Show Section Friday August 2 2002 Pagel The Herald Journal IP a V'i Survey results v v 0 'Si In July the Herald Journal conducted a random phone suivey of 150 local residents on questions related to use of the Cache Natkmel Forest Below are selected results: ' ft QUESTION! j - Sfc How important to you are local outdoor recreational opportunities? ’ V 1 Ar “ ' II V V ‘ -- r Very 1 v V-'- v f ’V -y- Jl(r - ’ : -- ':- - -& jtk : - fcS- - Vs - V- T w - - - - - L - ‘ f i i 1 : " rs 1 ti r ' - "fe- - y v 4 ’ iaFfrr U By Lance Frazier outdoors editor Xast Saturday between or within any user groups often enough that 76 percent of survey respondents said they would like to see uses separated on some trails “I do see conflict” said Bob Van Slyke a Providence marathoner who JmT morning an unattended black Lab bounded down die River TYail in Logan Canyon and skidded up to a nearby to offer a greeting The resulting friendly exchange was but it illustrated a situation some see as one of the bigger problem on local -6- face-licki-ng trails 6 “People are more willing to see other users - if those users slow down ' According to a recent Herald Journal survey people ini Cache Valley are happy with die recreation opportunities available on the Logan District of die Cache National Forest (see story on A 1) but when there is controversy it most commonly involves die trails Battles oyert)ie Forest Service management plan during the past year have focused on access to trails Sixteen percent of people surveyed said they had a verbal or physical confrontation on a local trail Most commonly such face-ofpit skiers versus snowmobilers or hikers against ATV riders but they occur as they pass" a ’ -- Rob Cruz Logan District Ranger logs some 1000 miles a year on the River Trail “It would be good to separate them (users) when possr ible” Van Slyke suggested restricting the River Rail which receives the heaviest use by families and dog owners to foot traffic only — “Some people think it's a downhill bike course” — expe-rienir-ed fs condominiums on the forest? - Yb4 - A- Brent StevenaHereld in the - pass- - ’ ' See TRAILS on C2 “When people zoom right by like Poll: Campgroundo crowded people we don’t hear from because they think things are Continued from A1 Logan District Ranger Rob Cruz noted that the majority of ATV riders he contacts on local trails are from the Wasatch Front indicating that “die locals are picnicking hik- fog and frshing What I’m bearing is that a lot of AtV use and snowmobile use is not necessarily from die valley but that a lot of peorie from Salk Lake City and Ogden come up ‘J0 ' V Si-J- i t' ’A'"' bing Unlike those meeting-goe- rs who officials say are generally the people who feel most thradened — and who at Logan District meetings in die ed ed ' a“ r v ji ''i :‘tS - t ? J iKtf ’ - ' Bcott Harris 7 of Ttamontoo shows off a pair ol trout he and his grandfather Ctnkxi Ravstan caught at Third Dam in Logan Canyoa Scott says he loveo Monrteys because he grts to fish with Ns grandfather almost every week on - that day i r i w ? ‘ ' f! r a person damages? Yes No m 13 2& No opinion QUESTION! Would you favor separating uses on some trails? ’ : Yes No §23 Noopinioni QUESTION! Have you ever a verbal or physical confrontation with another haid useronalocaltrail? Yesi6 'N°: ipj841- - QUESTION! Do you think wildlife on the Cache National Forest has enough protection from human impacts? empties out” operating at full capacity virtually all summer Yes mostly with guests from northern Utah or southern Idaho Campers like Randy Wilson a contractor in Roy who vaca-- 1 tints for one week every No opinion at Tany Grove have learned that timing is everyr thing when it comes to secur- ing the coyeted skats about 20 QUESTION! Would you ofwhich cannot be reserved ’ favor the rethtrbductioh of “We send out scouts in advance” Wilson said “and anlhas such as lynx or ' try to Come up on Sunday wolves Into the area? afrernocfti when everybody’s : 'No sum--m- er - - a If is responsible for starting a forest fire do you think they shoud pay for any resulting