I’ve been reading most of the boards and posts this last month and doing some research on a few of the issues that are topics of the day(s). The one issue that seems to stand out during this election year is the use of land, development of land and most importantly, use of public lands. I had never realized that land was going to be an issue in ATV usage. I thought I could just buy an ATV and cruise until the tires went flat. I’d never heard of anti-ATV, park restrictions, closings, taking roads out of forests, posted and non-posted lands. Hell, you have to have a complete background in land before you say something so you won’t offend someone or someone’s right to protest. It’s truly been an awaking, enough to join some clubs and become part of the blue ribbon voice and find out who stands for what in the upcoming elections. This huge fear has been realized now because we may be loosing a great commodity in which we as riders and taxpayers have had all along.

Off-road users, and other non-streamlined sports have never been taken seriously. When we get on our machine of choice, all the cares in the world go away. That’s good because that’s what we like to do and it fills our “fun tank” for another week or so. It’s extremely bad because we’ve made someone mad enough over time to complain, write, and protest the current usage of public land as well as trail usage. We go home happy, they go home mad, and it’s a true fact, “You get more done being mad and fighting, then being happy and content. People, this is why one of the last freedoms of public land are being taken away. Trails are easy to shut down, when the right groups raise money and protest. Yet, trails are the least land damaging events happening to our public lands, research and you’ll see for yourself. It’s easy to get on the Environment Ban Wagon and shut down public land usage, there’s a group in every school and college. It’s a little harder to shut down moneymaking projects and development, because you’re dealing with economics of a nation, not joy riders and weekenders. It’s only natural for organized environmental groups to claim easy victory by picking on the weak and unorganized instead of the major organizations running bad land issues in this country. Public land issues are a big deal.

In order to keep and increase our riding privileges as riders we may have to loose some privileges before we really begin taking public land issues seriously. Maybe by having Gore elected and restrictions put in place on public land, Gore himself will wake up the off-road riding public. Maybe if a few areas of the country begin to crack down on our sports or riding becomes outlawed along with other items on the Gore agenda, we’ll get increased involvement and voice where it counts in the future. It’s when things get bad, people vote. Right now, the freedom of riding is really not that bad from where I live and work (Minnesota/Wisconsin) and not a major threat to most of us. Lot’s of trails, lots of involvement and people like the northland. It could get worst if we choose not to monitor our politicians and their voting powers. I know it will be better if we take notice of public land issues now.

It’s not just an ATV thing, it’s actually a “Public land usage with recreational vehicles” thing. Anybody in the woods or in the water will be affected in the coming years. Public land usage by all and equal is the true issue. When I was twenty years younger I would run the forest roads and trails on foot. Snowmobile on occasion and now ATV in my 40’s. I’ll probably be riding something later in life as well and I want the privilege protected and provided. Please vote correctly.

 

No problem here, didn't watch the second debate. There was no need to, I am voting for Bush, plain & simple.

 

Fishbones I didn t notice in the past how quickly they were sneaking up on us .It actually looks like they'll try to comepletely ban us from ANY national forest then go thru us state by state to get the state parks and land some of which are just opening !SCARY S@%^& !

 

Very well stated fishbones, I'm voting Bush.

 

I'm voting for Bush too. I don't think he is the best person we could put in right now, but he is much better than ANY Democrat. The concerns of atv riders are just the tip of the iceberg. The Liberal government is taking freedoms from us little by little everyday. I believe EVERY taxpayer has a right to enjoy all of our beautiful national forests. As long as riders are respectful and don't litter, I see nothing wrong with riding in national forests. The impact to wildlife would be minimal. Just remember when you vote to look at all the issues, not just which one wants atvs outlawed. Vote for the ones who want to give all law-abiding citizens more freedom in every part of their lives. We have too much government involvement in our lives already. Let's keep our great country FREE!

LATER

 

BUSH HAS MY VOTE!!!!..NOW IF ONLY WE COULD GET THE IMMIGRANT PROBLEM OUT OF THE WAY NEXT!!...THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND IF I SEE ONE ON A QUAD IM GONNA LOSE MY DOME!!!!



01 RAPTOR

 

and just think, 99% of the IMMIGRANT'S vote for liberals

 

I can remember in the mid-80s us riders got caught napping, mainly because we were not organized and did not have the internet to spread the word. Next thing we knew the government declared that 3 wheelers were too dangerous for us citizens and therefore were outlawed for further production. Who led the charge in Congress to protect us simple-minded atv'ers from ourselves? That's right, Al Gore.