07 May 08, 07:52 am
Hot off the presses :mad:
Rex Trail closes to large off-road vehicles
By Tim Mowry
Published Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Department of Natural Resources in Fairbanks announced its decision to restrict ORVs weighing more than 1,500 pounds from using the trail about two weeks ago in a newspaper ad and will be holding two public meetings next week to inform the public why the decision was made as well as get input on future management of the trail.
The decision is a temporary one, emphasized Jeanne Proulx, natural resource manager for DNR in Fairbanks. The weight restrictions will be in effect from June 13 to Oct. 31, she said. The restrictions apply only to the Rex Trail on the east side of the Parks Highway.
The DNR has notified several individuals and user groups concerning its decision to restrict traffic on the trail and, as expected, the reactions have been mixed, Proulx said.
“We recognize this decision will impact people using these types of vehicles,” she said. “We have heard concerns from them. We’ve also heard from people who are supportive of the restrictions.”
The Rex Trail begins at 276 Mile Parks Highway and runs for about 50 miles through the foothills of the Alaska Range to the Wood River. While the trail is used year round by private landowners and placer miners for hauling supplies, the bulk of traffic comes during September when hordes of moose hunters on four-wheelers, track rigs and modified off-road vehicles travel the trail looking for moose, Proulx said.
Traffic on — and damage to — the trail has increased in the past four years because of increased hunting pressure as a result of large-scale antlerless moose hunts the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has initiated to reduce the moose population in game management Unit 20A. The trail was nearly impassable by the end of the hunting season last year because of heavy use. The DNR received complaints from several users after the hunting season, Proulx said.
DNR made the decision to restrict large ORVs such as Nodwells, a commonly-found track rig in Alaska, as well as modified pickup trucks and military vehicles, due “to the nature of the use and the amount of it,” Proulx said.
Currently, any vehicles that are more than 1,500 pounds must obtain a permit from DNR to legally use the trail.
As a result of weight restrictions, Proulx said the DNR will not be issuing any permits for heavier vehicles on the trail from June 13 to Oct. 31, but permits will be issued during the winter.
The DNR is holding a meeting in the Parks Highway community of Anderson on Tuesday from 7-10 p.m. at the Anderson School, and there is a meeting scheduled in Fairbanks on Wednesday at the Noel Wien Library Auditorium from 7-10 p.m.
In addition to explaining the decision behind the weight restrictions, DNR is seeking feedback on what to do in the future, Proulx said.
“We have received so many different suggestions and recommendations that we want to get some public input on how people feel about some of the different management options,” she said.
Recommendations run the gamut, Proulx said.
Some people want the trail left as it is, with no restrictions; some think the trail should be upgraded or hardened and others think the trail should be either partially or completely re-routed, she said.
“It’s a very broad range,” Proulx said. “We want to describe what some of these recommendations are and what ones are most feasible under the circumstances.”
The decision can be appealed and Proulx expects it will be. The appeal period is May 13 to June 2, she said.
Rex Trail closes to large off-road vehicles
By Tim Mowry
Published Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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The Department of Natural Resources in Fairbanks announced its decision to restrict ORVs weighing more than 1,500 pounds from using the trail about two weeks ago in a newspaper ad and will be holding two public meetings next week to inform the public why the decision was made as well as get input on future management of the trail.
The decision is a temporary one, emphasized Jeanne Proulx, natural resource manager for DNR in Fairbanks. The weight restrictions will be in effect from June 13 to Oct. 31, she said. The restrictions apply only to the Rex Trail on the east side of the Parks Highway.
The DNR has notified several individuals and user groups concerning its decision to restrict traffic on the trail and, as expected, the reactions have been mixed, Proulx said.
“We recognize this decision will impact people using these types of vehicles,” she said. “We have heard concerns from them. We’ve also heard from people who are supportive of the restrictions.”
The Rex Trail begins at 276 Mile Parks Highway and runs for about 50 miles through the foothills of the Alaska Range to the Wood River. While the trail is used year round by private landowners and placer miners for hauling supplies, the bulk of traffic comes during September when hordes of moose hunters on four-wheelers, track rigs and modified off-road vehicles travel the trail looking for moose, Proulx said.
Traffic on — and damage to — the trail has increased in the past four years because of increased hunting pressure as a result of large-scale antlerless moose hunts the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has initiated to reduce the moose population in game management Unit 20A. The trail was nearly impassable by the end of the hunting season last year because of heavy use. The DNR received complaints from several users after the hunting season, Proulx said.
DNR made the decision to restrict large ORVs such as Nodwells, a commonly-found track rig in Alaska, as well as modified pickup trucks and military vehicles, due “to the nature of the use and the amount of it,” Proulx said.
Currently, any vehicles that are more than 1,500 pounds must obtain a permit from DNR to legally use the trail.
As a result of weight restrictions, Proulx said the DNR will not be issuing any permits for heavier vehicles on the trail from June 13 to Oct. 31, but permits will be issued during the winter.
The DNR is holding a meeting in the Parks Highway community of Anderson on Tuesday from 7-10 p.m. at the Anderson School, and there is a meeting scheduled in Fairbanks on Wednesday at the Noel Wien Library Auditorium from 7-10 p.m.
In addition to explaining the decision behind the weight restrictions, DNR is seeking feedback on what to do in the future, Proulx said.
“We have received so many different suggestions and recommendations that we want to get some public input on how people feel about some of the different management options,” she said.
Recommendations run the gamut, Proulx said.
Some people want the trail left as it is, with no restrictions; some think the trail should be upgraded or hardened and others think the trail should be either partially or completely re-routed, she said.
“It’s a very broad range,” Proulx said. “We want to describe what some of these recommendations are and what ones are most feasible under the circumstances.”
The decision can be appealed and Proulx expects it will be. The appeal period is May 13 to June 2, she said.
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