The Southern Highland Reader

MURPHY–The U.S. Forest Service announced today that it will close the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle trail system because of serious erosion problems.

The 39-mile trail system 10 miles west of Murphy is a popular destination for off-roaders, and when various environmental groups complained in 2007 of the damage caused by trucks and other vehicles, intense and sometimes acrimonious debate arose.

A snippet from today’s Asheville Citizen-Times:

The agency first began looking at runoff problems in the area after several environmental groups threatened to sue the agency in July 2007, alleging the Forest Service violated laws by failing to prevent mud from eroded trails from polluting streams. Since then, there has been intense debate between four-wheel-drive advocates and environmental groups over how to manage the area, and the Forest Service has temporarily closed some trails in the area.

Read more here.

Tags: Asheville Citizen Times, Environment, forest service, four wheel drive, Outdoors, tellico

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