Land use issue references, from the Pirate4x4 forum Options

[CP]

Welcome 59er and thanks for the links.
Make yourself right at home and enjoy the site.

The 2477 issue is very touchy with many folks as they are frequently both private land owners and mining claim owners.
I would agree with Dave on this one and you need a bigger lock! :D
bet we can all learn a thing or two from your dealings with the rs2477 issues.

CP

[59er]

Thanks again!

I've never had a problem with legitimate claim holders crossing our property, but even for them it has to be on the established road. I would never let anybody just drive cross country or make a new shortcut. I had problems with one guy who wanted a second way that was really not a good route, and he went so far as to sue me and and all my neighbors (that's where I got my legal education about R.S. 2477).

It's the kids on ATVs and the rock crawlers that I no longer permit because of all the damage and abuse and lack of respect. The worst offenders are actually the middle-aged adults who should know better. That's the reason for locked gates (claim holders have keys).

Here's another interesting thread on the subject from pirate4x4:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=348061

Tread Lightly is an industry organization that is supposed to set a standard for the offroad groups. They have always said that recrational users should get permission before crossing private property, which is just common sense and a value that most of us were brought up with. It is surprising that this standard is now rejected by so many recreational users.

I think that the problem is that many of the recreational offroad users do not know how to determine whether or not a road is public, and they end up assuming that all roads are public. They don't know how to read a map and never think of looking at official county or state records. Because of this, I'm a converted and avid supporter of the Closed-Unless-Posted-Open (CUPO) rule. I think this is a sensible way to protect private property while letting people know which roads are public. I think claim holders can usually get permission to access their claim on roads that are closed to public recreation, and with all the vandalism these days that's a good thing.

I think this problem is going to continue to get worse as more and more people move to western states and buy ATVs and offroad vehicles to tear around on. I think that it is really important for landowners to know and assert their rights.

[russau]

knowing your ights is a very important thing! lets hope that everyone does their research and stops assuming that its ok for them to do what they want! permission is easy to get if your a reasonable/responsible person and its always easier to get before you do something than after you have p.o.ed the landowner/ranger/police.

[59er]

Right! And it is not all that difficult to get information. We did most of our own research on the history of our property, and spent time at historical libararies and the state archives. It's actually a lot of fun to find old maps and photographs of the land you own.

It is so aggravating to know how much blood, sweat, labor and money the previous owners went into building a road to their mines, only to have modern ATV riders act like they own it and like something is wrong with us for keeping them out. Those old miners didn't build roads for somebody else's entertainment, they built them ffor their business of mining.