holylands closed effective july 1, 2008

[brett711]

Thank you for your interest in the Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area. The rule proposal was supported at the Commission meeting on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 and will come into effect on July 1, 2008.

Recreational riding of all-terrain vehicles will be prohibited year-round. Use of all-terrain vehicles will be restricted to hunting purposes only and only during archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun-walk seasons and for scouting purposes two weeks prior to archery season and one week prior to the start of muzzleloading gun and general gun-walk seasons.

Camp owners can access their property with a 4 x 4 truck, a track vehicle or an airboat, depending on the water levels. If water levels are too low to accommodate an airboat, a swamp buggy may be used. We are currently working to see if we can allow some other possible alternatives for camp owners.

Aerial photos show the extent that all-terrain vehicles are operating in the wetland and the footprint left by them. The wide trails they create provide unnatural fire breaks, provide a conduit for exotic vegetation (namely grasses such as torpedo grass) and allow exposed soil to readily oxidize and burn, which has problems associated with it too. Several wildfires in 2007 were directly attributed to all-terrain vehicle use.

The impetus for this rule proposal was not resource damage alone. Law enforcement has ample documentation of accidents and fatalities associated with reckless all-terrain vehicle use. They also spend an inordinate amount of manpower enforcing safe operation of all-terrain vehicles and conducting search and rescue missions for stranded recreational riders.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Jen Williams

[Ida_Mann]

and do they really think this will stop the owners from riding out there?

Id@

[Mudneck]

does that go for UTV like Rhino?

[Gato]

BS a 400 lbs bike does less damage than a full track I believe not just a nother way to stop the larger percentage of the groups between truck atv and buggies

[AintSkeered]

On the FWC website, there's no mention of any restrictions being approved. The proposed restrictions are listed on the agenda at http://www.myfwc.com/commission/2008/Feb08/index.html.
But, approval of the agenda proposals is not listed on
http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/08/statewide/News_08_X_CommFeb08.htm
or
http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/08/statewide/News_08_X_PostCommFeb.htm

[rdm225]

The key words are rule proposal for the closure  i dont think they can leagally do that

[jrpro130]

I don't believe that...until it's posted up on myfwc.org.

I'm a little skeptical.

[jrpro130]

The more I think about it...IIRC, they can not legally do that.  It is discrimination of ATV's to a public property.  If it is closed to "recreational vehicles" that is a different story.  But they can not just close it to one specific type of motor vehicle.

That would be like saying you can't drive through Fort Lauderdale in an SUV.  It's discrimination.

I could be totally wrong, but thats my understanding of it. 

BTW, a 400lb atv does a lot less damage than a full track, buggy, or airboat.  Have you seen how the sawgrass looks after an airboat tears through it? It's just flat.

Also, I thought that restriction was not passed at the meeting.  And I have never heard that guys name before, do you know his title? I know quite a few of the uppers in PB County...

Edit:

and re-reading that email...

As far as SAR (search and rescue), FWC doesn't do ANYTHING for SAR.  Fire/rescue (BSO) does it all.  I know that...  They use BSO's life flight helicopter, and FHP helps with perimeters.  FWC doesn't do anything.

And if they restrict atv use, they are going have to put so much more manpower out there.  They must not know how many ways you can get in to riding there.  They must also not know how much it will cost to patrol, they have to use arial patrol, atv patrol, and marked unit patrol.






If this is true, which I'm still skeptical, then there will be a lot of illigal riding. And I'm the first to say, I have plenty of SAR shirts, red/white lights, and flares.  If they want to play that game....

[Anoriginal]

Hate to say I told you so but.......

[jrpro130]

Hate to say I told you so but.......

Hard to jump to conclusions...when it's on myfwc.com, then we know it's real.

They will have to prohibit all motorized vehicles...they can not discriminate

[Anoriginal]

Hate to say I told you so but.......

Hard to jump to conclusions...when it's on myfwc.com, then we know it's real.

They will have to prohibit all motorized vehicles...they can not discriminate

Wrong. fwc.com has nothing to do with it being official. If it passed, it passed.

Also, you're incorrect about banning all vehicles. They can ban what ever type they want. Look at Big Cypress (no full tracks, no street legal vehicles, no motorcycles, no vehicles over 8 foot wide). Look at Webb (No Tracks, no ATV's, no motorcycles). They can and will do it. Sorry to bust your bubble.

