DNR to gate Nooksack North Fork area.

Duck Dodgers · Mar 25, 2012

As some of you know the North Fork area of the Nooksack has had some controversy over the years. Having been a premier wheeling spot years ago, it was closed because of a few irresponsible ORV users. The Mt. Bike community moved in and took over various trails for their use. Fast forward a few years. A co-operative group was started to open communications with various user groups who had interest in both the N.F. area and Sumas Mt. An understanding was reached that each group would keep to their own and share information with each other so that no toes would be stepped on. In theory it would have worked like a charm. However, some one on the ORV side of the group stirred the pot with DNR about the Mt. Bikers on N.F. and brought thier "activities" to DNR's attention. Fast forward to the last 60 days. Someone has again brought the "activity" at N.F. to the attention of higher ups in Olympia along with an unofficial threat of a law suit. So DNR will be gating the road up to Slide Mt. at the lower gravel pit. The are also stepping up enforcement on both Sumas Mt. side and the N.F. areas with signage posted at the entrance of every trail entrance. The are also taking crews up to remove and destroy structures and reclaim trails like they have at Rieter. Dollars are spent on something that need not have happened if mouths were kept shut. So now there will be no more snow wheeling on the roads up slide. A lot of access has now been lost due to the placement of this gate.

So be warned, if you frequent these areas they will be stepping up enforcement.

oneshot · Mar 25, 2012

not suprising

Corey Y · Mar 25, 2012

Every year there are fewer places to take 4x4 vehicles in this state.

Duck Dodgers · Mar 25, 2012

Crazy Daze said:
Every year there are fewer places to take 4x4 vehicles in this state.

Slide Mt. was a cool place to drive up to. Now the road will be gated and access lost. It flippin' pisses me off to be honest.

zukkev · Mar 25, 2012

Thanks for posting this up Ducky...Yeah, it really pisses me off as well, as Slide is an EPIC place to do Snow Runs---Has been an annual New Year's thing for our club for many, many years...Longer than I can remember, way before my time as an RRR....

The_Shocker · Mar 26, 2012

That sucks. I was wondering what was going on up there when I saw DNR's last email update about tearing down Mt Bike structures. :looser: Any idea who fawked it up for the rest?

boardbysled · Mar 26, 2012

Thats unfortunate. Another road system bites the dust as far as public access goes.

This proves its easier to shut **** down then work with the user groups.

Hopefully this doesnt mean more MB presence on private land.

nowires · Mar 26, 2012

this was your first mistake, you trusted someone. DNR isn't the enemy here. It is any group or people that are tied in with consorvation NW. In any way shape or form. This is the way I see it from my house

It sucks that another gate is up. But in another way it is a good thing that the non moto world got a documented ding.

Let everything settle down for a few years, take it off the raydar

whatthe? · Mar 26, 2012

The state is the enemy, they're the one closing it. They could choose to leave it open. Quick everyone go buy a disco pass to increase our access.

Tod · Mar 26, 2012

The NF MTB issue was going to happen regardless if someone broght it up or not.

The DNR knew about the MTB structures.

The forestry side flipped out over trees getting cut down and others being drilled/bolted. They have a legal obligation to protect trust value and this was view as a degradition of value.

Combine this with liability exposure and the DNR had to do something.
It would be hard to not consider the bicycle structures the be "known, artificial, latent and dangerous" and that is the liability standard set forth in RCW4.24

I would like to think that there are ways to address this other than gates, but banning the public from public land is usually the cheapest and easiest solution for the bureaucrats to take.

Duck Dodgers · Mar 26, 2012

Tod said:
The NF MTB issue was going to happen regardless if someone broght it up or not.

The DNR knew about the MTB structures.

The forestry side flipped out over trees getting cut down and others being drilled/bolted. They have a legal obligation to protect trust value and this was view as a degradition of value.

Combine this with liability exposure and the DNR had to do something.
It would be hard to not consider the bicycle structures the be "known, artificial, latent and dangerous" and that is the liability standard set forth in RCW4.24

I would like to think that there are ways to address this other than gates, but banning the public from public land is usually the cheapest and easiest solution for the bureaucrats to take.

