WebEvent: Show Single Event
This link gives you all the skinny on that hoped-for world-record-breaking parade of ATVers gathered in Silver Bay today. That's right folks, today. They're expecting 2,500 people from all over the country, loud and proud, to ride some 50 miles of trails and play lots of fun games and churn up some topsoil and spew some fumes into the air.
It's the 25th anniversary of the All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota. Reason enough to bring out the storm troopers, last gathered two years ago in Harlan County, Kentucky, that bastion of coal mining greed where moutaintops are getting cut off and thrown down. A little ATV erosion seems but a small thing next to that, n'est-ce pas?
Here's where the rest of the world discovers the newest ATV destination: the North Shore!
Showing posts with label recreation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recreation. Show all posts
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
The ATV song: Ride roughshod over the rivers and through the woods
Oh, here we go again!
Not content with inviting all the ATVers in the world to their June parade in Silver Bay, the local ATV crowd is demanding that the North Shore State Trail be opened to their noisy and destructive vehicles.
As for the old slogan that "We just want a place for locals to ride," the latest demand is to eliminate the 90-mile limit on trails in Cook County. So, how many miles do you locals want permission to destroy fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitat on?
The US Forest Service process started last year with mucho public input to try to keep everybody happy has tanked. How thankless to try to find a way to preserve the environment by limiting the damage done by ATV rough riders, not to mention protecting quiet spaces. It isn't only the people who need peace and silence, it is the wild creatures who are terrified by the noise and smells and speedy depradations of the clueless folks who bring their joyless and lawless midget psyches blundering into the ancient forest.
It looks to be a long summer. Lovers of peace and quiet, beware!
Not content with inviting all the ATVers in the world to their June parade in Silver Bay, the local ATV crowd is demanding that the North Shore State Trail be opened to their noisy and destructive vehicles.
As for the old slogan that "We just want a place for locals to ride," the latest demand is to eliminate the 90-mile limit on trails in Cook County. So, how many miles do you locals want permission to destroy fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitat on?
The US Forest Service process started last year with mucho public input to try to keep everybody happy has tanked. How thankless to try to find a way to preserve the environment by limiting the damage done by ATV rough riders, not to mention protecting quiet spaces. It isn't only the people who need peace and silence, it is the wild creatures who are terrified by the noise and smells and speedy depradations of the clueless folks who bring their joyless and lawless midget psyches blundering into the ancient forest.
It looks to be a long summer. Lovers of peace and quiet, beware!
Friday, March 07, 2008
To the GM Park Board: Government Ethics 101
One of the biggest problems with having two local papers in Cook County is that neither one can devote adequate resources to the big issues. The Park Board meetings, for example, often get bypassed entirely.... it has been True's experience that these folks want to encourage the rich and get rid of the middle class who now support Rec Park with their huge fees for utilities and space for their RVs....
So, the latest brouhaha is the decision to add nine (count em, nine) new docks to the present marina of 16 slips. By True's calculations this is an increase of MORE THAN HALF (56 percent) without, as far as True knows, any public process.... The new slips obscure the lake view of North House and the Hjordis. It looks like a hostile takeover by the downtown Bidness interests from where I sit....These guys compare our tiny harbor to MegaMarina Bayfield. They think the big bucks are just waiting to descend on Grand Marais, despite recent studies that rich yacht owners are on the decline. Wheareas our loyal Rec Park tenants have stayed year after year despite knockout increases in fees. Hello, Grand Marais? The rich will see us as a "slapdash" town and won't want to be bothered to stay here. Too totally funky. So, why do we care? The ordinary folks, the working folks and the middle class, love us. They are our bread-and-butter, our biggest fans.
Bidness doesn't like North House because they pay their way and yet they still make money, they draw in tourists from all across America, and they are committed to sustainable development of the harbor. Bidness couldn't care less about sustainability so long as they can sell more gas to the rich s---ers who want to dock here but don't want to pay their fair share like the rest of our tourists who pay for lodging and meals or the RV Park folks who pay horrific fees to retain their spaces...
Worst of all are the statements by board member Carol Backlund and Recreation Area Assistant Manager Dave Tersteeg. True is appalled that they just don't get it, that conflict-of-interest means DO NOT VOTE. Ya shure, anybody can express an opinion. Carol, Dave, do your worst... but DO NOT VOTE. Hello, you think your opinions are valuable? Duh.... so is everybody else's opinion, but the rule goes that if you have even the slightest interest in the decision you DO NOT VOTE.
Civics and Government appear to be low on the list of classes for Cook County students.
The ultimate decision about extra slips in the marina should be considered in terms of its impact on existing businesses and the environment, as well as the view shed that visitors expect during their holidays. NOT NOT because anybody might even conceivably profit from additional slips....
It is no wonder that the neocons who control the government slash away all legal challenges to their limitless power: The Sheep are putty in the hands of the Wolf.
True's fave paper is not the Star and yet they had the story this time.
So, the latest brouhaha is the decision to add nine (count em, nine) new docks to the present marina of 16 slips. By True's calculations this is an increase of MORE THAN HALF (56 percent) without, as far as True knows, any public process.... The new slips obscure the lake view of North House and the Hjordis. It looks like a hostile takeover by the downtown Bidness interests from where I sit....These guys compare our tiny harbor to MegaMarina Bayfield. They think the big bucks are just waiting to descend on Grand Marais, despite recent studies that rich yacht owners are on the decline. Wheareas our loyal Rec Park tenants have stayed year after year despite knockout increases in fees. Hello, Grand Marais? The rich will see us as a "slapdash" town and won't want to be bothered to stay here. Too totally funky. So, why do we care? The ordinary folks, the working folks and the middle class, love us. They are our bread-and-butter, our biggest fans.
Bidness doesn't like North House because they pay their way and yet they still make money, they draw in tourists from all across America, and they are committed to sustainable development of the harbor. Bidness couldn't care less about sustainability so long as they can sell more gas to the rich s---ers who want to dock here but don't want to pay their fair share like the rest of our tourists who pay for lodging and meals or the RV Park folks who pay horrific fees to retain their spaces...
Worst of all are the statements by board member Carol Backlund and Recreation Area Assistant Manager Dave Tersteeg. True is appalled that they just don't get it, that conflict-of-interest means DO NOT VOTE. Ya shure, anybody can express an opinion. Carol, Dave, do your worst... but DO NOT VOTE. Hello, you think your opinions are valuable? Duh.... so is everybody else's opinion, but the rule goes that if you have even the slightest interest in the decision you DO NOT VOTE.
