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ANF Trail News Articles

If you find an article about the ANF Trail system, please let us know so we can update this page. It doesn't have to be only snowmobile related as we should keep an eye on all trail systems issues. 

The Forest Service Transportation Policy adopted in 2002 requires that road management decisions that may affect access or generate adverse environmental effects be informed by a "Roads Analysis". The analysis will be conducted forest-wide on all Forest Service jurisdiction roads drivable with a passenger car. This analysis will produce a management strategy and is NOT a decision document.

The Allegheny National Forest has assembled a core team of resource specialists (transportation planner, wildlife biologist, botanist,

hydrologist, and recreation planner) to examine all roads maintained for safe passenger car travel. These roads are the Allegheny National Forest's fundamental transportation system and are used to administer and access large land areas or recreation areas. High clearance and gated roads will not be examined in this analysis. A major task will be to identify roads that should continue to be maintained as suitable for passenger vehicles. At this level of analysis it is unlikely that any roads will be identified as possible candidates for closure or decommissioning. However, future watershed or project scale analysis efforts will focus more on high clearance and gated roads, some of which could be considered for closure or decommissioning. You can participate by informing the Forest Service of the roads you feel are important to you and why. Maps of the roads being considered in this analysis are available for review at Ranger District offices in Bradford and Marienville and the Supervisor's Office in Warren.

If you would like additional information on the process, please contact the Supervisor's Office at (814) 723-5150.

The Forest is interested in hearing issues and concerns from the public about these roads. A response form, found in the table below, can be printed and mailed (the address is provided on the form), or you may e-mail comments

Allegheny National Forest to Charge Fees for Off Highway Vehicle Use

Warren, PA - Beginning July 1, 2002, motorized trail bikes and all-terrain vehicle riders using Allegheny
National forest Off-Highway Vehicle trails will be required to pay an annual user of $35.00. This fee is
being implemented under the authority of the National Fee Demonstration Program. "With the continuing
increase in use we are experiencing on the Allegheny National Forest, the current funding level is
insufficient to keep up with increasing maintenance needs and costs," said Forest Supervisor Kevin Elliott.
"The Fee Demonstration Program provides a valuable means to gain additional funding to maintain the
existing trails to a safe, environmentally responsible standard while providing a high quality riding
experience that people are accustomed to," added Elliott.

Under the Fee Demonstration Program, 95% of the fees collected are retained at the Forest for
administration, maintenance and improvement of the existing facility. "Trail users can be assured the
funding collected from the sale of trail permits will be used wisely," said Elliott.
Annual permits may be purchased at all Allegheny National Forest offices (Bradford, Marienville,
and Warren) and the Tionesta Service Center. Forest officials are in the process of securing local motor
sport vehicle vendors in convenient locations to sell trail permits. The names of local vendors will be made
available later this spring via the forest web page and media announcements.

Beginning in 2003, the annual permits will be available on a calendar year basis. Allegheny National
Forest permits will be assigned to the trail vehicle. All all-terrain vehicles must have a valid state
registration in order to purchase an Allegheny National Forest trail permit. There is no registration system
for motorized trail bikes in Pennsylvania, but an ANF permit will be required.

The Forest Service completed an extensive analysis to arrive at a fair and reasonable cost for the
permit. The fee amount is based on the cost to administer the off-highway program, and a comparison of
fees charged by other federal and private areas for comparable trail facilities. Forest trail managers and
recreation officials have worked closely with trail users over the last several years and participated in a state-wide
study of trail users by the Pennsylvania Off-Highway Vehicle Association regarding the
implementation of the Fee Demonstration Program on these trails.

"What we heard from our trails users and what the study showed us is that the majority of people who
use the off-highway vehicle trails support maintenance and improvement of the trails with a user fee," said
Elliott.

Currently there are 108 miles of trails designated for all-terrain vehicles and motorbikes on the
Allegheny National Forest. Trails are confined to five intensive use areas of the forest that were determined
to be best suited for this use in the Forest Plan. All-terrain vehicle and motorbike riding is the fastest
growing recreation use on the Allegheny National Forest. According to the study undertaken by the
Pennsylvania Off-Highway Vehicle Association, the Allegheny National Forest motorized trails are the most
popular public land riding trails in Pennsylvania. The Allegheny National Forest has successfully managed a
motorized trail riding system for 25 years.

Additional information on the Fee Demonstration project and an application to purchase trail passes
can be found on the Forest web page at Allegheny National.

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Allegheny National Forest Off-Highway Vehicle Permits Available May 1, 2002

Warren, PA - The recently announced $35.00 permits required to ride Allegheny National Forest off-highway vehicle and motorized motorbike trails are expected to be available for purchase May 1, 2002. A public notice will be issued when they are available and will identify locations where permits can be purchased.

The permit availability date was inadvertently omitted in the media announcement of March 8, 2

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