Just as they are trying close some more of our precious few places to go, so idiots come along and do something like this. I am sure that it was not the "Off-road enthusiasts" as it is eledged in the article but yet it was a bunch of teens or just a bunch of idiots. I hope that if those people are on this forum they read this and realize that they have screwed everyone in the Off-roading community.
George Washington & Jefferson National Forests - Newsroom
New Castle , VA (March 25, 2009)...The Forest Service has placed an emergency road closure on Patterson Creek Road in Craig and Botetourt counties. Over the past two weekends, people driving off-road vehicles have caused approximately $30,000 worth of damage. Law Enforcement Officers have cited 39 individuals for multiple illegal offenses. John Price, the Law Enforcement Officer on scene, assures the public "We are committed to stopping this abuse of the national forest and we intend to make those convicted pay to repair the damage.
The damage to the environment is extensive. Illegal cross-country travel has destroyed vegetation and wildlife openings. Mud-bogging in the creek, riparian areas, and on the road itself caused extensive erosion. Five days after the damage occurred, the creek remained cloudy from sedimentation affecting water quality in Patterson Creek. It will take 6-12 months before the area will once again provide food and nesting benefits for wildlife. Eastern Divide District Ranger Cindy Schiffer states "We are deeply saddened that people would destroy our public lands and we will implement measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again."
Locked gates are now in place on Patterson Creek Road (FDR 184) in Craig County and at the intersection of SR 612 and O & I Road (FDR 5020) in Botetourt County, restricting access on 6.5 miles of FDR 184 and FDR 818. Gates are locked until further notice.
Damage to roads during the winter and spring is a long-standing problem. Most road damage occurs in January, February and March when roads are soft from freeze/thaw patterns followed by spring rains. Even legal activities and proper use of the roads may cause damage during this time period. Ranger Schiffer is considering implementing seasonal road closures on most Forest Service roads on the Eastern Divide Ranger District from January through March of each year.
(Quoted from Roanoke Times
Off-road enthusiasts charged over damage to forest areas - Roanoke.com)
Off-road enthusiasts charged over damage to forest areas
By Laurence Hammack
National forest officials have brought charges against 39 off-road enthusiasts who like to gun, spin and slog their four-wheel-drive vehicles through woods and meadows.
The practice, known as "mud-bogging," has caused about $30,000 worth of damage to a section of the Jefferson National Forest in Botetourt and Craig counties, said Woody Lipps, law enforcement patrol captain for the forest service.
Most of the people charged in recent weeks were given summonses to appear in federal court on charges of driving their vehicles off a designated road and damaging government property or resources.
Other charges include drunken driving and underage possession of alcohol.
Mud-boggers apparently revel in spinning their tires to throw around as much mud as they can, causing particular damage to open areas that forest officials have cultivated to foster wildlife.
"This has taken years to accomplish," Lipps said of the affected areas. "And now it's a mudhole where we have to start over."
Mud-boggers usually drive traditional sport utility vehicles or souped-up pickup trucks with oversized tires.
Most of the offenders have been four-wheeling at night and on weekends on Patterson Creek Road, which runs along Caldwell Mountain in Botetourt and Craig counties.
Forest officials have closed a 6.5-mile stretch of Patterson Creek Road, which is accessible from Virginia 606, indefinitely.
Until recently, vehicles had been permitted on the road. But much of the mud-bogging damage has happened when the offenders decide to leave the road and take their vehicles on cross-country routes.
While some of the cases will be handled in state court, most of the offenders will be required to appear in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, where they will likely face fines.
"We are committed to stopping this abuse of the national forest, and we intend to make those convicted pay to repair the damage," said John Price, a forest service law enforcement officer.
We have been fighting the good fight in NW Florida for a while as well. 
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