Oregon Public Broadcasting

Five environmental groups sued the U.S. Forest Service Monday to stop the construction of a new trail through the Oregon Dunes.

Environmentalists say the trail would be used by off-road vehicles – ripping up the protected national recreation area.

Ethan Lindsey reports.

Conservation groups say the proposed trail between an inland ATV campground and the coastal dunes will function more like a high-impact road.

Francis Eatherington, with Umpqua Watersheds, says that requires a  stricter environmental review.

Francis Eatherington: “The Oregon Dunes is the most extensive and unique sand dunes along the entire Pacific Coast of North America. And it also contains, and this is the important part, it contains really important globally-significant plant communities.”

But the dunes are just one battlefront in a larger war over ATV use on public lands.

ATV riders say they are working with the Forest Service to develop a new travel management plans, on the coast, and around Oregon and the nation. But they feel like the environmental groups are trying to shut them out of public lands, altogether.