Riders rev up support for ORV parks at rally
Reported proposal to sell county riding area upsets supporters

CHESTER ALLEN

THE OLYMPIAN

Hundreds of off-road vehicle users gathered on the Capitol steps Friday to protest the closure of ORV parks -- and to demonstrate their political horsepower.

Waving signs that read, "ORV recreation is not a crime," "Open off-road vehicle areas = Quiet neighborhoods" and "Do you have any idea how much we spend on this sport? Just ask," the protesters cheered speakers who demanded the reopening of Thurston County's ORV park and the creation of many more places to operate their motorcycles, jeeps, trucks and other vehicles.
Tory Briggs, a Snohomish-based leader in the Northwest Motorcycle Association, got big cheers when he called for new ORV parks, access to hundreds of miles of roads on National Forest land and loop roads that go deep into the backcountry.

"We need to drive in to experience the solitude of the backcountry," Briggs said to cheers that echoed off the state Supreme Court building.

Monte McGrath, a 15-year-old ninth-grader at Columbia Junior High School in Fife, said the 2002 closure of Thurston County's ORV park has forced riders to jam into other areas, such as Tahuya State Forest near Belfair.

The number of riders is increasing, but there are fewer places to ride, McGrath said.

"It gets too crowded," McGrath said after talking to the crowd. "We have to ride side trails to avoid crashes.

"We have to open up Thurston County again," McGrath said. "We can make that ORV park work up there without hurting anything."

Sale of ORV park

But state Sen. Karen Fraser said the Senate Democrats' budget proposal, which they'll give Monday, will call for the sale of the Thurston ORV park.

"The money would go to the state ORV fund," Fraser said.

Speakers blasted the Thurston County Democrat.

Briggs said Fraser wants to raid the state ORV fund of $1.6 million so Thurston County won't have to repay the state Interagency Committee on Outdoor Recreation.

The committee gave Thurston County an estimated $1.6 million to build and maintain the park, and it wants Thurston County to reopen the park or pay the money back. It has sued Thurston County for the money.

The county closed the park in 2002, after two people died and 33 people were seriously injured during the last two years it was open.

The park had 33,000 users in 2002.

Briggs said other sports in other parks have much higher rates of injury.

Fraser said ORV users have a distorted notion of what she's proposing.

She said she's asked the state Department of Natural Resources, State Parks and the Interagency Committee on Outdoor Recreation to reopen and run the park.

"They all said no," Fraser said. "They don't want the liability."

But the Interagency Committee still is suing the county, which makes no sense at all, Fraser said.

Political muscle

Stuart Ross of Olympia went to Friday's rally in hopes of giving ORV riders more political muscle -- and to get the Thurston County ORV park open again.

"The ORV park was a nice place," Ross said. "Basically, this is wholesome family recreation."

Jim Boltz, director of the Washington State Motorsports Dealers Association, said 254 businesses cater to ORV users, and they have a $170 million yearly payroll.

Motorcyclists alone spend $524 million a year, Boltz said.

State Rep. Cary Condotta, a Wenatchee Republican and owner of an ORV business, told the crowd that the rally was just the beginning.

"This is what it's all about, folks," Condotta said. "We've got to get organized."

Chester Allen is outdoors reporter for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-4226 or crallen@ olympia.gannett.com.

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thanks for posting this. I was there... it was great to see so many peopl there. the streets were gridlocked with rigs.... trucks, trailers, RVs, bikes... i really hope they get thier stuff figured out, we need it.