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Mudding
... is illegal, and it is destroying your backyard.
![photo of two pickup trucks driving through wet areas](images/mudding2trucks.jpg)
Mudding is when you drive through wet meadows, fields, streams,
lakeshores and lakebeds...
![photo of front wheel of truck up to the axle in mud](images/mudding-fronttire.jpg)
... spinning tires to throw mud, ripping up the vegetation
and creating deep mud holes -- with the goal of testing the
rig's power and getting as muddy as possible.
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What is mudding?
Mudding is when you drive through wet meadows, fields,
streams, lakeshores and lakebeds.
What's wrong with mudding?
Mudding rips up native plants.
- When plants are gone, there is nothing to stop soil from washing
into nearby streams and lakes. Muddy streams and lakes are bad
for fish, wildlife, recreationists, and towns dependent upon water
and tourism for survival.
- When native plants are gone, noxious weeds move in. A meadow
of native grasses and flowers may soon become a field of thistles
and knapweed.
Mudding compacts soil.
- Healthy soil should bounce a bit when you walk on it. Tire tracks
create hard, dried up soil. This hard soil doesn't allow water
to move into the ground. Instead, water runs down tire tracks
and into creeks and lakes, bringing mud and pollutants with it.
- It is hard for plants to grow in compacted soil -- imagine trying
to extend your legs through a concrete floor.
Mudding smothers fish.
- Salmon and trout need cold streams with gravel and cover to
build their nests and bury their eggs. Young fish grow up in between
the gravel, safe from predators. Driving through streams destroys
gravel areas, and can smother young fish.
Mudding harms wildlife.
- Meadows and wetlands provide important breeding, rearing, and
foraging habitats for many birds and other animals. When vehicles
tear up these areas, they remove nesting and hiding cover, decrease
available forage, interfere with feeding, and push animals out
into areas where they may not survive. The damage affects wildlife
from the largest elk to the smallest shrew, and from bald eagles
to hummingbirds.
Mudding is expensive.
- The repair work for just one site can cost thousands of dollars.
Multiply that by the number of impacted meadows across the country,
and you can see that the cost to taxpayers is immense. Each year,
managers of public lands must spend time and money repairing roads
damaged by illegal early season drivers.
Mudding is unsightly and ruins favorite recreation
sites.
![photo of deeply rutted road filled with mud and water from vehicle traffic before roadway dried out](images/mudding-wet-roads-tracks.jpg)
Mudding is also driving on roads that have not yet dried out
from rain and snowmelt.
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What happens if you are caught mudding?
- Under 36 Code of Federal Regulations 261.13, section h: "It
is prohibited to operate any vehicle off Forest Development, State
or County roads... in a manner which damages or unreasonably disturbs
the land, wildlife, or vegetative resources."
- You could be fined up to $5000. In addition, the U.S. Forest
Service may bring a civil suit against you to pay for the costly
restoration.
What can you do to help?
-
![photo of wet meadow riddle with tire ruts creating mud and pools of water](images/mudding-wet-meadow.jpg)
This is all done in the pursuit of "fun" ...but
at what cost?
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Recognize that mud on a truck often means damaged habitat and
the need for repairs that will be costly to all taxpayers.
- Tell your friends, neighbors, family members and classmates
that you don't appreciate them destroying your public land.
- Seek out areas where the use of off road vehicles is permitted,
and get involved with the groups that maintain those areas. Make
sure you are using the right trail for your vehicle-there are
signs posted at the trailheads.
- When you see mudding activity, call local law enforcement authorities.
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