Thank you to all who have commented. Some have said that the Forest Service needs to better enforce squatting and the 14-day limit, some laying some of the responsibility upon the USFS. When is the last time you actually saw a USFS Ranger on patrol? These guys are stretched much too thin and cannot possibly undertake the gargantuan task of patrolling all roads on a regular basis. That is why they need YOU to report what you observe.
The sad fact of the matter is that the USFS has neither the BUDGET nor the manpower to enforce these rules in an effective manner to deter such activity. My wife and I spend a considerable amount of time exploring the backroads of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and surrounding areas. We have observed appalling examples of littering, vandalism, dumping of vehicles, tires, general household trash, yard debris, ad nauseam. Some have said, well, it's not US, so we shouldn't be held responsible. We might not be the source of the problem but we will ALL pay the price for others' disregard for the rules. The attitude that the USFS could never put a ban on dispersed camping is dead WRONG. They HAVE and WILL continue to close areas where cleanup, particularly of abandoned vehicles, hazardous materials, and homeless encampments have forced a redirection of scarce funding that could have been put to better use. And once this happens, the odds of getting these areas reopened ranges from slim to none.