as trou- u Tony Grove on Tuesday afternoon eyery one of the 35 camp rites there was either full or bore is “reserved” tag and rangers said the site “never v V No opinion 11 ble spots Three people mentioned Beaver Mountain and three others picked Bear Lake The evidence certainly backs those whb complained about good” last year could roughly be divided into and — the cliques average user impewed to be satisfied with die job being done by the Forest Service Of the 150 valley residents who responded to the random tele-Ahhoiigbthe reqxmdents were not without phone survey 29 percent said at overcrowding fondipg shortages were the top ' forest issue 25 percent said soots vi camping mentioned —most said they public accessJl percent said were happywith conditions on probtems with trails and 5 die Logim Ranger Distrik' percent said wildlife habitat Most agreed that wildlife has Crowding was the most- HwwHAMd prfjsm lthnigh sufficient protection from ' 53 pdcent said therearehumans mat current levels of and are grazing logging enough undeveloped camp sites 63 percent saidtitereare acceptable and&d the Cache has just the right amount of developed rites and 53 enough ' Wilderness percent said there are sufficient “We hear a lot from the RV sites (incite of the fact vocal minority” said Sib-- there are nd hookups avail- bernsen “What this does is v: ride) Eleven people said ' remforce the fact that we hear ' canqrgrounds are overcrowd- loudly from a few people on ' ed with seven singling out Grove Lake and four tri- post issues The nudority of Guinavah-Malib- KSyCyV QUESTION! by an erstwhile friendly pooch who couldn’t resist a moving target “The trails should be open to all dogs but restricted to responsible dog owners" he suggested “Dogs should be leashed Dog poop’s another pet peeve of mine” Forest Service rules require dogs be kept within “direct control” but rangers say that isn’t enforced unless a complaint is lodged Another issue' is trash bn the trails Shayle Adair 42 said as a boy growing up in Cove he would backpack into the High Creek area and rarely see people or their refuse: Now “the trails are more oped than they used to be” which draws more hikers sometimes to ill non-AT- V No Journal a snowmobiler passing a skier at 50 mph that causes a lot of animosity Once you have a bad experience it takes a lot of good experiences to change that” Those negative experiences can include the aforementioned canines Van Slyke a dog owner himself said he was once chomped on the derriere and in exchange possibly setting aside Green Canyon for bicycles But he acknowledged that it would be tough to sort out die details and to deny anyone access and Forest Service officials say such separation 1 won’t happen soon - ’1 think on the trails in general people don’t want to separate uses” said Logan District Ranger Rob Cruz He cited as an example the proposal for the Shoshone ATV Trail traffic which doesn't bar but is worded to favor motorized use a point that angers hikers In the survey 57 percent favored leaving motorized access as it is while 33 percent said they’d like to see it restricted and 10 percent wanted to see more access Cruz said 1 dime are 'no' plans to separate uses locally although when the District Travel Plan comes up for review it may become an issue“What it Comes down to is courtesy” he said “People are more willing to see other users if when they meet those users slow down as they Would you see private development such as restaurants and M mo< oaseirs conftemi existts Not at all 1 3 like to sfi f yj20 QUESTION! - Dustin Anderson right and Laura Latimer hike the Wind Caves Trail on a recent afternoon Both eaid they were satisfied with the hiking opportunities available Logan Ranger District of the Cache National Forest IBriscoirdl V Vi v SSL ‘ V - ' - - -' - Vj r £ - 3- j itVTVr r - f-- r I 1 jv i — ' i Ml m- - h vVV’---S Somewhat - leaving""' - Sheryl Hodges was withtwo dozen young women from the ‘ ' North Logan LDS 10th Ward ' and said they drove m cm Monday morning and were s ' V YeS ' See POLL oh C2 NoopiniorQ8 I |