Civics and Government appear to be low on the list of classes for Cook County students.
The ultimate decision about extra slips in the marina should be considered in terms of its impact on existing businesses and the environment, as well as the view shed that visitors expect during their holidays. NOT NOT because anybody might even conceivably profit from additional slips....
It is no wonder that the neocons who control the government slash away all legal challenges to their limitless power: The Sheep are putty in the hands of the Wolf.
True's fave paper is not the Star and yet they had the story this time.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Ta da! Here comes the world's biggest ATV parade
The Cook County Star has announced that our ATV club is "recruiting ATV enthusiasts" to attend a hopefully record-breaking ATV parade in Silver Bay on June 14th. So much for "just wanting a place for locals to ride their ATVs around."
ATV clubs from around the state will be trying to make the North Shore the premier destination for the nation (and the world?). You can trust this info, it came from the horse's (I mean the ATV's) mouth.
True
ATV clubs from around the state will be trying to make the North Shore the premier destination for the nation (and the world?). You can trust this info, it came from the horse's (I mean the ATV's) mouth.
True
Thursday, May 03, 2007
House tax bill passes without local tax options
True thanks the Cook County News Herald for letting us know that our local tax "options" were not approved by the Minnesota House.
True also thanks some kind providence that perhaps favors the poor.
Here's the link:
News Express » Archive » House tax bill passes without local tax options
True also thanks some kind providence that perhaps favors the poor.
Here's the link:
News Express » Archive » House tax bill passes without local tax options
WTIP North Shore Radio - 90.7 FM » Park board drops wetland identification and mapping proposal
Ah, so. The Grand Marais Park Board narrowly defeats a gentle and sustainable plan to explore, simply explore, identifying wetlands in the harbor. Who remembers that Grand Marais means "big swamp"?
Anyway, lots of folks would like to look further into this issue. And where's the harm in that? The city attorney has assured us that this won't bind the city to anything.
It makes True wonder, why? Is there some subtext here?
Check the story link:
WTIP North Shore Radio - 90.7 FM » Park board drops wetland identification and mapping proposal
Anyway, lots of folks would like to look further into this issue. And where's the harm in that? The city attorney has assured us that this won't bind the city to anything.
It makes True wonder, why? Is there some subtext here?
Check the story link:
WTIP North Shore Radio - 90.7 FM » Park board drops wetland identification and mapping proposal
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Open Letter to Rhonda and CC Star
Benjamin Disraeli claimed that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damnedlies, and statistics. Someone else unknown said that 78% of all statistics are made up on the spot. The letter in this weeks Star from Steve and MaryKay Fleace attempts to prove both statements.
First, on the question on madeup statistics, a review of the sources cited does not substantially support the numbers provided in their letter: in the case of bicycle pedestrian accidents they report “47 fatalities and 1,948 total accidents among bicyclists and pedestrians.”, yet the source shows for bicycles alone 11,335 crashes from 1996 - 2005 with 81 deaths and 9,915 injuries in the same period. In a report by the MNDOT (The Benefits of Bicycling in Minnesota 2004-50) there are 110,000 to 130,000 people riding bikes on a typical spring/summer day (low), suggesting an accident rate far lower than for other forms of transportation including ATVs. Conveniently left out is the number of ATV fatalities over a similar period: 114 killed (1995 thru 2004); considering that ATVs make up only a tiny fraction of the number of bicycles, the ATV rate of accident/death is appalling.
Second, concerning the third kind of lie, the use of an averaged 10 year period for ATV accidents is extremely misleading considering that the number of annual registrations in the first five years is less than half the number in the latter 5 years. Using that approach I can statistically claim that the fatalities in 2004 (24) compared to 1996 show a 6 fold increase and more than doubled the 2002 figure: ATVing doesn’t look quite as safe. Add in that the state effectively banned ATVs from the roads in 1985 and one should expect ATV accident numbers to drop dramatically.
When looking at the school bus figures the number of buses is said to be about 14,000 but left out of the equation is the fact that those 14,000 buses carried 843,083 kids (1999), the presence of which certainly needs to be factored into the fatality/injury figures.
Third, the authors make much of the application of the state statistics to the Cook County population base, simply overlooking the fact that the accident rate for motor vehicles is more than three times higher in rural counties than their urban counterparts.
Lastly, Rhonda, is your own impassioned plea for open use on the roads. You apparently have not been inconvenienced by the current status, having been able to drive to and from work and around town without restraint. In fact, if it was only for you or a couple of others that might claim some medical disabilities for not walking or bicycling, I might support granting a special permit allowing such use, but the truth is that the proposed county ordinance applies to everyone, yes everyone of the 223,714 (2004) recreational machines out there, and while not all of them are coming to Grand Marais, enough of them will come to make life less pleasant for the silent sports visitors that contribute much, much more to our local economy.
fastjerry
First, on the question on madeup statistics, a review of the sources cited does not substantially support the numbers provided in their letter: in the case of bicycle pedestrian accidents they report “47 fatalities and 1,948 total accidents among bicyclists and pedestrians.”, yet the source shows for bicycles alone 11,335 crashes from 1996 - 2005 with 81 deaths and 9,915 injuries in the same period. In a report by the MNDOT (The Benefits of Bicycling in Minnesota 2004-50) there are 110,000 to 130,000 people riding bikes on a typical spring/summer day (low), suggesting an accident rate far lower than for other forms of transportation including ATVs. Conveniently left out is the number of ATV fatalities over a similar period: 114 killed (1995 thru 2004); considering that ATVs make up only a tiny fraction of the number of bicycles, the ATV rate of accident/death is appalling.
Second, concerning the third kind of lie, the use of an averaged 10 year period for ATV accidents is extremely misleading considering that the number of annual registrations in the first five years is less than half the number in the latter 5 years. Using that approach I can statistically claim that the fatalities in 2004 (24) compared to 1996 show a 6 fold increase and more than doubled the 2002 figure: ATVing doesn’t look quite as safe. Add in that the state effectively banned ATVs from the roads in 1985 and one should expect ATV accident numbers to drop dramatically.
