The following is from an ad recently run by the Sustainable Recreation Coalition:
The Cook County commissioners are considering opening county roads to ATV use. Imagine trying to take a Sunday afternoon nap in you hammock when the neighbor's teenager is driving back and forth in front of your house, cutting "donuts" in the gravel. Feel yourself bouncing over those holes on every trip to town. Imagine your sadness at seeing where an ATV has turned off the road into your property or favorite wildflower patch, leaving ruts and crushed blooms.
Gas taxes from ATVs are dedicated to trail building and maintenance, so paying for repairing their damages to county roads will fall on property tax payers.
DNR research shows that 70% of ATVs are used exclusively on private property, so there is little need for road riding. Most ATVers are keeping their noise away from others, so why should the community give up its precious quiet?
Tell the county board to keep ATVs off county roads. Call your commissioner. Help keep Cook County safe, quiet and natural.
Sustainable Recreation Coalition
Join Your Neighbors in Promoting Sensible solutions to Protect the North Shore
Box 181, Grand Marais, MN 55604
blackdogcottage@hughes.net
_______________________________________________________
Click here for contact information for Cook County Commissioners.
_______________________________________________________
And from True North:
An aspect of this that has not seen much discussion is the cost of more or less unbridled ATV travel to Cook County taxpayers. Consider the taxpayer expense in terms additional impact on law enforcement budgets, road repair, signage, etc.
There are also many safety concerns among which is how does the proposed ordinance apply in terms of traversing bridges and other areas where there is little room to maneuver?
Another main concern has to be to the rights of all of us to the quiet enjoyment we have come to appreciate so much as an essential part of the quality of life in our part of the world. Why should we have to give that up so a privileged minority can tear up the countryside?
And, finally, just why are tax dollars going to support motorized outdoor toys of destruction - ATVs, OHVs and snowmobiles? These are "sports" that get dedicated funds and contribute nothing to the health and welfare of participants or the community. They damage field, forest and waterways; they pollute the air and the water; they deplete scarce energy resources; they disturb the peace and quiet of the North Woods; they divide communities; and, their ridership, the state's governor included, consistently violate existing rules and regulations supposedly controlling them and seem to do so with impunity. So why should bad behaviour be rewarded? Instead of adding to the problem by giving them more opportunities for destruction, the Cook County Commissioners should be seeking ways to restrict their use.
True
6 comments:
Dear True:
I’m breaking my vow not to visit this blog again, but as the eve of the County ATV Road Ordinance approached, I was curious about what was being said. As I expected, there are a lot of misconceptions, so I am posting this message, although I know I’ll be lambasted by a multitude of anonymous contributors. But for the reasonable folks that may be reading, maybe I can calm their fears. Please feel free to e-mail if you’d like to continue discussion in a more civilized format.
True – I’ll first address your concern about the government funding ATV trails when there are so many other needs. I agree. It’s a shame our commissioners & county staff have been bogged down in this ordinance for so long. If it had been passed when the ATV Club first asked for it, first in 2004 and then in April 2006, all the folks now riding the roads would be legal. And the ordinance would have quietly come into being, without everyone in the state knowing about it. If there is an increase in the number of ATVers that come to Cook County, blame the MN for Responsible Recreation & the Sustainable Recreation Coalition – they are the ones that are advertising that our roads will be open. Locals just wanted simple permission to ride to their neighbor’s house or mailbox, or in my case 1. 5. miles to work.
However, except for this wasted county time & energy, all ATV trails, enforcement, environmental studies, and education are 100% funded by ATV registrations and the portion of the fuel tax that ATVers use. There are approximately 250,000 ATVs registered in the state of MN (500 in Cook County). The DNR calculates how much gas is used by these machines – it’s .027% of the total collected, but ATVers only get .015% - and that money is dedicated to the DNR. That money & registration fees funds all ATV activities. We’re not using any money from schools, roads, etc.
