Statement by Senator Mark Pryor on the Ouachita National Forest ATV Trails Issue
I welcome today’s news that Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, along with the Forest Service, will halt implementation of its plan to limit access to ATV riders at the Wolf Pen Gap trail complex. It allows the Forest Service to gain a better understanding of the area by incorporating scientific data and much-needed input from affected communities. I am confident we can come up with a common-sense, responsible plan that ensures families have reasonable access to the trail system.
It can be detrimental to a community when Washington bureaucrats make decisions without local input. Indeed, I believe western Arkansas’s tourism and economic development would be hit particularly hard if the Forest Service were to move ahead with its plan. Individuals and business owners shared their concerns with me with one very loud, clear voice. I hope the community will continue to reach out to the Forest Service and congressional delegation until a more amenable plan can be reached.
