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| Yes we limit driving on public lands as much as we can, try to keep it to two track roads, checking water lines, fences. However on our privates lands the only thing that stops us is rocks. We don't have the excessive tall sagebrush on our private lands like Federal lands has. Some federal lands is so infested that it's hard to ride a saddle horse in it, and as tall as a rider on a horse. I don't see a problem with using a bike for 4-wheeler to move gather cows. It's just driving over the ground, not like we are doing a hill climb. The worst we do is knock grass or a little brush down. We aren't causing erosion when we make one path through an area. Yes fire is a concern, but all 4-wheelers, bikes have spark arresters on them. The worst thing is pickup trucks, with the advent of catalysts on exhausts systems. That has been the cause of more fires. I would say 80% lightning and the other from cars and trucks. It would surprise you the amount of fires caused over the years from Federal employees driving on a two track road, then pulling over catching cheatgrass and sagebrush in exhaust systems. Then drive off and park in another place and light a fire up. But you never hear about those, they keep that out of the press.
BLM and FS use ATV's on spray crews, they go anywhere, as well as fire crews do. I have seen some public contractors on public lands require their bikes to be fitted with fire extinguishers. But I've never heard of a 4-wheeler or bike causing a fire. However a few of these side by sides (Polaris) have caught fire and started a few little fires. I think they had fuel tank problems, people were burned in them.
Long story, but no I don't feel ATV use is harmful if used right. No worse that wind, water, time erosion. Landscapes heal themselves. That grass that gets knocked over recovers, or get ate. Same as sedges, grasses that get ate in a riparian area, they grow back. It is the life cycle of nature. | |
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Few random pics from the last month or two........
