OCALA, Fla. – In the nearly 387,000-acre Ocala National Forest, wild Florida shows its true colors for recreationists of all interests, whether they travel on foot, bike, horseback, ATV or by car.And while the forest is largely open and uninhibited by signage or other human inventions, there are rules and regulations in place designed to protect ecosystems and the public lands for future generations.
That same public land is threatened when off-roaders, wittingly or not, wander off marked routes and into fragile wetlands.Gathered in the Lake George Ranger Station one March afternoon, a team of U.S.
Forest Service employees, whose job it is to protect the forest and ensure responsible usage, displayed a map of routes through the forest.