This was in fridays paper.
whole story
ATV bill lets DNR decide where riders can go
A Minnesota House bill gives the Department of Natural Resources more discretion over where drivers of off-road machines, such as ATVs can go in state forests north of U.S. 2

 

Any way you can link it w/o having us have to sign up/log in? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Geez , I hate that crap too. I suppose i dont see it because i already have the cookie. Heres the story


ATV bill lets DNR decide where riders can range

BY DENNIS LIEN
Pioneer Press


Given the chance, would drivers of off-road vehicles power anywhere through state forests in northern Minnesota? Or would they stick to clearly established routes?

That debate, seemingly address- ed by the Legislature two years ago, is coming to a head again.

A Minnesota House bill gives the Department of Natural Resources more discretion over where drivers of off-road machines, such as all-terrain vehicles could go in state forests north of U.S. 2, in the northern quarter of the state. Depending on who's talking, that's either an enlightened choice or a recipe for disaster.

The legislation, contained in a larger environment bill that could be voted on as early as Monday, also could lead to ATVs on a popular state trail north of Lake Superior. It would increase fines for drivers who damage wetlands and funnel $200,000 a year to off-road clubs for enforcement and education purposes. Almost 224,000 ATVs were registered in the state last year.

Environmental groups oppose the legislation and argue it breaks a compromise reached in 2003 by lawmakers and Gov. Tim Pawlenty. But off-road groups support it and say they never agreed to any such deal.

"That's their little fantasy,' said Ray Bohn, a spokesman for several off-road organizations. "I don't remember compromising with them.'

"It's outrageous to claim there was not some kind of compromise,' said Matt Norton, a lawyer for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.

The two sides are equally combative over what off-road users do in northern forests when given some discretion.

Two years ago, most lawmakers were convinced that the vehicles were damaging forests and ordered the DNR to review 57 state forests and either close them to ATVs or confine them to posted trails. So far, only four of those efforts have been completed; another nine are pending.

Off-road enthusiasts, however, want to give the DNR commissioner authority to allow ATVs on all trails that aren't specifically closed. A bill sponsored by Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, would provide it. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Environmentalists said the bill would allow drivers to go on any path, however faint and however new. But Bohn didn't think they'd do that.

"I think that's just a theory,' Bohn said. "And I don't subscribe to that theory. Is it possible? I suppose it's possible. Is it probable? No. People stay on trails.'

"That's a joke,' Norton responded. "How does anyone think we got 7,000 miles of renegade user-created trails on state forestland? It's a naked assertion that flies in the face of all facts and common sense.'

"This bill basically allows off-highway vehicles to run roughshod through Minnesota state forests,' added Sean Wherley, communications director for Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

Bohn said a proposal to pay off-road clubs to help monitor ATV behavior and to educate drivers about rules is based on successful programs in Michigan and Wisconsin.

"This is an attempt to police ourselves,' Bohn said. "I think it is going to do more to help with what the problems are than anything we can do at the Capitol.'

Norton wasn't impressed.

"This takes us back to the bad old days, only worse, because now there are more machines out there,' he said.

No comparable legislation is moving in the Senate.

Earlier this year, a more restrictive bill sponsored by Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, was defeated in the committee that Marty chairs. Two bills favored by off-road users, meanwhile, never got a vote.

Observers, however, expect to see off-road amendments when a related bill reaches the Senate floor.

 

Thank you for your troubles. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

It is interesting that back there you seem to have a large amount of "state forests". Out here, there are HUGE amounts of federal land, and very little state land at all. (The state does run some very nice vehicular recreation areas however.) If you said "DNR" out here in the west, nobody would have any idea what you are talking about.

My sister lives in Wisconsin, and if they even traget shoot on their own land, the DNR is all over them like the Gestapo. I guess they are worried about poaching, but my impression is that they are very heavy handed.