When looking at the school bus figures the number of buses is said to be about 14,000 but left out of the equation is the fact that those 14,000 buses carried 843,083 kids (1999), the presence of which certainly needs to be factored into the fatality/injury figures.
Third, the authors make much of the application of the state statistics to the Cook County population base, simply overlooking the fact that the accident rate for motor vehicles is more than three times higher in rural counties than their urban counterparts.
Lastly, Rhonda, is your own impassioned plea for open use on the roads. You apparently have not been inconvenienced by the current status, having been able to drive to and from work and around town without restraint. In fact, if it was only for you or a couple of others that might claim some medical disabilities for not walking or bicycling, I might support granting a special permit allowing such use, but the truth is that the proposed county ordinance applies to everyone, yes everyone of the 223,714 (2004) recreational machines out there, and while not all of them are coming to Grand Marais, enough of them will come to make life less pleasant for the silent sports visitors that contribute much, much more to our local economy.
fastjerry
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
ATV Hearing Reviewed
The ATV hearing last night at the Cook County court house was well attended with a full house and about 80% being pro ATV. A proposed ordinance is set to be considered at the May 8 county board meeting with two other ordinance committee meetings to be scheduled prior to that. Mr. Harris Mills, a retired DNR ATV safety instructor was added to the ordinance committee.
Mr. Mills, during last nights session, spoke against the present ordinance, against opening roads because, he contends, ATVs are unsafe at high speeds.
Commissioner Jim Johnson reported that had received 128 messages against the proposed changes and 27 in favor.
Of note was the rudeness exhibited by the pro ATV crowd at last night's meeting. Out of character for what the Speak Your Peace folks had hoped to take root in our community, but fully consistent with the general attitude of ATV owners and consistent with the very idea of ATVs.
By the way Rhonda, who's truck was parked in the handicap only parking spot, without the required permit? Certainly not an ATVer's!
Keep in mind that this ordinance is only part of the picture. The DNR and the U. S. Forest Service, working with the ATV riders and the ATV industry are looking to add 257 miles of trails. All of this is intended to provide this vocal minority with a state wide network of interconnected trails.
True will try to pass on all relevant information coming this way regarding this issue. In the meantime, here is a recent news item from the State of Washington. It is an email from a sate senator decrying ATVs, dirt bikes, etc. and the damage they do in the name of "sport".
True
Read on:
Sen. Adam Kline (D-Seattle) became the focus of attention from all sides this week, with a blunt e-mail he sent to a constituent laying out his dislike of off-road vehicles. Here's a copy of Kline's e-mail:
Dear Mr. Helgeson,
I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one too many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road vehiclesthat have no damn business anywhere. To me, this bill is narrow — it doesn't include those "personal watercraft," seemingly jet-powered little missiles whose only apparent purpose is to risk death and dismemberment for boatersand swimmers, for the amusement of spoiled drunk teenagers.
Yes, I am sure there is the occasional responsible person who rides one of these machines on land or water. And yes, like every human being I have been pleasantly surprised to find my stereotypes broken. But why, why, why, do folks insist on motorized "sports"? Those two words are an oxymoron.
There is nothing sporting — athletic, physically demanding — about riding any machine anywhere. And it's a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call this an anti-obesity measure.
Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me.
Adam Kline
Mr. Mills, during last nights session, spoke against the present ordinance, against opening roads because, he contends, ATVs are unsafe at high speeds.
Commissioner Jim Johnson reported that had received 128 messages against the proposed changes and 27 in favor.
Of note was the rudeness exhibited by the pro ATV crowd at last night's meeting. Out of character for what the Speak Your Peace folks had hoped to take root in our community, but fully consistent with the general attitude of ATV owners and consistent with the very idea of ATVs.
By the way Rhonda, who's truck was parked in the handicap only parking spot, without the required permit? Certainly not an ATVer's!
Keep in mind that this ordinance is only part of the picture. The DNR and the U. S. Forest Service, working with the ATV riders and the ATV industry are looking to add 257 miles of trails. All of this is intended to provide this vocal minority with a state wide network of interconnected trails.
True will try to pass on all relevant information coming this way regarding this issue. In the meantime, here is a recent news item from the State of Washington. It is an email from a sate senator decrying ATVs, dirt bikes, etc. and the damage they do in the name of "sport".
True
Read on:
Sen. Adam Kline (D-Seattle) became the focus of attention from all sides this week, with a blunt e-mail he sent to a constituent laying out his dislike of off-road vehicles. Here's a copy of Kline's e-mail:
Dear Mr. Helgeson,
I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one too many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road vehiclesthat have no damn business anywhere. To me, this bill is narrow — it doesn't include those "personal watercraft," seemingly jet-powered little missiles whose only apparent purpose is to risk death and dismemberment for boatersand swimmers, for the amusement of spoiled drunk teenagers.
Yes, I am sure there is the occasional responsible person who rides one of these machines on land or water. And yes, like every human being I have been pleasantly surprised to find my stereotypes broken. But why, why, why, do folks insist on motorized "sports"? Those two words are an oxymoron.
There is nothing sporting — athletic, physically demanding — about riding any machine anywhere. And it's a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call this an anti-obesity measure.
Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me.
Adam Kline
Monday, March 19, 2007
DNR Cook County Forest Lands Being Reclassified
From True:
This is part of the MN DNR's push to open the state's forests to more unrestricted ATV and OHV travel.
_________________________________________________________________
From MN DNR:
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Notice of Proposed Classification of State Forest LandsIn Cook County, Minnesota with Respect to Motor Vehicle Use
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to classify all State Forest Lands within Cook County, except for a 1,861-acre portion of the Finland State Forest in SW Cook County, with respect to motor vehicle operation.
The proposal is to assign all state lands lands under the authority of the Commissioner, to one of the following classes: (pursuant to MN Rules Chapter 6100.1950).1.
"Managed", in which forest roads and forest trails are open for motor vehicle use unless posted closed;2.
"Limited", in which forest roads are open to motor vehicle use unless posted closed and forest trails are closed to motor vehicle use unless posted open, or3.
"Closed", in which forest roads are open only to motor vehicles licensed for highway use. No OHVs are permitted, except for operation on frozen public waters. Snowmobiles may operate on designated trails only in closed forests.
This proposal covers the Pat Bayle and Grand Portage State Forests, and scattered forest lands under the authority of the Commissioner located outside of State Forest boundaries in Cook County.
