Manager Perceptions of Issues and Actions for Off-Highway Vehicle Management on National Forests in California

The Chief of the USDA Forest Service (USFS), Dale Bosworth, recently identified four major issues facing national forests: fire and fuel, invasive species, habitat fragmentation and unmanaged recreation (Bosworth 2003). On unmanaged recreation, Chief Bosworth said, "The issue is this: Back when we had light recreational use, we didn't need to manage it; but now that it's heavier, we do" (Bosworth 2003, p. 7). The Chief cited off-highway vehicle (OHV) use as illustrative of unmanaged recreation. OHVs are motorized vehicles capable of traveling cross-country and off-road yearround and include over-snow vehicles (OSVs). OHV use has grown exponentially in recent years (Cordell and others 2002) increasing the need for management of this activity on public lands.