Lep7mm,

How does your group work with the cycle and sled clubs who traditionally don't want to widen or sufficiently maintain the trails for our use(cycle); or just plain don't want us on any part of their system(sleds) regardless of any pledge to restore them before winter?

How about the four-wheel drive groups that have totally different needs? Do the members of your club mingle regularly with the members of these other clubs so that the ideas you ALL come up with can be taken back to the different leaderships?

Sorry about all the questions: I'm just interested in how your club cooperates so well with all these people and would like to share this example with others over here.

Thanks for your help,

John
'00 SP500

 

Michimaniac,

we are a cycle and atv club. We also have some radar runs this weekend in conjuntion with a snowmobile club, weather permitting. I would like to see 4-wheel drive atv's atleast allowed on snowmobile trails also, but they don't allow that here in MN. Check out our site at Dirtriders.org .

 

I didn't have time post everything I wanted earlier. But one of the other things that we do, is we help out at different shows such as sports shows or conventions such as the grass drags or atv conventions to earn money for our club. We then will use the funds to help cover the cost of the lease or other expenses incurred while establising a trail. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the state has several million dollars available to cover the expenses, but we need the money up front and then turn our receipts or cancelled checks into the state. Another point I should have made is we started an account for the club to handle the funds. The state will then reimburse up to 85% if I'm not mistaken.

As far as cooperating with the other clubs, one thing we all need to understand is that we all have the desire to enjoy our privilege to "recreate" in the outdoors an can be stronger as a group by co-habitating and sharing responsibilities in maintaining the respect of the local residents and property owners. Whether it's a natural disaster such as tornadoes or floods, we can improve our image by coming to the aid of those in need. Even donating time to a food shelf is a good idea. It shows an image of our clubs as being good people that so many work so hard to achieve and so few to detroy. As you may have noticed, I have referred to our riding or driving as a privilege. It's not a right! By treating it as a privilege, we can show a better respect for those around us. By classifying it as a right, to me it sounds like, "I can do this no matter what and there's nothing you can do to stop me"! WRONG mentality to have.

JMHO. Ride on.

 

I think your comment about privelege rather than a right has been the single most common misconception that I've tried (rather unsuccessfully I might add) to convey to those that ride. Unbelievable that there are so many riders that believe their ORV STICKER MONEY should 'darn well' cover any OPINION they might have about the trail system because IN THEIR MIND it's the way 'it oughta be'. Question to non-involved rider: 'Well, would you like to join a club or help with trail maintenance as this is done by volunteers'? Answer: "WELL! What the heck is my sticker money being used for? I'm seriously starting to wonder if we need to start a volunteer campaign with 'cartoons' so as to explain these concepts and realities. Hate to admit it, but some of the responses I've received have somewhat jaded my perception of the average recreational rider (even throwing out those that just don't care).

But, as evidenced by your atv/cycle club, hope is not lost! I believe we may someday get to ride some of these sled trails if, again, two things happen: First and most important is slapping big 'ole numbers on the side of everything that moves and increasing the fines/penalties for those that as you mentioned 'do what they want'. Nobody should be penalized on second hand info from say, a tree hugger with a grudge. On the other hand, law enforcement has got to start getting a handle on who these people are and burning their butt enough so that they tell their fellow bad actors. One of these guys tearing up some of the private lands that these sleds ride on and the party's over.

Secondly, the clubs have got to better standardize and quantify their method of identifying problem areas in the PRESENT trail system to get a better overall view of how much they need to spend yearly. With today's technology, there's no reason this info can't be filed, referenced and updated as these problem areas don't go away. The only way a quad will ever be allowed down a sled trail is if the responsible party can be updated on what damage is being done and the users can budget for that work.



Gotta go,

John