LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: KEEP RECREATIONAL VEHICLES OUT OF NATIONAL FOREST

To the Editor:

As I read the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Opportunities in Salem and Potosi Ranger Districts issued by the Mark Twain National Forest I was struck by the number of inconsistencies concerning the logic behind the proposal and the actual design of the OHV system.

Why does the Forest Service assume safety and noise are less important than soil erosion, law enforcement and economic impact?

Individuals of all ages will be racing around trees, turns, logs, rocks and road crossings on vehicles of different sizes, weights and horse power, going in the same and opposite directions, at both high and low speeds, on surfaces that range from dirt, rock, gravel, mud, sand, and clay to pavement, all year round, at all hours of the day and night; and the Forest Service says a few signs will make the system safe.

We know signs don't make our roads and highways safe for licensed drivers who have had to take courses, pass written as well as driving tests; and with vehicles that are inspected annually. So why would we expect 8-16 year olds who have had no training or driving experience to be safe because of a few signs on a system they share with drivers of highway vehicles whose idea of recreation is "more power, more speed, more noise, more mud, more beer, more fun"?

Please write the people in the U.S. Congress and the State Capitol asking them to stop federal and state funds from being spent on this "playground/racetrack/amusement park" for "motorheads" addicted to mud, danger and noise.

Ed Williams

Viburnum, Mo.