Pathrat
July 2nd, 2008, 10:32 PM
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) ― Three new laws are now in effect that are aimed at preserving quality in Colorado's high country.
The first extends an inspection program for all of Colorado's ski lifts for the next 12 years. Another helps pay for projects to fight the pine beetle and remove dead trees. The third deals with people lawmakers call "reckless recreationists."
As Colorado's population is rapidly growing, so is the use of public lands. House Bill 1060 is designed to help keep off-road vehicles out of roadless or wilderness areas by beefing up enforcement.
Some people say it's hard to tell which roads off-road vehicles are allowed to use. ATV Rider George Wood tries to stay out of wilderness areas, but can't always tell.
"When you see a road that is already established, it's hard to determine if this is a formally authorized road or not," Wood said.
Better and updated signs clearly marking wilderness areas are on the way. In a ceremony at Keystone, lawmakers talked about the new bill Wednesday which will now give other agencies like sheriffs' offices and the Division of Wildlife the authority to patrol wilderness areas and ticket motorized vehicles that are not supposed to be in them.
"We actually didn't allow DOW officers to enforce laws, so they really had their hands tied while seeing some real damage occurring and not being able to do anything about it," said Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Summit County.
"When folks hike within a wilderness area, I think they're expecting a wilderness quality," said Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne.
Motorized vehicles include ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles.
"There was a concern that if we didn't work with this, deal with this issue now, eventually those areas would have closed," Scanlan said.
"ATVs that go off the road and tear up the terrain and do the mud thing and the swamps spoil it for the rest of us," Wood said.
Wood tries to do some policing himself.
"We take it upon ourselves to tell them, 'That's not okay,'" Wood said. "If they don't listen, which they always do, if they don't, we'll report them."
There will also be penalties for people using motorized vehicles in wilderness or roadless areas for the first time, according to Scanlan.
(© MMVIII CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
The first extends an inspection program for all of Colorado's ski lifts for the next 12 years. Another helps pay for projects to fight the pine beetle and remove dead trees. The third deals with people lawmakers call "reckless recreationists."
As Colorado's population is rapidly growing, so is the use of public lands. House Bill 1060 is designed to help keep off-road vehicles out of roadless or wilderness areas by beefing up enforcement.
Some people say it's hard to tell which roads off-road vehicles are allowed to use. ATV Rider George Wood tries to stay out of wilderness areas, but can't always tell.
"When you see a road that is already established, it's hard to determine if this is a formally authorized road or not," Wood said.
Better and updated signs clearly marking wilderness areas are on the way. In a ceremony at Keystone, lawmakers talked about the new bill Wednesday which will now give other agencies like sheriffs' offices and the Division of Wildlife the authority to patrol wilderness areas and ticket motorized vehicles that are not supposed to be in them.
"We actually didn't allow DOW officers to enforce laws, so they really had their hands tied while seeing some real damage occurring and not being able to do anything about it," said Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Summit County.
"When folks hike within a wilderness area, I think they're expecting a wilderness quality," said Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne.
Motorized vehicles include ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles.
"There was a concern that if we didn't work with this, deal with this issue now, eventually those areas would have closed," Scanlan said.
"ATVs that go off the road and tear up the terrain and do the mud thing and the swamps spoil it for the rest of us," Wood said.
Wood tries to do some policing himself.
"We take it upon ourselves to tell them, 'That's not okay,'" Wood said. "If they don't listen, which they always do, if they don't, we'll report them."
There will also be penalties for people using motorized vehicles in wilderness or roadless areas for the first time, according to Scanlan.
(© MMVIII CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)