Absolutely, I agree with you Tod. But to gate off an area that the only problem is trails......and punish the rest of us taxpayers is BS. I am going to make a big stink over this in the county here. They can sit up there and write tickets all day to violators, but to close that much road access is just wrong.

Tod · Mar 26, 2012

Duck Dodgers said:
Absolutely, I agree with you Tod. But to gate off an area that the only problem is trails......and punish the rest of us taxpayers is BS. I am going to make a big stink over this in the county here. They can sit up there and write tickets all day to violators, but to close that much road access is just wrong.

I agree, but it is the very nature of bureaucrats to take the path of least resistance.

The key is to make sure that harming our sport is not that path.

okeedokee · Mar 26, 2012

Tod said:
The NF MTB issue was going to happen regardless if someone brought it up or not.

The DNR knew about the MTB structures.

The forestry side flipped out over trees getting cut down and others being drilled/bolted

In the early 80's we would go wheeling to Elbe.One time when we were up there we ran in too a group of mountain bikers. That would hold mountain bike race's up there. Their was about 50 to 70 mountain bikers.One of them said you guys can not be here we are holding a race and these trail are ours. Ohh man did he say that to the wrong person. Steve stopped his jeep and jumped out and started to educate them fellows. The guy said [No you guys are wrong these trails are ours]. So Steve jumped back in his jeep and turned around heading back into the campgrounds and grab the load speaker form one of the guys and started to educate the whole group. I was like holly sh@#. He started off by who do you think rebuilt that lean to you are using. Its was a 4X4 club not you guys and who maintains the trails 4X4ers not you .And well that did not go over well it was a yelling match .Any ways we went out on the trail and found a bunch of yellow ribbon and ropes and trees that they cut to make jumps and obstacle. So Steve stop at every one and cut the rope and run over any thing that was in our way.Picked up yellow ribbon and ropes.When we got off the trail he stopped at the campground and said here is all the junk you guys left on the trail just thought you might want too hall it all back with you.Oh how funny that was .
Any way the moral too the story is that the MTB clubs did not care then and well they don't care now.

Tod · Mar 26, 2012

okeedokee said:
Tod said:

Any way the moral too the story is that the MTB clubs did not care then and well they don't care now.

Click to expand...

There is some bad blood simmering on the non-motorized side of Capitol Forest too.

The Backcountry Horsemen are unhappy with the large groups of MTB that put on non-permited events using the horsey trails they build and maintain, leaving skinny ankle breaking ruts and never helping with trail work parties.

japerry · Mar 29, 2012

Lawsuit is a rumor. People in olympia have not heard of any such lawsuit.

Duck Dodgers · Mar 29, 2012

japerry said:
Lawsuit is a rumor. People in olympia have not heard of any such lawsuit.

A rumor is all it takes....... to start a **** storm. Or even the hint of a lawsuit would have DNR running to cover thier butts.

preacherman · Mar 29, 2012

If they are just going to close access to public lands then they have no right to use taxpayer dollars to maintain and enforce said lands. In my opinion if they won't give us access to our lands then they should sell every last acre of it. TO US

I just don't understand why the masses aren't enraged that they think they have right to close lands that we pay for?

Duck Dodgers · Mar 29, 2012

preacherman said:
If they are just going to close access to public lands then they have no right to use taxpayer dollars to maintain and enforce said lands. In my opinion if they won't give us access to our lands then they should sell every last acre of it. TO US

I just don't understand why the masses aren't enraged that they think they have right to close lands that we pay for?

:awesomework::awesomework: Good thing we have the Discover pass so we can drive to the gate and sit

.

preacherman · Mar 29, 2012

In most of europe the forests are government property -stay out-. But this is the United States of America! It is mine not theirs, I think we should share it, but for pete's sake they have no right to shut it!

Again if they don't want the headache, release it to public auction.

Binder · Mar 29, 2012

The primary purpose for these forest lands is to raise timber to sell and make money to fund schools. This is the law. Recreation is secondary and we don't have a leg to stand on when recreationalists are out there damaging and cutting down trees.
Sucks but that's how it is.