And the DNR statistic that 70% of ATVing is done on private property is a distortion of facts. The reason 70% of ATVing is done on private lands is because there ARE so few public roads and trails currently designated! I get tired of riding around the property line of my 5-acre property – and yes, I ride county roads and low-maintenance forest roads – but I can’t tell the DNR that!
As for increased costs to the county, passing the ordinance should not cost the county a penny (other than the aforementioned wasted county time in meetings, meetings, meetings). The Cook County ATV Club has pledged to pay for any signage needed. The burden on law enforcement should be decreased, as they no longer have to respond to nuisance calls about ATVs on county roads. They will be freed up to pursue real lawbreakers. An ATV is not going to damage a county road. Even if an obnoxious rider spun donuts on a gravel road (something the club is working to prevent through ATV Safety Education) that is easily smoothed out with one swipe of a grader – something the county does on a regular basis anyway. There could be a cost to the county if the ordinance is not passed & ATVers give up and start riding in the ditches – if ATVs ride through the sensitive area of ditches, they could change the water flow, causing roads to flood & culverts to freeze up. Some ditches have drain tile, and if damaged by ATVs could be quite costly to the county.
Safety issues are a concern. No one is denying that operating an ATV could be hazardous. However, ATVers – the folks familiar with operation and handling of four-wheelers are telling the county that ROADS ARE SAFER! Yes, drivers will have to pay attention while driving – just like they have to pay attention for bikers, horses, deer, moose, and people stopping in the middle of the road to take pictures of moose! Most ATVers who ride on roads have rear view mirrors (models that attach to the handlebars with velco are very inexpensive) so they know when someone is following them & they can pull over before bridges, if that’s a concern.
Finally, costs and safety aside, moving ATVs out of ditches – where they are now forced to ride – is better for the environment. Something that the Sustainable Recreation Coalition et al, should be delighted about. ATVers are trying to do the right thing here. We could be riding through the ditches now, damaging plants and animals. But we aren’t – we don’t want to run through cat-tails and marsh marigolds and through duck habitat and over frogs and toads. Passing this ordinance sends a clear message that Cook County does not accept driving through wetlands!
The Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness claim that there are more birders and photographers than ATVers in Cook County. Obviously, we disagree. Binoculars and cameras for photographing wildlife and watching birds as well as other wildlife fit easily in ATV storage compartments. ATVers are part of the statistics of Minnesotans who enjoy bird and wildlife watching! We’re just like everyone else. Sometimes we hike, sometimes we bike, sometimes we drive our car to the BWCA or a local lake, sometimes we ATV. We’re not asking to ride our ATV in the BWCA, or on the Superior Hiking Trail. We’re just asking to ride on county roads (not all – if ATVs aren’t riding on your road now, they probably won’t after the ordinance passes!) and forest roads – surely there is enough room for us all in our beautiful northland!
Dear Rhonda,
Thank you for the response to the post on ATV's.
What always astonishes the non ATV community is the disregard you have for two things and the outright rudeness and incivility that exhibits.
First, you and a a large majority of your co-enthusiasts readily admit to breaking the law and to having done so on a more or less continuous basis and give every indication that you are willing to do so ad infinitum. So, that being the case, why should you be trusted to abide by any restrictions that may be attached to expanded legalizataion to what are now illegal actions on your part? Does the Devil make you do it?
Second, you totally ignore the right of other's to enjoy the peace and quiet that should be an integral part of the Northland. Why should the rest of us give that up so you can enjoy your self indulgent destruction of the character of the North Woods that us others so much appreciate?
True.
Rhonda,
Rhonda,
Please expalin why you base a large part of your argument on the admitted (by you in your comment) fact that because you and supposedly many other ATV users violate the regulations now the regulations should be loosened.
It just seems to be extremely counter intuitive.
John –
How refreshing to talk to a person with a real name. Thank you!
