Letter to the editor: Aug. 15, 2007

Editor:

Last weekend we loaded our quads and drove to Mineral to ride in the Lassen National Forest (LNF) with other members of our local quad club. We have approximately 70 families who belong to the Rockrollers ATV Club based in Redding. We had a wonderful weekend riding on the designated trails and roads and thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful northern California country.

When we returned to our camp, we were met by a local citizen who had just returned from a LNF route designation meeting in Chester. We were informed that as of July 12, 2007, the majority of the routes that we had traveled were no longer open to OHV use and if we wanted to ride in the LNF in the future we are now restricted to level 2 roads and some “non-system” routes or we would be cited and fined.

Level 2 roads are short spurs that usually go nowhere and provide no services. That means that we must now load the quads in order to travel from a spur that is allowed for our use to the next spur that is allowed instead of being able to ride the quads on the roads and trails that are already in existence.

It is now the responsibility of the riders to obtain the new temporary forest map and be able to identify the routes that are now allowed and use only those routes. There are many, many developed trails that are wonderful to ride on and which provide us with the means to get out and enjoy the forest, but OHV riders are no longer allowed to use most of the roads and trails in the system.

Anyone who cares about being able to use the LNF for recreation of this kind should contact the LNF and let their voices be heard about this closure of existing roads and trails.

Sincerely, Paul and Jeanette Guiducci, Cottonwood