Editorial: Herger bill brings sense to road plan

...Nobody, by this point, is arguing for lawless off-roading. At the same time, the Forest Service’s plans are unreasonably restrictive — barring the use of quads and dirt bikes on many remote backcountry roads on the argument that they are “highways.” And while it’s closed or broken up many popular recreational routes, users have been left with the vague but frankly unreliable promise that someday the agency will consider additions. Herger’s bill would specify the commonsense point that, when it comes to off-roading, rough dirt roads through the backwoods (maintenance-level 3 roads, in Forest Service parlance) are not “highways.” It would also require further review of the use of existing “unauthorized routes” — many of which are long-popular trails, though not officially part of the Forest Service road system, rendered illegal by the Travel Management Rule — before the travel maps would take effect. This legislation would tweak, not scrap, the Travel Management Rule, and it would do so in a way that would heed the people who live nearest and use the forests. Not coincidentally, it would remove the largest beef that is driving many Northern California counties toward expensive litigation with the Forest Service. It’s good to see Herger making it a priority, and we hope this sensible bill gets a fair and quick hearing in the 112th Congress...more