Wrangell-St. Elias

Recreational off-road vehicles in our National Park? No thanks!

In 2006, ACE was one of the groups to challenge the National Park Service over its illegal permitting of recreational off-road vehicle (ORV) use in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve that was causing irreversible damage to park resources and fragile wetlands.

As a result of this action, the National Park Service has prepared a Draft ORV Trail Management Plan regarding the motorized and non-motorized use of trails in the Nabesna area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. A key purpose of the plan is to evaluate a range of alternatives for developing a sustainable trail system and managing off-road vehicle use for legitimate purposes guaranteed by ANILCA, such as access for qualified subsistence users and private properties. Surprisingly, the Park Service’s preferred alternative (#5) includes a precedent-setting recommendation to fix the trails for those legitimate uses, plus allow recreational ORVs.  We need your help to tell the Park Service that recreational ORV riding does not belong in our national parks!  

ACE supports Alternative #3 which would prohibit recreational ORV riding on trails in the National Park and Preserve and result in greater opportunities for quiet recreation, protect wetlands and wildlife habitat, and preserve Wilderness aesthetics-attributes which many of our members value.  However, Alternative #3 could be vastly improved by incorporating key elements of Alternative #5 to upgrade trails in need of repairs or re-routing, and requiring subsistence ORV users to stay on designated trails in wetlands and Wilderness areas. Plus, we fully support the new non-motorized trails proposed under Alternative #5.

Alaska has extensive opportunities for recreational ORV riding, as most state and BLM lands are open to this type of use.  But our national parks are different – the natural integrity of park lands and resources is intended to be protected permanently to educate and inspire future generations. We simply do not believe that recreational ORV use belongs in National Parks.

Thank you for taking the time to voice your support for our National Park heritage.

Comments are Due November 10, 2010.

You can submit public comments via e-mail here. 

You can view the Draft Nabesna Off Road Vehicle Trails Management Plan here.

SAMPLE LETTER:  

(Feel free to cut and paste and add your own story)

Bruce Rogers, Project Manager

Bruce_Rogers@nps.gov

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

P.O. Box 439

Copper Center, Alaska 99573

November, 2010

Dear Mr. Rogers,

Thank you for the all the work invested in the draft Nabesna Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Trails Management Plan.  This range of alternatives proposes solutions to managing ORV use on nine trails in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Sadly, ORV’s have been responsible for severe damage to our park resources. In the Nabesna Road region of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the Copper and Tanada Lake trails cross miles of fragile wetlands and have suffered extensive damage from over 25 years of maintenance neglect made worse by the park's illegal permitting of off-road vehicle use for recreation. I believe that the National Park Service is responsible for upholding the highest standards of resource protection in our national parks and I trust that the Nabesna ORV Trails plan is a step in the right direction.

I support Alternative #3, with additions from Alternative 5, which I believe will best uphold the intent and purpose of the National Park and Preserve.

Specifically, I support:

• No recreational off-road vehicle use in our national park and preserve.  This will result in fewer impacts to our National Park resources including wildlife, wilderness and wetlands.

• Requiring subsistence ORV users in Wilderness and wetlands to stay on designated trails and managing subsistence ORV use so that resources impacts decrease over time.

• Resolving user conflict and improving backcountry access by creating hiking trails for park visitors to experience the wonders of our largest national park – adopt the non-motorized trail package presented in Alternative #5.

I understand that qualified local families may use ORVs on sustainable trails for legitimate purposes, such as private property access and subsistence activities. However, any alternative which allows recreational ORV use to continue damaging park resources is simply unacceptable.

I oppose the park's precedent-setting action found in preferred alternative (#5), which would allow recreational ORV use on trails in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The proposal to allow recreational ORV use on trails within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is inappropriate and illegal.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Sincerely,