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Protecting
Public Lands
Protecting
our national parks, forests, and waterways from damage caused by
motorized recreation and unsustainable energy development.
Off-Road
Vehicles: Tire Tracks Across our Natural Heritage
 From
pristine beaches and forests to ancient ruins and desert landscapes,
our public lands hold some of our most untamed landmarks and important
cultural artifacts. Indeed, these places embody American ideals
of wildness and originality.
But the wide wheels and polluting
engines of off-road vehicles have already created significant,
if not permanent, damage to this heritage. Off-road vehicles -such
as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirt bikes- are currently allowed
in countless public land areas, including 59 national parks. A
Bluewater Network survey revealed that of these parks, 38 have
reported serious damage to their resources.
All year long, off-road vehicles
run haphazardly across pristine wetlands and marshes, creeks and
streams, over beaches, forests, deserts and prairies. They trample
and destroy sensitive vegetation thereby increasing erosion rates.
Endangered species such as the desert tortoise are often crushed
under the wheels of off-road vehicles. Moreover, the noise frightens
wildlife and prevents them from hearing sounds important for mating,
avoiding predators, and finding prey. Off-road vehicles also cause
significant air pollution According to the California Air Resources
Board, off-road vehicles such as ATVs can produce 118 times as
many smog-forming pollutants as automobiles.
The National Park Service has reported
a number of disturbing incidences where off-road vehicles have
barreled across archeological and cultural areas, destroying historical
ruins or crushing rare artifacts. Off-road vehicles have trespassed
and damaged sites in at least five national monuments, historic
sites, and historic parks.
Bluewater Network leads efforts
to protect public land resources from damage caused by rampant
and irresponsible use of off-road vehicles. Along with a coalition
of more than 60 environmental groups, Bluewater Network continues
to pressure the National Park Service to keep off-road vehicles
on main roads and away from sensitive wildlife, exotic vegetation,
and priceless cultural monuments.
"We are not inheriting these
lands from our grandparents, we are borrowing them from our grandchildren."
Campaign Director Sean Smith in the spirit of Chief Seattle of
the Suquamish Tribe
Read
the Latest News
Victory
for National Parks and the Florida Panther
2003
Another Record-Breaker for ATV Injuries and Death To
read the report, click
here.
Director
of off-road vehicle group cited for unlicensed outfitting
As
ATV Deaths Mount, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Sits on
Sidelines To read the letter to the CPSC, click
here.
Artists
and Photographers Call upon Park Service to Rein in Off-Road Vehicles
To read the letter to Park Service Director Fran Mainella,
click
here.
All-TerrainVehicle
Industry is failing to reduce Injuries or Better Protect Children
Under 16
ATV
Safety Picture Gets Bleaker: Comprehensive Government Assessment
Shows Injuries, Risks Up Significantly
Bluewater
Co-Authors Alarming Report on All-Terrain Vehicle Safety!
Coalition
Threatens to Sue Over Off Road Vehicle Use in Big Cypress National
Preserve in Light of Panther Deaths...
Read
our Growing List of Victories
2004
At
Bluewater Network’s urging, more than three dozen business
owners, artists and photographers write the Park Service asking
the agency to rein in out of control ORV operation.
In response
to a Bluewater Network inquiry, the Park Service begins enforcing
off-road vehicle regulations at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
2003
A Florida District Magistrate
accepts Bluewater Network’s legal arguments and rules against
an industry challenge to the Off-road vehicle plan at Big Cypress
National Preserve.
2002
Bluewater Network, the Natural Trails and Waters CoalitionNTWC
and the Consumer Federation of America release report on ATV child
safety problems. The report finds that Cchildren suffer a disproportionate
number of ATV injuries and death.
2001
Bluewater Network successfully intervenes in an industrya legal
challenge by the ATV industry of the Park Service’s ORV plan
for Big Cypress.
2000
Bluewater Network leads a coalition of environmental groups to successfully
petition the Park Service to severely limit off-road vehicle use
in Big Cypress National Preserve. Off-road vehicle trails are reduced
from 20,000 to 400 miles.
1999
Bluewater Network leads a coalition of 67 groups to petition the
Park Service to prohibit off-road use of off-road vehicles in national
parks.
Bluewater Network and others help
defeat HR 5047 a bill by Representative Walter Jones that would
have prevented the Park Service at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
from using fee-demo money to study ORV impacts on the seashore.
Read
the Following to Learn More
***NEW!***
Check out our comprehensive list of research,
studies and reports.
Report
details significant safety threat ATV pose to children.
Off
the Track: in-depth report
detailing the damage caused by off-road vehicles in our National
Parks and recommendations for preventing further damage
Get answers to some frequently asked questions:
Aren't
public lands managers required to allow off-road vehicles free reign
on public lands that are designated for multiple use?
Visit these related web sites:
The
National Park Service: the
federal agency created in 1916 to protect and preserve our National
Parks
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