Lawmakers in Minnesota want to pass a law which would make ALL ditch riding illegal unless a city specifically passes an ordinance allowing such riding. This will lead to inconsistant laws and much illegal off-ditch riding. Please e-mail our leaders and let them know you do not want such a law. Cut and paste the following e-mail addresses into your outlook to let them know how you feel.

STORY

Bill takes aim at ATV riding in ditches
Tom Meersman, Star Tribune

Published March 25, 2003 ATV25


All-terrain vehicles have caused widespread environmental damage in Minnesota's roadside ditches, prompting a bill that would give local governments greater authority to restrict such driving.

The measure was endorsed Monday by Donald Theisen, a Washington County engineer, who told the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee that 30 miles of county ditches are severely damaged by ruts and erosion.

Some repairs have cost $2,500 per mile, which was "like throwing money down a rathole" because the ditches were damaged again by ATVs within days, he said. "We literally couldn't take a photo of the finished repair in one place because the riders returned so fast."

Theisen said driveways also have been damaged. Some homeowners have erected plastic fences or other barricades to protect their property, creating unsafe riding conditions, he said.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, would ban ditch driving along rights of way unless approved by the local government that maintains the road.

Such driving is popular because ATV riders can leave their property without having to haul their vehicles to state trails. It is legal on many county and trunk highways, but not on the inside slope of ditches and not during certain months in agricultural areas.

Marty's proposal would establish a toll-free hot line to report damage from off-road vehicles, increase penalties for violations and reimburse local governments for repairs.

It would prohibit off-road driving on public land, except for about 1,000 miles of developed forest roads and for trails that have been designated for motorized use.

Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said more money is needed to enforce ATV laws and create dedicated trails. He has proposed such spending in a separate bill.

"ATVs are here to stay in Minnesota, and what we need to do for them is what we did for snowmobiles in the 1970s: Give them a place to ride," Bakk said.

In a separate bill favored by some off-road clubs, Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Thief River Falls, has proposed that most of the informal trails in state forests become official ATV trails by 2006.

ATV lobbyist Ray Bohn estimated that the bill would result in 1,500 to 2,000 miles of trails. It also would set up a system for riding club members to assist the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources by monitoring driver behavior and trail conditions.

Bohn and others criticized the Marty bill, which would keep ATVs largely on forest roads. He said ATV and dirt-bike enthusiasts need trails to enjoy their sport.

Environmentalists said ATVs damage public land, conflict with nonmotorized uses and trespass on private land.

Larry Wannebo, who lives about 30 miles north of Brainerd, said that driving on public land is a privilege, not a right, and that any trails earmarked for riding should be environmentally suitable.

"I don't think the answer is necessarily building more riding trails," he said. "What's needed is an attitude change by the drivers."

Dale LaRoche, a tree farmer in Isanti County, said 85 percent of his small trees have been damaged by ATV or snowmobile drivers in recent years. "If they want to drive that way, let them buy their own land," he said.

Tom Meersman is at meersman@startribune.com.


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