Musician Don Henley
YES: These vehicles leave a trail of destruction.

Our parks, wildlife refuges and other federal lands are national treasures belonging to all Americans. Millions of us spend our time and money on one or more outdoor recreational activities. The most environmentally damaging of these activities is the use of off-road vehicles, which leave a trail of destruction involving the soils, vegetation, wildlife and air quality of our public lands.

The past decade has seen dramatic increases in ownership of these vehicles. As a result, they are now the fastest-growing threat to the natural integrity of our public lands. Public-land managers have been unwilling to enforce laws that are meant to protect our lands from overuse by these vehicles. The result: We are losing wild country and wild values at a rapid pace.

This misuse degrades the environment, disrupts critical wildlife patterns and diminishes the quality of the outdoor experience for those seeking solitude and tranquility. Millions who visit our public lands object to the vehicles' noisy presence at campsites, favorite hunting and fishing spots and wildlife-viewing areas. They also are concerned about personal safety.

Increasingly, vehicle operators drive past "no motorized entry" signs, straight up slopes, mountainsides and riverbeds, across deserts, streams and meadows -- wreaking havoc on soil, vegetation, wildlife habitat, pristine waterways and archeological sites. Each day, nearly 5,000 acres of habitat are lost to alien plants or "noxious weeds." Off-road vehicle usage has greatly contributed to the spread of these alien species across the West.

Officials need not remove these vehicles from all public lands, such as designated forests and range routes, where the impact on the environment is minimal. But they must achieve balance in how these lands are managed. With freedom comes responsibility. I have an off-road vehicle, but I also have respect for the millions of other humans and wild creatures with whom I share the outdoors.

U.S. Sen. Larry Craig
NO: They're already limited. A ban is too extreme.

I've been in Yellowstone National Park in the middle of the winter. It's like being in a scene from Dr. Zhivago. Snow stretches forever. Ice crystals are everywhere, falling off the trees. When Old Faithful goes off at 20 degrees below, you've never seen so many ice crystals and so much steam in your life. It's beautiful.

How do you explore Yellowstone in the depths of winter? Not on foot, that's for sure. A snowmobile is one of the better ways. But the National Park Service -- reflecting the Clinton administration's intent to circumvent the Congress that the voters elected -- is determined to bar Americans from that access. The service has banned personal watercraft and snowmobiles from most park properties. Today, it's strongly considering banning all-terrains, dirt bikes and other motorized off-road vehicles that allow enjoyment of public lands.

Off-road vehicles have been a part of my life for 30 years. My sister and brother-in-law sell snowmobiles and four-wheelers so people can get around in rugged Western country. At the Midvale, Idaho, ranch where I grew up, we rode four-wheelers. When a snowstorm hit, I snowmobiled to round up stranded cattle and brought them back home so they wouldn't starve. These vehicles are a way of life that this administration wants to shut off from the citizens. Public land accounts for more than 60% of my state, with federal park property accounting for some of those acres.

When the park service tells me it wants to ban off-road vehicles, I say, "You've failed to properly manage the land." We created parks to protect the environment while providing unique places that people can enjoy. In many cases, these vehicles are the only way to get to the hard-to-reach spots.

Should you ride a four-wheeler everywhere? No. But current policy already prohibits these vehicles in wilderness areas. All-out bans and severe restrictions are too extreme. Create stream crossings and enforce them. Build dirt-bike and four-wheeler parks and let the people use them.