A little patience can protect your access this time of year

The Bighorn National Forest office is reminding recreationalists that regulations state motorized over snow vehicles (such as snowmobiles and snow bikes) off road or trail travel is not permitted until Nov. 16, annually.  Even after that opening date, there is a requirement for at least six inches of snow to be present before vehicles can be driven off the route and resource damage cannot occur. 

According to a press release from the BNF office, this is not an arbitrary requirement. Time is essential to the situation; several snowstorms and layers of snow must settle to form a base before the land is adequately protected from over snow vehicles. If users fail to wait, resource damage will most likely follow.

Bighorn National Forest law enforcement officers issued violation notices last weekend to recreationalists who failed to wait until enough snow had fallen in the forest. Those individuals not only have to pay high fines but could eventually lose their privilege to visit the national forest according to the release.  

The BNF is asking that recreationalists preserve both their access and avoid the fine. It just takes a little patience, the release said.  

For more information, visit the Bighorn’s special orders page online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/bighorn/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5151832, or contact the Supervisor’s Office at 307-674-2600.