http://www.thecherokeescout.com/articles/2009/07/22/news/doc4a6614973d6ae839874297.txt

What did they think was going to happen? I guess the designated trout waters are that much more important to the community than economic stimulus. I know that when I go fly fishing I tend to stay in a motel, spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and supplies and there are always 300-500 of us on the river with in a mile of the main road.:doh0715: This sport is a significant source of viable income into the communities. As stated in the article, lodging, gas and auto supplies, food, as well as the 4 wheel drive shops are all effected by these trail closures. Until each and every off road enthusiest takes a stand and writes in letters to the forest service, does their part to help clean up and maintain the trail systems, and takes a stand with their local and state governments, this is what we can expect to see. The unfortunate side of the deal is that typically by the time a trail closure is set up for a hearing the decision has already been made by the higher ups.

So how do we prevent further trail closures?

If we all take up the cause individually. If we all clean up our trails systems. If we all write in letters to the forest service and sponser trails. If we all write our local congressman. If we all..... Will our voices be heard? The more of us that speak out, the louder we are!

I personally try to clean up every trail I run. I always carry trash bags with me. When I clean up a trail I write into the Forest service in that area and explain what I observed on the trail and what we did. Take pictures of the clean up and send them the pictures. Make our effort known!! If everyone does their part we don't have to have millions of dollars in funding, we can have a voice louder than the opposition. I believe we could see the trail systems opening up for our use again.

I am glad to see a paper write this kind of article in favor of the off-road community. I have personally had to fight my local paper with the opposition of off road motors sports. The truth is that their voice is louder than ours right now. Its time to wake the sleeping dragon. Its time to give them Hell and take back our lands, our trails, our hobby, our sport. It time for our voice to be louder than theirs. But, it will take every one of us to shout out for our cause!

good writing there hefty.

i quoted the letter just incase the link changes >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Off-road events change venues
County loses money as Dixie Run, Jeep Jamboree cancel

| Text Size |
By DWIGHT OTWELL
dotwell@cherokeescout.com

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 8:05 PM CDT

SCOTT WALLACE/Cherokee Scout
Ken Mercer of Suwanee, Ga., picks his way through the 2007 Dixie Run Rock Challenge at Crawford Campground in Unaka. The rock challenge is the speed version of rock crawling and is a timed event. The entire Dixie Run, as well as the Jeep Jamboree, have been canceled due to Tellico trail closures.
Tellico – Two events that brought thousands of dollars into the local economy will be held elsewhere due to the continued closure of the Upper Tellico Off Road Vehicle Trail system.

Dixie Run and Jeep Jamboree have called off their local events for the first and second weeks in October and scheduled them at other sites.

“We are missing out on millions and millions of dollars,” said Tim Dockery, who was a guide for Jeep Jamboree for 13 years. “The money is gone.” Those and other off-road vehicle events brought dollars to local motels, restaurants and shops as well as businesses that directly serve off-road vehicle enthusiasts.

The Upper Tellico ORV road system was scheduled to re-open April 1 after a winter closure. However, the U.S. Forest Service announced that a temporary closure of the trail system would remain in effect while the agency continues to evaluate the long-term future of the trails.

The Forest Service preferred alternative identified in the environmental assessment would permanently close the ORV system while keeping 10 miles of existing forest system roads in the area open year-round or seasonally to provide public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation uses. Closed roads and trails would be stabilized and rehabilitated to eliminate future sedimentation into the Tellico River.

Forest Service spokesmen say the trail system has sustained extensive damage due to ORV use of the trails, pushing sediment into the Tellico River and its tributaries, which are designated trout waters.

However, Southern Four Wheel Drive Association President Gary Parsons said the ORV community and other interested parties in formal comments to the Forest Service clearly demonstrated that the trail closures have no scientific basis. Substantive comments provided to the Forest Service included findings of an independent study completed by Caliber Engineering and the recommendations from a report completed by the Forest Service’s own Trails Unlimited Team.

Cherokee County Recreation Director Pee Wee Davis said a representative of Jeep Jamboree called and canceled use of the Rock Gym in Murphy for the jamboree for the second weekend in October because all the trails are closed. The event had been held in Cherokee County for about 25 continuous years.

The Jeep Jamboree brought in “mega bucks” for the local economy, Davis said. Visitors spent money in restaurants, motels, gas stations and stores.

“Every year it has been sold out,” he said. “They would average 125 jeeps and 300-500 people.”

Dockery said this would have been the first year of an ultimate adventure for Jeep Jamboree, which would have included canoeing and other events as well as riding the trails.

“The county sat here and didn’t do anything [to stop closure of the trails] and millions of dollars are gone,” Dockery said.

However, Dixie Run, sponsored by the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, is the biggest of the ORV events held here. It was scheduled for the first weekend in October. That event will now be held in Harlan, Ky.

Dockery said the Upper Tellico ORV roads have been used by many other groups, including Chrysler Corp., which used it as a proving ground, Humvee and Toyota. Something was going on almost every week on the trails.

“The Cherokee County leaders have [watched this go] away and now it is gone,” he said. “There is nothing going on now.”

According to a Southern Four Wheel Drive Web site, the Dixie Run has been rescheduled for Sparta, Tenn.

A telephone recording by Tellico Cabin Rentals owner Chuck Davis states, “The damn forestry closed the trails.”

Candace Wyman, Upper Tellico ORV project coordinator for the Forest Service, said Thursday the Forest Service is wrapping up the environmental assessment. A final decision on what to do probably will be made near the end of August.

One question the Forest Service has been asked many times is if people can still drive through the area from North Carolina to Tennessee. She said through traffic is still allowed on Trail 1, but the remaining trails are closed.

Danny Slucher of Crawford’s Campground said every four-wheel drive event has been canceled. Probably 12 major events have been lost.

Each event brings in 150-200 rigs. Dixie Run is the largest event and brings in between 400-500 rigs. Jeep Jamboree is held primarily in Murphy with most participants staying at motels in town. Slucher believes $10 million-$15 million will be lost to the community yearly.

“Without the leadership of the town and county taking proactive steps to get the roads open, the community is going to continue to miss out,” Slucher said. “This boils down to the Forest Service caving in to one user group over another.”

i also emailed dwight otwell and thanked him for writing his article .