Public Access

STATUS: Demand for recreational and other outdoor uses on state and federal
lands continues to increase. Irresponsible uses of these lands are damaging our
wildland resources and causing severe economic losses to ranchers and land
management agencies. Litter, vandalism, theft, and vehicular damage to
watersheds have become serious problems in our District.

POLICY: We believe access to all lands entails a responsibility to that land.
We should not tolerate senseless damage and hardships inflicted every day by
a few ignorant or irresponsible individuals.

IMPLEMENTATION: We intend to work closely with law enforcement agencies,
land management agencies, and private interests to reverse this trend. We will
explore more effective ways of discouraging misuse of our wildlands. Measures
that would help are the enforcement of existing regulations, the imposition of
fines where justified, and the closure of excessive spur roads. We believe
educating the users of these lands will provide much relief to the situation.
Through our environmental education program, we will target smaller
children on outdoor manners such as closing gates and clean up, and
campground and campfire use to promote an ethic of land care and protection.