For Immediate Release
September 13, 2005

Contact Information

LARAMIE - Conservation groups today petitioned the Medicine Bow National Forest to protect landscapes and wetlands in the Vedauwoo area by closing three jeep trails that are currently leading to heavy damage to sensitive wildlife habitats. The petition seeks the closure of routes 700AB, 700BB, and 700A on the western side of the Vedauwoo area, located between Laramie and Cheyenne.

"The Forest Service does not have the manpower to stop the off-road vehicle damage, said Dave Waggoner, a local Laramie-area climber. "ORV use in this area is hurting other traditional uses such as fishing, hiking, and climbing."

The routes in question are a focal area for illegal off-road vehicle travel, and are leading to erosion, habitat degradation in sensitive streamside areas, and pollution of Middle Crow Creek, which is the municipal water supply for Cheyenne. The petition notes that there has been substantial vandalism and illegal off-road route creation along these routes. In several cases, the Forest Service has closed, blocked, and reseeded an illegal route, only to have a new illegal route spring up next to the closed one.

"You can't move enough rocks to stop the ATVs [all-terrain vehicles]," added Waggoner. "The Forest Service has worked hard to control off-road vehicle damage in this area, but it continues and increases every year."

Streamside habitats and wetlands along Middle Crow Creek are home to a variety of rare wildlife, including the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, which is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. "Streamside areas are the most diverse and productive habitats in southeastern Wyoming, and seventy percent of wildlife species in southeastern Wyoming are dependent on them," said Erik Molvar, a wildlife biologist for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "In this case, there are a small handful of jeep trails that are continuing to cause heavy damage to the streamside habitats along Middle Crow Creek despite the Forest Service's efforts to mitigate the damage over the years."

"These jeep trails were never properly designed to minimize impacts to streams and habitats in the first place. After the failure of years of rehabilitation efforts, the Forest Service has very little choice but to close these routes," concluded Molvar.

Erik Molvar, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, (307) 742-7978
Dave Waggoner, Laramie resident and climber, (307) 721-9385