if we can't use ATVs to get the hogs we catch out of the backwoods, we will be severely handicapped."

"So if we are providing a tremendous service to the Forest Service by reducing the wild hog population on the Kisatchie, why can't we at least use our ATVs to get the hogs out of the backwoods," the wild hog hunter asked. "There is not much way that you can tote a live 200 pound wild hog two or three miles through the woods to a road. You can put him in a cage on an ATV as we do now, but you can't tote a live hog through the woods."

"We are more than willing to agree not to even have guns with us in our hog hunting," the hog hunters pointed out. "We are not responsible in any shape form or fashion to the problems that the Kisatchie is having with ATVs."

One squirrel hunter questioned an existing Forest Service regulation that prevented a squirrel hunter from hunting with more than one dog while deer hunters in dog season could hunt with numerous dogs. None of the Forest Service personnel present had an immediate answer to the multiple versus single dog hunting questions. However, an answer to that question was promised after researching the question.

The most vocal opposition to the ATV National Forest cross-county riding ban seemed to come from the handicapped deer hunters. Several expressed their concern basically stating, "If we can't use our ATV to get around in the woods, we will not be able to hunt. All the other land is leased by hunting clubs which the majority of us can't afford to join, so our only option has been to hunt on public land. Without the use of ATVs on public land, out hunting days are over."

Another attendee, Boo Maddox, had a unique problem. He owns land surrounded by the Forest Service. The Kisatchie National Forest had allowed him access to his land by ATV provided that he took a different route each trip to his land.

Apparently none of the "cross-country ATV pleasure riders" offered any oral comments concerning the ATV ban on National Forest land that is scheduled to take place in January, 2005. Some cross-country ATV pleasure riders made have made written comments about the proposed ATV ban.

Informed sources have previously told the Piney Journal that the ATV problem facing the National Forest is two-fold. Both are budgetary. The majority of the U.S. Forest Service annual budget is put together based on specific projects and monies are then apportioned to pay for the cost of the projects.

There are currently no "specific projects" in the U.S. Forest Service operating budget for damage control or restoration of damage incurred due to excessive ATV usage on public land. Secondly, a permit fee system for usage of the public forest lands for ATV riding is a difficult problem to formulate. The cost of restoration could be astronomical and at this time there is no way to calculate reasonable cost factors.

A user fee would also entail adding numerous personnel and equipment to do restoration work on areas damaged by excessive ATV riding on National Forest Service land. Apparently, the U.S. Forest Service feels that after issuing numerous warnings and conducting frequent media campaigns about the mounting damage from ATV use on public lands, that the more feasible method in which to handle the ATV problem is to ban ATVs from National Forest land.

One attendee at the Kisatchie National Forest Public Meeting, Arthur Misner of Forest Hill told the Journal, "Hopefully, some type of compromise plan can be worked out because a total ban of ATVs on National Forest land would have a major impact on many people's lives. In addition, it would have a negative impact on the communities within the Kisatchie National Forest region."

"When ATV riders, whether they are hunters or otherwise, come to ride their vehicles on National Forest land, they also spend considerable money in the local communities," Misner pointed out. "Hopefully, some type of plan similar to the guidelines that loggers on National Forest land have to follow can be formulated for ATV users. The loggers are held responsible for any damages they do to National Forest Service land."

"Perhaps, some type of pay as you go system can be installed," Misner added. "It would probably be a 'learn as we go' scenario for everyone involved. But I do believe that if everyone involved will come to the table and try to find a solution, we can find a feasible plan of action."

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