[foreman1]

It was a matter of time and the time now upon us . The new proposed rules remind me of Browns Farm . Those of you who have been around a while may  recall that they the then Game and Fresh Water Fish Comm would allow a month or 2 weeks of ORV use prior to bow season to set up stands , make shootin lanes with the full tracks back in the grass .
Then its shut down to ORV's till the following August.

And yes , they can a will shut down what ever they want ,just like in the cypress. I was at Oasis last saturday and there were  a couple kids with Banshees askin the ranger about the regulations and the speed limits .
Look out cause the Cypress will be next when we get  people racing on Donahue's rock roads .

 Resource protection will be the reason for closures and thats it.
Damn shame .

[klutchbuster400]

Another riding spot down? Anyone want to buy my quads?

[foreman1]

"Thank you for your interest in the Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area."
The title of this thread is misleading by refering to holylands. The letter is refering to Rotenberger WMA which is on the north west corner of the pump station.

Please notice that this is about Rotenberger ...not Holey Land or Area 3 (north side). I've noticed everybody on the site refers to the general area as Holy Lands. So lets do some more research and see if this change apply to the other 2 WMA's .

Regardless , it wont be long either way but lets see what's really going here.

[jrpro130]

Yea, 3a conservation should part of Francis S. Taylor.  But in the FWC proposed changes, it applies to all 3, holey lands, rotenburger, and evergaldes francis s. taylor

Anorigional,

I said IIRC (if I recall correctly). 

Like I said before, there will be lots of illigal riding.  It will take at least 2x the manpower to enforce, plus they have to use air power to enforce it. 

I know I'll be riding there, I know of about 10 other ways to ride 3a/3b, other than the l5 levee.

And also like I said before, when FWC is kicking us out...I'll leave, until then, I'll be riding there

[brett711]

the prpposal was for holands,rotenberger/and everglades francis taylor. it is for all  3 WMA......

[Mars]

F-um. Let them regulate them selves out of a job.
Then we can request the Governor to eliminate all FWC position in the area since it cant be used. This will save tax payer dollars and help with the budget cuts.
They can hire part time for hunting season, min wage without benefits. Too many fat asses doing nothing out there anyway.

[foreman1]

the prpposal was for holands,rotenberger/and everglades francis taylor. it is for all  3 WMA......

Thanks Brett for clearing that up .

[dirtyface]

Time to move to Georgia.  This sucks.

[brett711]

obv people are still gonna ride there after july 1, incl myself, but im waiting on aresponse on what penalty will be incurred.....if just a ticket, ill take my chances..

the fwc offc that i spoke tosaid that the proposal can be reversed, but its gonna take allot to do it...

maybe we start a rally out there, get the local news stations and make it public....

[jrpro130]

If it's a tresspassing ticket, I can't even take the chance  but if it's something other...such as a non-criminal, etc, I'm not worried.

Let them catch me, I know so many places to drop off it's not even funny 

[~Demon_Boy250X~]

obv people are still gonna ride there after july 1, incl myself, but im waiting on aresponse on what penalty will be incurred.....if just a ticket, ill take my chances..

the fwc offc that i spoke tosaid that the proposal can be reversed, but its gonna take allot to do it...

maybe we start a rally out there, get the local news stations and make it public....

I agree with forming the rally... there is power in numbers. We buy our ATVs to ride them, we dedicate our selves to the sport they can't just rip it away like that... If we got a nice size group together.... it is public property isn't it?

[jrpro130]

Well, it's the only tolerated spot in the tri county area...we have to do something.

I'd say rally, get some news crews involved, see who knows who...

[Eworm]

There have been several groups, in the past, that have done what has been mentioned on this thread. We have held rally's and had news crews there on a number of ocasions. But we have been limited only to 1 or 2 groups totaling about 50-70 heads with 2 or 3 leaders only. Seems like there are some of you that responded, that really want to make a difference and some that can break it down legally. Now is the time, decide if you want to keep riding locally or if you want to drive 3-4 hours every time you want to ride. So, what are you guys gonna do? We will fight for whatever, wherever.........The day they try to take the humps away, is the day will rally and do what we need to keep it!!!

[jrpro130]

I'm up for whatever.

I'm there every saturday, so count me in.