In total, just over 100,000 acres of state forest land, and 175 miles of roads, trails and non-designated routes were evaluated with respect to motor vehicle use. In conjunction with the proposed classification, the DNR has developed a road and trail designation proposal that identifies roads and trails on state forest lands which will remain open to motorized vehicle use.
The DNR will hold a public meetings on the proposed forest classification and road and trail use designations at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 51 West 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. The department will present information and receive comments on the proposal at this public meeting.
Superior National Forest and Cook County officials will also be present to respond to questions and to offer their views on access planning for public lands in Cook County.
The DNR's Forest Classification & Route Designation Proposal, supporting maps and other materials, are available at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Copies of the documents may also be viewed at the DNR's Grand Marais Area Forestry Office located at 1356 East Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN, or are available upon request from:
Brian McCann, PlannerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Box 52, 500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155-4052
Phone: (651) 259-5627
E-mail: brian.mccann@dnr.state.mn.us
Written comments on the proposal may be submitted to the above address until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday May 31, 2007.
Laurie H. Martinson, Deputy CommissionerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Published March 19, 2007
This is part of the MN DNR's push to open the state's forests to more unrestricted ATV and OHV travel.
_________________________________________________________________
From MN DNR:
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Notice of Proposed Classification of State Forest LandsIn Cook County, Minnesota with Respect to Motor Vehicle Use
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to classify all State Forest Lands within Cook County, except for a 1,861-acre portion of the Finland State Forest in SW Cook County, with respect to motor vehicle operation.
The proposal is to assign all state lands lands under the authority of the Commissioner, to one of the following classes: (pursuant to MN Rules Chapter 6100.1950).1.
"Managed", in which forest roads and forest trails are open for motor vehicle use unless posted closed;2.
"Limited", in which forest roads are open to motor vehicle use unless posted closed and forest trails are closed to motor vehicle use unless posted open, or3.
"Closed", in which forest roads are open only to motor vehicles licensed for highway use. No OHVs are permitted, except for operation on frozen public waters. Snowmobiles may operate on designated trails only in closed forests.
This proposal covers the Pat Bayle and Grand Portage State Forests, and scattered forest lands under the authority of the Commissioner located outside of State Forest boundaries in Cook County.
In total, just over 100,000 acres of state forest land, and 175 miles of roads, trails and non-designated routes were evaluated with respect to motor vehicle use. In conjunction with the proposed classification, the DNR has developed a road and trail designation proposal that identifies roads and trails on state forest lands which will remain open to motorized vehicle use.
The DNR will hold a public meetings on the proposed forest classification and road and trail use designations at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 51 West 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. The department will present information and receive comments on the proposal at this public meeting.
Superior National Forest and Cook County officials will also be present to respond to questions and to offer their views on access planning for public lands in Cook County.
The DNR's Forest Classification & Route Designation Proposal, supporting maps and other materials, are available at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Copies of the documents may also be viewed at the DNR's Grand Marais Area Forestry Office located at 1356 East Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN, or are available upon request from:
Brian McCann, PlannerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Box 52, 500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155-4052
Phone: (651) 259-5627
E-mail: brian.mccann@dnr.state.mn.us
Written comments on the proposal may be submitted to the above address until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday May 31, 2007.
Laurie H. Martinson, Deputy CommissionerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Published March 19, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Quiet
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
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
Thursday, March 15, 2007
ATV Ordinance Hearing
On Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 7:30 PM there is a public hearing scheduled concerning the proposed county ordinance covering ATV travel on Cook County roads. The proposed ordinance can be viewed here:
http://www.co.cook.mn.us/attorney/DRAFT-ATV-ORDINANCE.pdf.
With very few exceptions - the Gunflint Trail and Devils Track Lake Road - ATV travel will be allowed everywhere on the extreme right side of all county roads.
ATVers see this as a fundamental right - to ride everywhere without restriction. Those in oppositon see it as an assualt on common sense and on the quiet enjoyment of the region. We see this as a bad ordinance that will only lead to further destruction of the Northland as we know it and hope that it does not pass. However, it appears that the local ATV club, with industry and DNR support, has the county board in its pocket and is willing to drive right over the wishes of the rest of the community.
All interested parties are urged to attend.
True
http://www.co.cook.mn.us/attorney/DRAFT-ATV-ORDINANCE.pdf.
With very few exceptions - the Gunflint Trail and Devils Track Lake Road - ATV travel will be allowed everywhere on the extreme right side of all county roads.
ATVers see this as a fundamental right - to ride everywhere without restriction. Those in oppositon see it as an assualt on common sense and on the quiet enjoyment of the region. We see this as a bad ordinance that will only lead to further destruction of the Northland as we know it and hope that it does not pass. However, it appears that the local ATV club, with industry and DNR support, has the county board in its pocket and is willing to drive right over the wishes of the rest of the community.
All interested parties are urged to attend.
True
Dance Down Pat this Sat in Hovland!
This Saturday, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day Dance and Dinner:
At the Hovland Town Hall with its great wood dance floor.
Music by a 7-member band will include original Swamp River members:
Jim Miller (guitar/vocals)
Andy Schmidt (guitar/mandolin)
Kim Carlsted-Gillis (vocals/rhythm)
PLUS the addition of :
Amy Baldwin (vocals/squeeze box)
Gavin Danfelt-Martin (bass/harmonica)
Russ Viton (lead guitar)
Joe Peterson (Hovland's own drummer).
$5.00 cover but young children free.
Food for purchase begins at 5:30 pm with music following about 6:30 or
so.
At the Hovland Town Hall with its great wood dance floor.
Music by a 7-member band will include original Swamp River members:
Jim Miller (guitar/vocals)
Andy Schmidt (guitar/mandolin)
Kim Carlsted-Gillis (vocals/rhythm)
PLUS the addition of :
Amy Baldwin (vocals/squeeze box)
Gavin Danfelt-Martin (bass/harmonica)
Russ Viton (lead guitar)
Joe Peterson (Hovland's own drummer).
$5.00 cover but young children free.
Food for purchase begins at 5:30 pm with music following about 6:30 or
so.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Polymet will destroy 1200 wetlands acres in Lake Superior watershed
North Star Journal-February 2007
It’s Up To You!