You have a good point about my illegal riding – ouch. However, riding my ATV to work is an act of civil disobedience. A law that requires ATVers to ride in the ditch where they cause damage to plants and animals is a law that is too ridiculous to obey.
I, and the local ATV Club, heartily support all other ATV laws – speed limits, helmet requirements for under 16-year-olds, mandated safety training for anyone born after 1990, no double riding for 16-year-old drivers, noise restrictions and wetland restrictions. Personally, if someone is caught riding in a wetland they should have their machine taken away.
True –
I don’t understand how riding a road disturbs anyone’s peace & quiet. There are all types of vehicles on the road making noise – how about a Harley Davidson motorcycle? Now that is a disturber of the peace!
When we ride, we go on minimum maintenance forest roads where you can ride your car. ATVs now are as quiet, or quieter, than the average car and they meet California emissions standards. Yes, there are some fools that make their machines louder – that’s illegal and those folks should be ticketed. But the average ATV is someone like me – a grandmother (or mom or dad) who just likes to putt through the woods enjoying the scenery with their families and/or their dogs. Anyone out there that wants to try it – give me a call! We’ll take you on a ride!
We don’t want to ride our ATVs in the BWCAW, on the Superior Hiking Trail, or in state parks. We understand that there are places where ATVs cannot and should not go. I like to ride my wheeler on logging roads and I like to hike the hiking trails. There are times that I like to sit on a rock by a quiet lake too. There should be room in our abundant public lands for all of us.
Rhonda,
The last time I checked it was not an option to choose which laws to obey or disobey, but maybe I am mistaken .Being forced to ride in the ditch and thereby forced to destroy plants and animals you run over, is a false argument since you are not forced to ride at all.
The choice of where to ride belongs to the rider. The rider knew the restrictions, rules and regulations when the ATV was purchased and when he or she got on the ATV. The rider chooses to ride, chooses where to do so, and chooses to do so in the ditches in areas where and in a manner in which plants and animals will be destroyed. The law does not make that choice.
As for the peace and quiet issue that is a constant part of the discussion, I am not sure about True North and others, but I for one expect the occasional motorcycle to go by on the street, not in the woods. I drive mine on the street, not in the forest.
What I think underlies a lot of the concerns is that our local ATV riders always say they just want to run down the road for coffee, etc.; yet we see initiatives such as that coming from the DNR, and pushed by the ATV industry and state wide ATV organizations, and supported by the local ATV groups, to pretty much open the woods to fairly unrestricted ATV travel which, when coupled with the push in Cook county to open up the roads will result in a statewide linked system of ATV trails. This can only lead to a dramatic increase in ATV traffic not only on the roads, but also in the woods, which will severely degrade the natural character of our area and will mean a loss of opportunity for people to simply enjoy the peace and quiet of the forest.
I for one do not think those of us who are not as enamored of ATV's should have to give that up just so you can ride your ATV to work. Why we should make that sacrifice is what you need to explain.
Keep arguing!
"My chief objection to a quarrel is that it ends a good argument." G. K. Chesterton
Rhonda,
Your riding habits may be exemplary, but the facts are that those of too many other ATVers are not. Way too many ATVers do violate existing regulations, and do drive through wetlands, and do make new trails where none belong, and do make general nuisances of them selves. It is not the law abiding riders that are the problem, it is the scofflaws that cause us all trouble, you included. All it takes is giving one bad apple easy access to a fragile area and the destruction will be irreparable.
I do not doubt that you make every effort to obey the laws you like, but you yourself admit to disregarding those that do not appeal to you, and you are more or less the public face of the ATVers in Cook County and somewhat their spokesperson.
What about the others, Rhonda? Granted, most will be strict in terms of observing the rules, but a significant minority will not. And where is that likely to lead? Not just to the aforementioned destruction, but in a few more years you will likely be right back into the arena asking for access to more areas, etc., and you will say it is because the laws are the problem, not the bad behavior of the riders.
Post a Comment