[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 43, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 43CFR8342.1]

[Page 911]
 
                    TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS: INTERIOR
 
    CHAPTER II--BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 
PART 8340--OFF-ROAD VEHICLES--Table of Contents
 
              Subpart 8342--Designation of Areas and Trails
 
Sec. 8342.1  Designation criteria.


    The authorized officer shall designate all public lands as either 
open, limited, or closed to off-road vehicles. All designations shall be 
based on the protection of the resources of the public lands, the 
promotion of the safety of all the users of the public lands, and the 
minimization of conflicts among various uses of the public lands; and in 
accordance with the following criteria:
    (a) Areas and trails shall be located to minimize damage to soil, 
watershed, vegetation, air, or other resources of the public lands, and 
to prevent impairment of wilderness suitability.
    (b) Areas and trails shall be located to minimize harassment of 
wildlife or significant disruption of wildlife habitats. Special 
attention will be given to protect endangered or threatened species and 
their habitats.
    (c) Areas and trails shall be located to minimize conflicts between 
off-road vehicle use and other existing or proposed recreational uses of 
the same or neighboring public lands, and to ensure the compatibility of 
such uses with existing conditions in populated areas, taking into 
account noise and other factors.
    (d) Areas and trails shall not be located in officially designated 
wilderness areas or primitive areas. Areas and trails shall be located 
in natural areas only if the authorized officer determines that off-road 
vehicle use in such locations will not adversely affect their natural, 
esthetic, scenic, or other values for which such areas are established.