A Cut in Profits or Healthy Wetlands
Bill Barton
Judy Helgen’s Counterpoint in the February 19, 2005
edition of the Star Tribune said, “…maintain the health and
richness of wetlands in Minnesota, and indirectly, its lakes and
streams; and you’ll be nurturing the ducks, frogs, and wetland
plants. It’s your world…it’s up to you!”
The same year that Judy wrote this, I attended a retreat at
Holden Village in a national forest on the east side of the
Cascade Mountains in Washington. Getting there required a
two-and-a–half-hour boat ride on beautiful Lake Chelan and a
thirty-minute bus ride up switchback after switchback along
the seemingly pristine Railroad Creek as it cascades down
from Copper Mountain.
When I had a chance to explore the area, I came upon the
eighty acres of mine tailings from the 290-acre Howe Sound
Mining Company Holden Mine, which was closed in 1957. I
was struck by the futility of the attempts to contain the fine
yellow sulfide tailings with landscaping cloth on the sides of
this 200–foot-high pile of tailings. The trees planted on top in
an attempt to hold and cover the pile were apparently not doing
too well, being deformed and scraggly looking, most likely
from the lack of nutrients and lack of shelter on the huge open
area. I questioned the wisdom of installing a disc golf course
on the pile as clouds of yellow dust rose from my feet. Out
from under the boarded-up entrance to the mine ran a steady
stream of acid water three feet wide and five inches deep. The
rock and stones were all covered with a white salt from
reacting with the acid. This is just one of the seeps from the
underground mine, which has filled with water in the years
since 1957.
The work of cleaning up Holden Mine continues today
around conference tables from Seattle to Paris. Lawyers,
engineers, regulators, and consultants are working to bring
about cleanup of the Holden Mine. The Intalco Company,
successor to Howe Sound Mining Company, has signed a
consent decree and now owns the liability for the mine’s
cleanup. Intalco has been funding remedial investigation and
It’s Up To You!, continues on page 7
It’s Up To You!, continuation from cover...
feasibility studies for the last nine years. The
contaminated water seeping out of the mine and
tailings contains copper, cadmium, zinc, iron, and
aluminum. These metals adversely affect the aquatic
life in Railroad Creek. The plan, fifty years after the
mine closed, is to build facilities to collect and treat the
water that flows out of the mine. Intalco does not
believe it is practical or necessary to collect and treat
the water from the tailings. The completed treatment
plant for the mine drainage would require operation
and maintenance indefinitely with on-site power
generation, resident maintenance staff, and continual
fuel and chemical deliveries to neutralize the acid and
precipitate the metals.
A future similar to this is what we are being asked
to accept by Polymet and other PGM (Platinum Group
Metals) mining companies in Minnesota. According to
St. Paul District Army Corps of Engineers Commander
Robert Whiting, the Corps has received hundreds of
mining proposals due to the recent increases in metals
value.
The proposed Polymet PGM Mine site will cover
3,200 acres compared with 290 for Holden. 1,200 acres
of the potential mine site are now healthy natural
wetlands that drain to the Partridge River and
Embarrass River in the St. Louis River-Lake Superior
watershed.
Finding 1,200 acres of replacement wetlands is a
costly up-front problem for a mine because of
requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act and
Minnesota’s Wetland Conservation Act. Replacing
wetlands could significantly affect the economics of a
mining project that may be economically marginal to
begin with. Polymet has identified and contracted with
St. Louis County for an area near Floodwood to be
used as replacement wetlands. If the Floodwood site
does not work out due to local objections or the fact
that some of the site may not be available for
replacement credit because it is already wetland, then
constructing replacement wetlands could delay the
project and cost upwards of a hundred million dollars
(up to $90,000 per created acre). This could be enough
to eliminate the economic viability of the project.
Our state and federal agencies have been meeting
with mining interests and northern counties (who think
they have too many wetlands) to address what they call
the lack of availability of replacement wetlands. As I
see it, the problem is not really availability, but the cost
of creating replacement wetlands in the watershed or
county as required by the Army Corps of Engineers
rules and Clean Water Act. Their solution is a first-inthe-
nation change of the rules to allow replacement in
adjacent “wetland bank service areas” of which there
are only eight covering the entire state. This would
allow replacement of Polymet wetlands as far south as
the metro area and permit depletion and fragmentation
of wetlands in a county or watershed.
Another problem for the Polymet project is that
the PLATSOL process to be used to extract the metals
at the Hoyt Lakes Plant and make the mine feasible has
never been built or operated at full scale. The operators
of the fourteen-day pilot testing stated in their report
that environmental issues needed to be explored further
while Polymet is stating that the environmental issues
have been fully explored during pilot testing.
Statements from the pilot test report on copper
extraction, like “Some crud was observed in the
extraction stage but did not cause operational
problems,” cast doubts on claims of zero discharge
during full-scale operation.
According to the Howlett Research Corp report on
PolyMet Mining Corp (POM-TSX Venture) from Feb
18, 2005, Polymet has been controlled by an Australian
company, Rio Tinto Limited, since August of 2000.
Polymet is planning to start mining this year, thanks to
fast-tracking concessions granted by our State
Administrators. I wonder if the costs of the liability for
cleanup of the Polymet mine fifty years after it closes
have been included in the economic evaluation.
As Judy said, “It’s your world…it’s up to you!
Bill Barton is a member of the Wetlands and Water
Committee
It’s Up To You!
A Cut in Profits or Healthy Wetlands
Bill Barton
Judy Helgen’s Counterpoint in the February 19, 2005
edition of the Star Tribune said, “…maintain the health and
richness of wetlands in Minnesota, and indirectly, its lakes and
streams; and you’ll be nurturing the ducks, frogs, and wetland
plants. It’s your world…it’s up to you!”
The same year that Judy wrote this, I attended a retreat at
Holden Village in a national forest on the east side of the
Cascade Mountains in Washington. Getting there required a
two-and-a–half-hour boat ride on beautiful Lake Chelan and a
thirty-minute bus ride up switchback after switchback along
the seemingly pristine Railroad Creek as it cascades down
from Copper Mountain.
