NORTHERN HILLS â The U.S. Forest Service sold a record number of trail permits for motorized vehicle usage in 2020.
As the motorcycle/UTV (utility terrain vehicle)/ATV (all-terrain vehicle) trails season ended on Dec. 15, Corbin Herman, motorized trail coordinator with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) reported that this year the agency sold more than 30,000 trails permits. Thatâs an increase of more than 10,000 permits sold from last year, and significantly more than the USFS has sold in the past.
Herman said the increase is due to the growing popularity of the trails. But the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the spike, since more people sought to enjoy outdoor recreation this year. Â