ATLANTA - Illegal trails created by all-terrain vehicles in northeast Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest have caused a problem that would cost $1 million to fix, a new report says.
The report released Monday by nonprofit Georgia Forestwatch says the U.S. Forest Service estimates there are more than 550 miles of illegal trails in the 865,000 acres of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.
There are 131 legal miles of trail set aside for ATVs in 15 different systems, but some ATV users do not remain in the designated areas.
A botanist spent 12 weeks last fall surveying woods and waterways in north Georgia. Of the 59 routes he surveyed in the Chattahoochee, he found illegal ATV use on 67 percent, including designated wilderness, and trails restricted to pedestrians, the report said.
The botanist discovered telltale, wide-wheel ATV tracks leading into both the Tray Mountain Wilderness and the Rich Mountain Wilderness, and onto private lands.
``It highlights just how big the problem is and how out of control is it,'' said Georgia Forestwatch director Brent Martin. ``The Forest Service is woefully inadequate when it comes to law enforcement and you've got to have better enforcement to get a handle on things.''
The Forest Service has been working on a new ATV policy for the past several months but is nowhere close to finishing it, said Larry Luckett, recreation staff officer for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.
Luckett said there have been more than 5,000 written comments from people who use the woods for various forms of recreation.
He said what the Georgia Forestwatch found about the number of illegal trails and the cost to rehabilitate the forest ``mirrors our own figures.''
``It will be an invaluable tool as we pursue closing these illegal trails over the next few years,'' Luckett said.
The report includes several recommendations:
Funds to add more officers to the seven who patrol the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. In the short-term, ask the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for enforcement help.
Design better closures so ATVs can't go under gates, and identify areas where enough trees can be felled so that ATVs can't pass around them.
Address the extreme damage to some areas, including power line right-of-ways and legal ATV areas, and decide whether to end the use or repair the damage.
Wednesday
January 22nd, 2025
3:50PM
