‘Obscenely damaging’: Video catches off-roader in California’s ancient forest

The bristlecone pines of Inyo National Forest, considered some of the oldest trees on Earth, are royalty even among California’s myriad ecological treasures. Now, an Inyo employee is searching for someone who appears to have illegally driven a car through this ancient ecosystem.

Read more Michael Busch singles in 10th, Cubs benefit from Giants error to beat San Francisco 3-2

Adam Leidy, Inyo National Forest’s off-highway vehicle and over-snow vehicle program manager, posted two videos to his Facebook account in late May — one flagging tire marks on the wrong side of some “no motor vehicles” signs and another one showing a Subaru on the move. Leidy asked anyone with information about the driver to contact Inyo’s dispatch at 760-873-2405.

In the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains, some of the gnarled, twisted trees might have lived for about 5,000 years. The footage of the car so near the majestic pines drew scorn from some.

“Scientifically, I’m appalled,” Jeff Holmquist, a researcher for the White Mountain Research Center, told SFGATE. He added: “In my view, it’s obscenely damaging and extremely unfortunate.”

Holmquist, who watched the videos after his research center was tagged in the Facebook post, could not identify the exact location but believed it was near the crest of the White Mountains within Inyo National Forest.

Leidy did not respond to emailed requests for comment from SFGATE, and other Inyo National Forest personnel did not disclose information about the specific incident before the time of publication. But a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson told SFGATE by email that there are regular incidents of visitors driving off designated roads and trails, particularly in high-elevation areas as people try to navigate around the late-spring snow.

Vehicle tires can compact soils and damage root systems — making it more difficult for plants to absorb water and nutrients — and also leave behind seeds of invasive species, according to the spokesperson. “In high-elevation settings — especially in Bristlecone Pine forests and alpine tundra — this damage is particularly severe,” they wrote to SFGATE. “These plants grow extremely slowly. A single vehicle driving just a short distance off-road can kill or damage hundreds of small plants and shrubs. Recovery of soils in these ecosystems can take decades or even centuries.”

Gary Ananian, the founder of the Kern River Conservancy, told SFGATE that he was glad that Leidy tagged his organization in the posts, too. 

“We want people to see that this is wrong, and we want to know if anybody recognizes this vehicle,” he said. “We try to reach an audience that the Forest Service can’t.”

Read more Slumping shortstop Dansby Swanson out of Cubs starting lineup against the Giants on Saturday

A citation for driving a vehicle off the road in a way that damages and disturbs land, wildlife or vegetation only comes with a $250 fine, according to the Forest Service. The agency’s main approach is education, starting with clear signage.

“We also install physical barriers — rocks, bollards, and other structures — to discourage off-road driving,” the spokesperson wrote to SFGATE. “And we invest in public education, because most visitors want to recreate responsibly; they just need clear guidance.”

Holmquist explained that while the videos might appear to show the car in an “open moonscape” rather than a dense forest, this alpine region is remarkably vulnerable. In between the trees, there’s a fragile biocrust, or a thin layer of living material such as algae, mosses and lichens that binds the topsoil. When vehicles drive through the area, there are consequences for the whole ecosystem.

“In terms of the trees, they could have damaged seedlings that were very, very small. They could have damaged roots. They certainly damaged this fragile biocrust,” he said. He added: “My guess is that the tracks that this vehicle left will be there for the rest of my life and probably yours, too.”

Holmquist said his concern about the incident extends beyond science, since he considers the forest a spiritual place for himself and many others.

“It’s a horrible thing, and I say that both as somebody who has a real reverence for the natural world and as a scientist,” he said. “We’re ants compared to these ancient trees, in terms of size but particularly in terms of longevity. It’s such a peaceful, serene place. You have a sense of deep time as you sit at the base of these trees.”