When I had a chance to explore the area, I came upon the
eighty acres of mine tailings from the 290-acre Howe Sound
Mining Company Holden Mine, which was closed in 1957. I
was struck by the futility of the attempts to contain the fine
yellow sulfide tailings with landscaping cloth on the sides of
this 200–foot-high pile of tailings. The trees planted on top in
an attempt to hold and cover the pile were apparently not doing
too well, being deformed and scraggly looking, most likely
from the lack of nutrients and lack of shelter on the huge open
area. I questioned the wisdom of installing a disc golf course
on the pile as clouds of yellow dust rose from my feet. Out
from under the boarded-up entrance to the mine ran a steady
stream of acid water three feet wide and five inches deep. The
rock and stones were all covered with a white salt from
reacting with the acid. This is just one of the seeps from the
underground mine, which has filled with water in the years
since 1957.
The work of cleaning up Holden Mine continues today
around conference tables from Seattle to Paris. Lawyers,
engineers, regulators, and consultants are working to bring
about cleanup of the Holden Mine. The Intalco Company,
successor to Howe Sound Mining Company, has signed a
consent decree and now owns the liability for the mine’s
cleanup. Intalco has been funding remedial investigation and
It’s Up To You!, continues on page 7
It’s Up To You!, continuation from cover...
feasibility studies for the last nine years. The
contaminated water seeping out of the mine and
tailings contains copper, cadmium, zinc, iron, and
aluminum. These metals adversely affect the aquatic
life in Railroad Creek. The plan, fifty years after the
mine closed, is to build facilities to collect and treat the
water that flows out of the mine. Intalco does not
believe it is practical or necessary to collect and treat
the water from the tailings. The completed treatment
plant for the mine drainage would require operation
and maintenance indefinitely with on-site power
generation, resident maintenance staff, and continual
fuel and chemical deliveries to neutralize the acid and
precipitate the metals.
A future similar to this is what we are being asked
to accept by Polymet and other PGM (Platinum Group
Metals) mining companies in Minnesota. According to
St. Paul District Army Corps of Engineers Commander
Robert Whiting, the Corps has received hundreds of
mining proposals due to the recent increases in metals
value.
The proposed Polymet PGM Mine site will cover
3,200 acres compared with 290 for Holden. 1,200 acres
of the potential mine site are now healthy natural
wetlands that drain to the Partridge River and
Embarrass River in the St. Louis River-Lake Superior
watershed.
Finding 1,200 acres of replacement wetlands is a
costly up-front problem for a mine because of
requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act and
Minnesota’s Wetland Conservation Act. Replacing
wetlands could significantly affect the economics of a
mining project that may be economically marginal to
begin with. Polymet has identified and contracted with
St. Louis County for an area near Floodwood to be
used as replacement wetlands. If the Floodwood site
does not work out due to local objections or the fact
that some of the site may not be available for
replacement credit because it is already wetland, then
constructing replacement wetlands could delay the
project and cost upwards of a hundred million dollars
(up to $90,000 per created acre). This could be enough
to eliminate the economic viability of the project.
Our state and federal agencies have been meeting
with mining interests and northern counties (who think
they have too many wetlands) to address what they call
the lack of availability of replacement wetlands. As I
see it, the problem is not really availability, but the cost
of creating replacement wetlands in the watershed or
county as required by the Army Corps of Engineers
rules and Clean Water Act. Their solution is a first-inthe-
nation change of the rules to allow replacement in
adjacent “wetland bank service areas” of which there
are only eight covering the entire state. This would
allow replacement of Polymet wetlands as far south as
the metro area and permit depletion and fragmentation
of wetlands in a county or watershed.
Another problem for the Polymet project is that
the PLATSOL process to be used to extract the metals
at the Hoyt Lakes Plant and make the mine feasible has
never been built or operated at full scale. The operators
of the fourteen-day pilot testing stated in their report
that environmental issues needed to be explored further
while Polymet is stating that the environmental issues
have been fully explored during pilot testing.
Statements from the pilot test report on copper
extraction, like “Some crud was observed in the
extraction stage but did not cause operational
problems,” cast doubts on claims of zero discharge
during full-scale operation.
According to the Howlett Research Corp report on
PolyMet Mining Corp (POM-TSX Venture) from Feb
18, 2005, Polymet has been controlled by an Australian
company, Rio Tinto Limited, since August of 2000.
Polymet is planning to start mining this year, thanks to
fast-tracking concessions granted by our State
Administrators. I wonder if the costs of the liability for
cleanup of the Polymet mine fifty years after it closes
have been included in the economic evaluation.
As Judy said, “It’s your world…it’s up to you!
Bill Barton is a member of the Wetlands and Water
Committee
Monday, January 29, 2007
Send $$$ to Shinners!
Here we go again!
The latest word in Grand Marais is that a certain element of the business community is organizing to thwart any plans to improve the present marina or to implement any of the findings of the visioning process. Allegedly, Shinners and Associates are collecting funds ($200 each contributor for a war chest) from various business owners to form an organization to stop the visioning process from affecting any of their plans for development, and to stop Harbor Friends from collecting the information that is needed to make rational, fact based decisions on the future of the marina.
The problem they have is that the visioning process, like Harbor Friends, has broad community support. The last election told the tale when Mark Sandbo and Bob Spry lost. Sandbo lost by a tremendous margin. The two of them lost mainly on the issues of downtown development (read the East Box, and the related condominium scams) and the marina issue, not to mention the strong smell of favoritism and self dealing.
Time will tell, but the people of Grand Marais spoke once and they will continue to speak in support of the new city council, in the support of development policies that strengthen and not destroy the city, and in support of the efforts of Harbor Friends’ dedicated, open and honest hard work to protect and improve the harbor.
So, if you want to protect the city center, the harbor, and the gains made in the last election, support the new mayor and city council. If, on the other hand, you want more East Boxes, and you want to destroy the harbor with a large marina, sign up with Shinners – and don’t forget the $200 entry fee. Make the check payable to cash.
True
The latest word in Grand Marais is that a certain element of the business community is organizing to thwart any plans to improve the present marina or to implement any of the findings of the visioning process. Allegedly, Shinners and Associates are collecting funds ($200 each contributor for a war chest) from various business owners to form an organization to stop the visioning process from affecting any of their plans for development, and to stop Harbor Friends from collecting the information that is needed to make rational, fact based decisions on the future of the marina.
The problem they have is that the visioning process, like Harbor Friends, has broad community support. The last election told the tale when Mark Sandbo and Bob Spry lost. Sandbo lost by a tremendous margin. The two of them lost mainly on the issues of downtown development (read the East Box, and the related condominium scams) and the marina issue, not to mention the strong smell of favoritism and self dealing.
