We applaud Gov. Jon Huntsman for efforts to rein in off-road vehicle riders who stray from trails, gouging ruts across the state’s incomparable scenery.

"It's an abomination, it's an embarrassment," Huntsman said recently after touring the Moab area, a favorite spot for recreational use by riders of ATVs, dirt bikes and similar machines.

The governor has some credibility on this because he's an expert off-road motorcyclist himself.

He has ordered the Department of Natural Resources to beef up enforcement on state lands, and he's right to do so. When ORVs veer off legitimate trails, all too often they gouge the soil, muddy waterways, disrupt wildlife and destroy flowers and trees. Their exhaust pollutes the air, and their sound shatters the stillness of these natural treasures. The vehicles can damage areas of historic or scientific interest, and can even touch off fires in times of drought.

Make no mistake, it's a popular form of recreation. About 43 million Americans use ORVs for recreation, the Forest Service says. More than 50,000 Utahns have registered their vehicles with the state. Utah has vast stretches of uninhabited land, and it's appropriate for some of it to be set aside for this activity.

And it's not as if there aren't approved pathways for ORV. Nationally, the federal Bureau of Land Management manages more than 80,000 miles of roads and 16,000 miles of trails, and U.S. Forest Service lands offer 287,000 miles of roads and 32,000 miles of trails open to motor traffic.

Sadly, that isn't enough for many riders. A few years ago, the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation commissioned Utah State University to survey riders. The poll found that almost half of ATV riders prefer to ride off established trails. The dirt bikers had a similar proclivity: Half of them admitted they rode off established trails on their most recent excursion.

Even more disturbing, when surveyed on issues affecting off-road vehicle use in Utah, respondents recognized the need for enforcement but not the need for protecting the natural resources where they ride. The survey also suggested that the fear of getting caught and ticketed was a far bigger concern for riders than preserving the environment.

In short, they simply aren't getting it. It's a sad moment. Utah has some of the most beautiful locales in America. Being able to travel a short way and be up on the mountains or out in the desert is one of the great bonuses of life here. It's a shame ORV riders are damaging those lands. The governor is right to order a crackdown.

But the real answer lies with the thousands of people who ride ATVs and motor bikes here. They're out there because they too want to escape to the wilderness, even if they want to do so on modern machines. Yet misuse of ORVs threatens the very spaces they depend on.

ORV enthusiasts have to take the lead on this. They have to admit that it isn't just a "few bad apples," but a significant portion of riders who go off trails and damage wilderness areas. We urge all riders to give this all more thought, and take more care to stay on the trails and preserve Utah's superb landscape.