From the Florida Trail Riders website:
Press Release
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amy Erven, Information Specialist JUNE , 2005
3125 Conner Blvd., C-25
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650
850/414-0871
NEW OHV TRAIL SYSTEM TO OPEN AT TATE’S Hell STATE FOREST
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is announcing the opening of the first “off highway vehicle” or OHV trail system created under the new T. Mark Schmidt OHV Safety and Recreation Act. The trail will be open for riders in Tate’s Hell State Forest beginning on July 1, 2005.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is being held to kick off the grand opening at 10:00 a.m. in the state forest and will be attended by representatives of both Franklin County and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The public is also invited.
“Florida has had a tremendous growth in the recreational use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-highway motorcycles(OHMs), but few places are available to legally ride on public lands,” Bronson said. “This is the first of several OHV riding sites that the state will assist in opening to the public over the next several years.”
The OHV Trail System in Tate’s Hell State Forest will give ATV and OHM users an opportunity to ride their vehicles on more than 150 miles of designated trails on existing forest roads. While riding the trails, forest users can expect to see various ecosystems including cypress/tit swamps, blackwater creeks and pine flatwoods. It’s hoped that the availability of this and future trails will cut down on ATV and other vehicle use in undesignated areas which result in damage to the ecosystem.
“The primary purpose of the Tate’s Hell OHV Trail System is to give the public an opportunity to explore the forest with an alternative to driving a car or a truck,” Bronson said. “The key to the success of this trail site, as with future sites, depends on how responsible the users are in riding on these trails”.
The T. Mark Schmidt OHV Safety and Recreation Act requires each ATV and OHM to purchase a title, similar to those required by car buyers, prior to riding on any public lands that have a designated area for OHV riding. The titles are available through the Florida Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles at any county tag office. The law provides that the title fees be used to develop the OHV trails. To ride on the new Tate’s Hell OHV Trail System, each ATV or OHM owner will also have to purchase an annual permit at a cost of $50.00 per year (permits are prorated for each quarter of the fiscal year). Permits are valid for riding at either the Tate’s Hell OHV Trail System or the Croom Motorcycle Area at the Withlacoochee State Forest in Brooksville.
Permits will be sold at the Carrabelle State Forest Headquarters. Applicants are asked to bring a copy of their proof of title with their ATV or OHM. All OHVs are required to have working exhaust systems and USDA approved spark arrestors. Sound levels will be limited to 96 decibels on Tate’s Hell State Forest.
For more information on the Tate’s Hell OHV Trail System and Florida’s OHV Safety and Recreation Program, the public can call (850) 697-3734 or visit the Division of Forestry website at
www.fl-dof.com.
Show Posts
