Dust-Up Between Parks & Recreation and Fish & Game over ATVs

Two state agencies find their missions increasingly at odds with one another. One of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation's duties is to promote access for motorized recreation. One of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's goals is to protect high-quality hunting opportunities. However, conflicts between hunters who use ATVs and traditional hunters who don't are increasing. 

One management tool Fish and Game uses is restriction of motorized hunting access in sensitive areas. In addition to concerns about conflicts, studies have shown that increases in ATV use and the densities of motorized trails can negatively affect elk.

Fish and Game uses the Motorized Hunting Rule to prohibit hunters from using an ATV while actively hunting in one third of Idaho's hunting units (hunting on foot or using an ATV to set up camp is allowed). Since 1986, Fish and Game has had an agreement with the Forest Service allowing Fish and Game to enforce travel plan restrictions—efforts critical to managing expanding ATV use.

However, staff at Parks and Recreation (as well as the Idaho State ATV Association) have disagreed with the Motorized Hunting Rule, finding it to be confusing and difficult to enforce. Parks and Recreation did not include it in their OHV outreach materials and have advocated that rule be eliminated. The problem is that, without Parks and Rec's help to educate hunters and ATV riders, the rules are very confusing and even contradictory.

This all came to a head last year when the Idaho Legislature created an ATV Task Force to review this issue (see statements by each agency and a transcript of the committee meetings here). The Task Force asked the Attorney General's office to review the legality of the Motorized Hunting Rule. The AG's office determined that the Motorized Hunting Rule "conforms with legislative intent, but that the Legislature may wish to revisit these statutes to either expressly permit or prohibit the Commission rulemaking on this subject matter."

While Parks and Recreation and Fish and Game have declared a temporary truce, this issue is going to be a hot topic again this year. Fish and Game's Motorized Hunting Rule and their ability to enforce travel planning regulations on National Forests will be under fire. If you want to see wildlife managed responsibly, traditional hunting opportunities preserved and travel plans enforced, you may need to make your voice heard above the upcoming roar.