Existing ATV and motorcycle trails devastate the resources and heritage of the communities surrounding them, yet the Forest Service is proposing to open more off-road trails for a 3-year study. The Forest Service wants to open three new trail systems in the Eastern sections of the Mark Twain National Forest for the study. One trail system will be in Palmer, another one is about seven miles south of Fredericktown and the third will be approximately one and a half miles north of Williamsville. The combined mileage could add up to 74 miles of new trails.

The study will investigate the social and environmental impacts of OHV and ATV trails within the National Forest. The trails for the new study proposal could open as soon as this coming August. Unlike the other two trail systems, Palmer would host trails for trucks and Jeeps in addition to other off-road vehicles.

Local volunteer fire departments with off-road trails in their response areas should expect no support from the Forest Service. Chadwick, a small town six miles southeast of Springfield, Mo., is taking a financial battering. “We’re hurting for money so bad it’s unreal,” said Chadwick’s fire chief, Mark Loveland. His annual budget is $19,000 and the rural fire department is responsible for 198,000 acres. At least 65 percent of this response area is federal land. About 60 percent of the emergency calls are for brush fires and medical emergencies on Forest Service property, but the Forest Service doesn’t supplement the fire department’s budget, or supply badly needed equipment.

In the summer months there is at least one medical emergency per day at the 125-mile Chadwick ATV and Motorcycle Area. It’s not uncommon on weekends and during special events to have two or three medical emergencies per day. Loveland approached the Forest Service about adding a 25-cent tax to the permit fees paid by off-roaders to help purchase materials and equipment, but the tax idea was rejected. Off-roaders supported the tax, and hoped it would fund and fully equipped a search and rescue team. Forest Service officials said they didn’t want to be bothered with the paperwork. Permit sales from Chadwick amounted to $130,000 in 2003. The Forest Service has slotted $80,000 for trail maintenance. Chadwick’s fire department won’t get a penny.

Off-road vehicle accidents can involve serious injuries and it’s often a challenge getting to the accident scene. Rescuers can’t even use small trucks on the narrow rough trails. Often rescuers have to walk in a few miles and then carry one or more accident victims out. What would normally take 15 to 30 minutes can take three hours. Loveland requested a helicopter pad be installed at the campground to save hospital transport time, but the Forest Service rejected the request. Loveland wanted to put in two fire department substations to help deal with the heavy call load. He asked for half an acre of land to build two substations, but the Forest Service wouldn’t donate the land.

Don Lewis, safety officer for Belgrade, is dreading the thought of legalized off-road trails in Palmer. “We don’t think we handle the extra calls,” said Lewis. The Belgrade Fire Department still operates on the fire tag system, and only has an annual budget of $15,000. Lewis fears his crew of volunteers won’t be able to respond to more than one call at a time. Most of the volunteers work 40 hours or more a week on their regular jobs. Lewis is afraid volunteers will start quitting if medical rescues become a second job.

Is it fair for local medical services to be occupied patching up the broken bodies of trail riders while the people who finance the medical services are left unprotected? Kristine Swanson, USFS’s project manager for the new trail proposal, said that this was a good point and that she had never thought about it before. Since fire and rescue services are required by law to respond to all accidents, the Forest Service and off-roaders should pay their own way.

Swanson also said there were not many off-roader accidents at Sutton Bluff or Chadwick, and she had not received any negative feedback from rural fire districts. Given Loveland’s comments, there must be a black hole sucking away all communication between Forest Service employees in the field and officials in Rolla.

Palmer residents are angry with the Forest Service for ignoring their history and privacy when mapping out the trails. Current trail proposals have off-road vehicles riding within 15 feet of Palmer Graveyard. The graveyard is still used by residents, who have been burying family members there for several generations; imagine having a funeral service with 100 ATVs driving by. One day future archeologists will discover the graveyard, and will speculate for hours why those buried after the summer of 2004 have cotton stuffed in their ears.

The trail maps show ATVs practically rolling over the Palmer Community Church. The proposed trail stops in front of the church, then the trail splits and forks around it. The church’s parking lot is only an extension of trail gravel. One trail passes within five feet of the church’s outhouse. The church still holds weekend services for now, but with increased trail traffic buzzing 20 feet away, one wonders if sermons will be done by megaphone.

Trail riders have caused considerable damage to the grounds and have no respect for services still held every Sunday. Off-roaders have damaged grounds by doing doughnuts and spinning their tires, which forms ruts and holes on the church grounds. Trees in the churchyard have sustained severe damage from vehicle collisions. The outhouse is riddled with holes after being repeatedly blasted with shotguns and other firearms. Off-roaders will often pause by the church and rev their engines during services. Legalizing the trails adjacent to the church for off-roaders is going to make a bad situation worse. Considering the Forest Service allowed off-road groups to map out their own trails using GPS units, there’s no telling what community landmarks are being invaded.

It’s obvious the Forest Service has put very little thought into how off-road trails affect the people living next to them, but the comment period is not over for the new trail proposal. All letters, even those from out of state, will count. Kristine Swanson said letters will be accepted until February 22, 2004, and letters sent by regular mail are given a few extra arrival days. Those who are concerned can also contact Attorney General Jay Nixon and local state representatives.