 

Mn is mostly farm land in the south, and heavily wooded in the northeast. We have some federal land, like the superior national forest, but it seems like the majority of the public land is state owned.
We have out share of tree huggers, and they are vocal, but if the majority of the riders would only go where they belong, and not go boonie busting, they would calm down.
Actually in MN, the dnr is on our side...they want people to use the resources, however they want it done responsibly.

 

there are alot of state forrests up here and we are pretty heavily wooded and alot of farmland. i have seen very few renegade trails and have never seen it a problem. it is basically what has been said it is just environmentalists blowing things out of proportion and they sicken me. maybe in the cities i could see people who see pavement buildings and cars all day being environmentalists for future generations to enjoy and whatnot. but they get this idea put in their heads that we are a bunch of renegade riders which just plain isn't true. i can guarantee you that you would have to look awefully hard up here to find an environmentalist. everyone up here enjoys the outdoors and i guess in our own way are environmentalists but we take care of our forrests and land in our own way and time we don't sit down in the twin cities complaining about this stuff which we have no idea what it is about. i say let northern mn govern northern mn it is us that have to live here so they should leave us alone. and thank you for posting this article honda it is appreciated on my part to see what they have to say down there and it appears in alot of the articles that they favor atv's

 

What a load.

The truth is - The forests in northern MN have become "in your own way" the ever so prevalent low-rent trailer trash I'm not paying for rubbish removal garbage dumps. Sometimes I can't ride 5 miles without finding another pickup truck load of household garbage dumped out by the side of a trail or on the parameter road of just about any non-developed lake. Any marsh area path that will support a ATV above its fenders is mulched into swamp muck and anything that looks like a hill has been defoliated like a tanker truck of agent orange was dumped on it and it is eroded to beat heck with several two track ruts going up and back down it. Locals use the lakes and streams to wash the black swamp muck from their ATVs putting all that swamp mulch and crappola in the lakes and there seems to be some kind of contest of who can throw the gravel from every guys driveway the farthest. Instead of varying their path they choose to rut-up the ditches leaving them scared and eroded and god forbid there is a puddle of water or some Jr. future pillar of society will spend 6 hours going threw it over and over and over again. Oh – Did I mention the lack of mufflers? It doesn’t make anyone actually go measurably faster but half the juveniles on quads don’t seem to have one because it sounds like they are.

No brother - you can BS yourself or those who have not been out in the woods up there - but you can't BS those of us who have been up north and seen how some with the back-woods mentality manage things when "left alone". I guess if I wanted to live a life without rules for sanitation, environmental responsibility or any kind of unexamined lifestyle I would want to be left alone also. But that will never happen.

 

WhoDatInDaMud, Unfortunetly i can attest to what youre saying.
Why dont the environmentalists go after these people who just dump in the woods? Wouldnt this be a bigger problem than just people riding a quad or motorcycle?
Last time i was up there, my brother and i were riding out of hoyt lakes, and every spur and turn off and minor or major trail we took, was blocked by garbage, with in the first 50 feet. It was just disgusting. Then later on in the bar, all we heard was how the big city people are the ones who are ruining it for everyone. Unbelievable.

 

Becuase the same trailer trash hypocrates who are dumping thier garbage in the woods to save their money for beer are the ones complaining about the ATV' riders who pull their discarded bill collection letters from the bottom of those trash piles and present them to the local authorities. At least I do. There is a correlation between the ultra enviromentalist and those who think their garbage is someone elses problem.

I've filled roll-off dumpsters with the trash, matteresses and garbage from low-life pond scum-sucking pimple faced hat on backwards jerk baits who drive rusted out POS jacked up 4x4 trucks down ATV trails so they can haul their soon to be knocked-up 14 year old girl friends back into the woods for a little north woods hanky panky. And they don't even think twice about throwing their 3.2 beer bottles out into the lake or into the marsh that flows into it.

Somebody else will clean it up. Maybe them dammed city folks with all their fancy new trucks and rules and regulations can come up here and clean up after me.... ha ha ha ha

brings visions of "Deliverence" and other hillbilly scenes to mind doesn't it?