I'm not an off roader myself, but sometimes have watched YT videos. Some of those guys and gals are all stuck up about their big, new, fancy rigs for sure, but there are others who are in it for the adventure still and enjoy keeping their 20+ year old vehicles running. It hurts a lot less when your old 4x4 bounces off a boulder and gets dented up than when your 2026 $80K vehicle does.
I don't have a problem with off roading where it is legal. There are a lot of miles of old roads in places like the SNF that are still on the official map, but have been closed for so long that they are impassible because of trees and brush. I could see a role for some of these off roader groups to work with the USFS to reopen some of the roads for 4x4 and UTV use in the appropriate seasons and conditions where they wouldn't make bottomless mud pits and foul up stream crossings. It would probably need to be on a case by case basis. The positive thing I would see for the FS is that it would open up access for firefighting and even for controlled burns as well as easier emergency extraction of hunters or hikers who got injured. There are pros and cons to everything. People will always try to abuse privileges and trash places, so more open roads make that easier perhaps. I guess if it were abused, gates could be closed again. Just my thinking.