Time will tell, but the people of Grand Marais spoke once and they will continue to speak in support of the new city council, in the support of development policies that strengthen and not destroy the city, and in support of the efforts of Harbor Friends’ dedicated, open and honest hard work to protect and improve the harbor.
So, if you want to protect the city center, the harbor, and the gains made in the last election, support the new mayor and city council. If, on the other hand, you want more East Boxes, and you want to destroy the harbor with a large marina, sign up with Shinners – and don’t forget the $200 entry fee. Make the check payable to cash.
True
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Wake up, Cook County
The ATV proposal being considered by the Cook County board was the subject of today's lead story in the Duluth paper. Check the link below.
Duh, folks. Do you think the Twin Cities ATVers, a full half of all ATV owners, will stay home once they can ride freely all over Cook County? If so, I have a bridge I can sell you cheap in San Francisco.
True
· Duluth News Tribune ·
Duh, folks. Do you think the Twin Cities ATVers, a full half of all ATV owners, will stay home once they can ride freely all over Cook County? If so, I have a bridge I can sell you cheap in San Francisco.
True
· Duluth News Tribune ·
Monday, January 15, 2007
ATV Discussion Thread
If you are interested in following the discussion regarding ATV use of county roads in Cook County, follow the above link, or scroll on down the list of posts to get to it. This one topic has generated more comments than any other. It is a good exchange and it does a good job of laying out the respective positions on this contentious issue.
Please post your comments.
True
Please post your comments.
True
Sunday, January 14, 2007
West End dominates county tourism market
Last year, seven business owners in Cook County, on learning that the one-percent sales tax to benefit the hospital will “sunset” in November of this year, set about looking seriously at the economic climate in Cook County and what other permitted uses this tax might support if extended. Legislators Dill and Bakk told the group that it would be much easier to extend the tax and change the use than to rescind it and then try to get it back later. Dill and Bakk also recommended getting consensus among county stakeholders before bringing a proposal forward in March. The council has been attending town meetings and working with groups like the county’s Joint Powers Board and the Grand Marais Save the Pool committee to try to create a consensus plan both for a one-percent tax extension and also for new taxes on food/lodging and entertainment/recreation that will help to turn around and sustain the county’s tourism-based economy.
In coming weeks, True will be exploring this issue in depth. For now, see this News Herald link for how the council’s findings highlight the West End:
Cook County News-Herald - Grand Marais, Minnesota
In coming weeks, True will be exploring this issue in depth. For now, see this News Herald link for how the council’s findings highlight the West End:
Cook County News-Herald - Grand Marais, Minnesota
Friday, January 12, 2007
ATV use on county roads?
The county could vote next week on an ordinance allowing ATV use on all county roads, during daylight hours and with a 30 mph speed limit. For more details, see the link below.
Cook County News-Herald - Grand Marais, Minnesota
Cook County News-Herald - Grand Marais, Minnesota
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Road Whiners
Cook County's atv'rs are lobbying the county board for permission to ride atv's on county roads. They cite equal treatment to support their requests for uninhibited use of roads and access to almost anywhere in the county. Most conservationists and environmentalists have a legitimate reflexive negative response to such proposals. Some county residents are petitioning county board members to exclude their roads from atv riding in an understandable not in my back yard reaction. Regardless of how this turns out, this will not be the last series of demands from atv'rs.
Of late, Minnesota, especially all across the northern part of the state, has seen unrelenting pressure from atv'rs and snowmobilers for trails, regardless of the impact they may have on the environment or on those who want to enjoy the simple pleasures of a quiet forest. The motor sports enthusiasts are quickly outraged if they do not get their way. They have made clear what they want - unrestricted riding privileges. Those of us who are not motor sports enthusiasts, the acknowledged majority of Minnesotans, are just as clear in what we want - the quiet enjoyment of the forest.
If a peaceful North Shore and Cook County seems to be what the county's and Minnesota's quiet majority wants; why can't they get it? Mainly because of the political clout the motor sports side has, disproportionate to their numbers. It is much easier to organize those in favor of a special interest, no matter how obnoxious most of the world finds it, than it is to build a coalition of disparate people who may not otherwise be natural allies to oppose it. When you add to the mix an industry with deep pockets - the atv and snowmobile manufacturers - it is an uphill struggle for the opponents.
The real problem with the atv'rs demands for unlimited riding on county roads is that it is a major step in the industry's push to link together a vast network of legal and illegal trails across the state. Right now, in Cook County, there are numerous logging trails that atvs can legally travel. Often, however, they are not linked. The county road system provides that connection. The end result will be a system of trails that allow atv users to assault the senses of all who do not share their desire for noise and destruction of the north woods quiet. The north woods experience will soon come to mean an incessant undercurrent of whining engines or the roar of the typical all out atv cavalcade.
Once the network is in place, Cook County residents should anticipate the county being promoted as a destination for atv enthusiasts for rallies, races, and rendezvous. Peace and quiet no more.
Are there good decent people who abide by the laws who ride atv's? Absolutely! And most atv'rs fall within that category. Does the atv enthusiast demographic contain more than its fair share of scofflaws with little regard for nature, their neighbors, or the quiet of the woods? Without a doubt.
The problem for atv'rs is that they are all tarred with the same brush. Experience has shown, however, that is because, even when they have the best of intentions, they've taken up a "sport" that invites the destruction of the north woods and the place it holds in the hearts of all of Minnesotans - a place that symbolizes peace, quiet, and the simple enjoyment of nature. Most may abide by all the rules, but until they get serious about getting rid of the bad apples, and until the manufacturers stop promoting speed and the tearing up the land (just look at the ads and the billboards), until they themselves start redressing the damage they have done, and until they start, as a group, showing respect for others, the best that can be said for the "good", is that they do less damage than the bad. The atv ethic not only tolerates, but encourages, in too many cases, the destruction of the land and the disruption of what should be the natural peace of the forest.
In view of the history of the whole of them, it is unconscionable to even consider allowing atv'rs the unfettered privilege to travel the county roads. It will likely lead to a vast, interconnected trail system that will end the peace of the woods as we now know it.
Regrettably, our politicians at the Cook County Board are likely to roll over once again, and the atv'rs will, in turn, simply roll over the whole of Cook County. Like spoiled children the atv'rs want it all; and like weak and spineless parents, the county board is likely to give in to them, thinking that will satisfy their greed. We all know it won't; they will be back for more and more.
It used to be said that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In this case its likely to be the whiners get the woods.
True
Of late, Minnesota, especially all across the northern part of the state, has seen unrelenting pressure from atv'rs and snowmobilers for trails, regardless of the impact they may have on the environment or on those who want to enjoy the simple pleasures of a quiet forest. The motor sports enthusiasts are quickly outraged if they do not get their way. They have made clear what they want - unrestricted riding privileges. Those of us who are not motor sports enthusiasts, the acknowledged majority of Minnesotans, are just as clear in what we want - the quiet enjoyment of the forest.
If a peaceful North Shore and Cook County seems to be what the county's and Minnesota's quiet majority wants; why can't they get it? Mainly because of the political clout the motor sports side has, disproportionate to their numbers. It is much easier to organize those in favor of a special interest, no matter how obnoxious most of the world finds it, than it is to build a coalition of disparate people who may not otherwise be natural allies to oppose it. When you add to the mix an industry with deep pockets - the atv and snowmobile manufacturers - it is an uphill struggle for the opponents.
The real problem with the atv'rs demands for unlimited riding on county roads is that it is a major step in the industry's push to link together a vast network of legal and illegal trails across the state. Right now, in Cook County, there are numerous logging trails that atvs can legally travel. Often, however, they are not linked. The county road system provides that connection. The end result will be a system of trails that allow atv users to assault the senses of all who do not share their desire for noise and destruction of the north woods quiet. The north woods experience will soon come to mean an incessant undercurrent of whining engines or the roar of the typical all out atv cavalcade.
Once the network is in place, Cook County residents should anticipate the county being promoted as a destination for atv enthusiasts for rallies, races, and rendezvous. Peace and quiet no more.
Are there good decent people who abide by the laws who ride atv's? Absolutely! And most atv'rs fall within that category. Does the atv enthusiast demographic contain more than its fair share of scofflaws with little regard for nature, their neighbors, or the quiet of the woods? Without a doubt.
The problem for atv'rs is that they are all tarred with the same brush. Experience has shown, however, that is because, even when they have the best of intentions, they've taken up a "sport" that invites the destruction of the north woods and the place it holds in the hearts of all of Minnesotans - a place that symbolizes peace, quiet, and the simple enjoyment of nature. Most may abide by all the rules, but until they get serious about getting rid of the bad apples, and until the manufacturers stop promoting speed and the tearing up the land (just look at the ads and the billboards), until they themselves start redressing the damage they have done, and until they start, as a group, showing respect for others, the best that can be said for the "good", is that they do less damage than the bad. The atv ethic not only tolerates, but encourages, in too many cases, the destruction of the land and the disruption of what should be the natural peace of the forest.
In view of the history of the whole of them, it is unconscionable to even consider allowing atv'rs the unfettered privilege to travel the county roads. It will likely lead to a vast, interconnected trail system that will end the peace of the woods as we now know it.
Regrettably, our politicians at the Cook County Board are likely to roll over once again, and the atv'rs will, in turn, simply roll over the whole of Cook County. Like spoiled children the atv'rs want it all; and like weak and spineless parents, the county board is likely to give in to them, thinking that will satisfy their greed. We all know it won't; they will be back for more and more.
It used to be said that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In this case its likely to be the whiners get the woods.
True
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Funding Snowmobile Clubs is Good!
Dear True,
Thank you for bring the issue of funding snowmobile trails in Minnesota to the attention of your readers. This is an important issue that goes to the heart of how we fund outdoor recreation, how we should all work to get along, and even what Minnesota is all about. It was good to read a balanced presentation of the facts.
Snowmobiling is a wonderful sport that brings families together to enjoy our north woods and as a bonus boosts the economy of out state Minnesota. It deserves the full support of all politicians and citizens in the state. The taxpayer supported program is unique, but well deserved, in that it allocates a portion of the state gas taxes we snowmobilers pay to support our sport. Those dollars, in turn, are spent on equipment to maintain the trails snowmobilers ride on in the winter and hikers and horseback riders enjoy in the summer. It is a very fair balance. The public needs to remember that snowmobilers are not necessarily atv riders and that atvs are generally prohibited from riding snowmobile trails, as many snowmobilers prefer.
There are those who complain about the special treatment and misuse of tax dollars by snowmobile clubs, but outright misuse has been rare, and the special treatment is no different that the DNR using fishing license fees to support fishing. The only thing unique about this situation is that the clubs use volunteer time to maintain the trails and equipment they use to keep them packed and open. The state highways, on the other hand, get state gas tax dollars, but you don’t see volunteers out patching pot holes.
It is well worth the investment of gas tax dollars to help volunteers keep these trails open and welcoming to sledders.
Thanks again!
Now, if we only had some snow.
R. S. Nelson
Minneapolis
Thank you for bring the issue of funding snowmobile trails in Minnesota to the attention of your readers. This is an important issue that goes to the heart of how we fund outdoor recreation, how we should all work to get along, and even what Minnesota is all about. It was good to read a balanced presentation of the facts.
Snowmobiling is a wonderful sport that brings families together to enjoy our north woods and as a bonus boosts the economy of out state Minnesota. It deserves the full support of all politicians and citizens in the state. The taxpayer supported program is unique, but well deserved, in that it allocates a portion of the state gas taxes we snowmobilers pay to support our sport. Those dollars, in turn, are spent on equipment to maintain the trails snowmobilers ride on in the winter and hikers and horseback riders enjoy in the summer. It is a very fair balance. The public needs to remember that snowmobilers are not necessarily atv riders and that atvs are generally prohibited from riding snowmobile trails, as many snowmobilers prefer.
There are those who complain about the special treatment and misuse of tax dollars by snowmobile clubs, but outright misuse has been rare, and the special treatment is no different that the DNR using fishing license fees to support fishing. The only thing unique about this situation is that the clubs use volunteer time to maintain the trails and equipment they use to keep them packed and open. The state highways, on the other hand, get state gas tax dollars, but you don’t see volunteers out patching pot holes.
It is well worth the investment of gas tax dollars to help volunteers keep these trails open and welcoming to sledders.
Thanks again!
Now, if we only had some snow.
R. S. Nelson
Minneapolis
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