Here's an update from Minnesota ATVAM on legislation that will remove your ability to ride in ditches unless some kind hearted county goes through the legislative process to open said ditches. There's much more in the bill. Bottom line, get writing and calling your Minnesota legislators. See the list below. Cut and paste into Outlook and let them know what you think. Even if you are not a Minnesota resident, we need your help as a potential visitor.

SF 850 Passes Senate Policy Committee - Not a Compromise Bill
Senate File 850, authored by Sen. John Marty, chair of the Senate Environment Policy Committee, passed out of the senate committee late Monday night by voice vote after 6 hours of testimony and bill mark-up.

This Bill was NOT a compromise as portrayed in some of the newspapers. We took a bad piece of legislation and attempted to make it into a better bill before it moved out of the committee. We accomplished some of that, but it is still a bill with many provisions we cannot support.

SF 850 will dramatically change the way ATV’s can operate on public lands if it were to pass intact. Fortunately, helping to counter SF 850, the House Environment Policy Committee last week passed and sent to Environment Finance HF 1077 authored by Rep. Tom Hackbarth, the bill supported by ATVAM and other OHV'ers.

Our assumption is that both bills, after consideration by their finance committees, will be put into the respective bodies’ Environment Finance bills and a conference committee will decide the final outcome of the legislation.

SF 850’s major provisions include a closed unless posted open policy for all state lands, closing ditch riding to ATVs, but allowing the local counties to open them back up if they so desire, and the establishment of a separate "damage fund" from a surcharge on OHV registrations to pay for the "damage".

An important section of the bill that ATVAM and other OHV groups pushed for include a guarantee of 1,500 miles of additional OHV designed trails in state forest over the next 3 years. This is the minimum number of miles and the environmental reviews will take place after the trails are on the ground.

We were able to move to amend the "closed unless open" policy effective date from Jan. 1, 2004 to October 1, 2005. We will obviously fight this broad anti-access policy in the conference committee and attempt to limit it to a forest by forest closure consideration as envisioned by the forest classification rules once the forest has the OHV trails established.

Other burdensome provisions in the bill call for: a toll free hot-line to be available 24 hours a day to report ATV damage and violations. An OHV training certificate program requiring posting of rules decal on ATV. Stiffer penalties for OHV damage to property or threats to landowners. 6" x 12" plates on front and rear of ATV.

Several other negative provisions.

Other parts of the bill that OHV groups pushed for include: The establishment of a new Safety &Conservation Program whereby volunteers can go out and help monitor designated trails to help improve and maintain trails in state forest lands and other public lands. OHM expanded registration.

Funding for local enforcement efforts. Additional funding for trail development specialist. Additional funding to complete the Virginia part of the Iron Range OH

Recreation Area.

It is more important than ever that you contact your local legislator and express support for HF 1077. We need to let our legislators know that we support HF 1077 and the impact of some of the provisions in SF850.

District Finder: http://maps.commissions.leg.state.mn...ite/districts/

House &Senate Membership: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legdir.asp

List of all Minnesota Senators and House members.
'rep.connie.bernardy@house.mn'; 'sen.leroy.stumpf@senate.mn'; 'sen.rod.skoe@senate.mn'; 'sen.tom.saxhaug@senate.mn'; 'sen.carrie.ruud@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.tomassoni@senate.mn'; 'sen.tom.bakk@senate.mn'; 'sen.yvonne.prettner_solon@senate.mn'; 'sen.becky.lourey@senate.mn'; 'sen.keith.langseth@senate.mn'; 'sen.cal.larson@senate.mn'; 'sen.paul.koering@senate.mn'; 'sen.dean.johnson@senate.mn'; 'sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn'; 'sen.dave.kleis@senate.mn'; 'sen.betsy.wergin@senate.mn'; 'sen.sean.nienow@senate.mn'; 'sen.steve.dille@senate.mn'; 'sen.mark.ourada@senate.mn'; 'sen.gary.kubly@senate.mn'; 'sen.dennis.frederickson@senate.mn'; 'sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn'; 'sen.thomas.neuville@senate.mn'; 'sen.dick.day@senate.mn'; 'sen.daniel.sparks@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.senjem@senate.mn'; 'sen.sheila.kiscaden@senate.mn'; 'sen.bob.kierlin@senate.mn'; 'sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn'; 'sen.gen.olson@senate.mn'; 'sen.julianne.ortman@senate.mn'; 'sen.claire.robling@senate.mn'; 'sen.pat.pariseau@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.knutson@senate.mn'; 'sen.mike.mcginn@senate.mn'; 'sen.jim.metzen@senate.mn'; 'sen.bill.belanger@senate.mn'; 'sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.hann@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.gaither@senate.mn'; 'sen.steve.kelley@senate.mn'; 'sen.ann.rest@senate.mn'; 'sen.linda.scheid@senate.mn'; 'sen.leo.foley@senate.mn'; 'sen.michael.jungbauer@senate.mn'; 'sen.debbie.johnson@senate.mn'; 'sen.satveer.chaudhary@senate.mn'; 'sen.don.betzold@senate.mn'; 'sen.michele.bachmann@senate.mn'; 'sen.mady.reiter@senate.mn'; 'sen.john.marty@senate.mn'; 'sen.chuck.wiger@senate.mn'; 'sen.brian.leclair@senate.mn'; 'sen.sharon.marko@senate.mn'; 'sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn'; 'sen.larry.pogemiller@senate.mn'; 'sen.scott.dibble@senate.mn'; 'sen.wes.skoglund@senate.mn'; 'sen.jane.ranum@senate.mn'; 'sen.richard.cohen@senate.mn'; 'sen.mee.moua@senate.mn'; 'rep.jim.abeler@house.mn'; 'rep.ron.abrams@house.mn'; 'rep.peter.adolphson@house.mn'; robin larson; 'rep.jeff.anderson@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.atkins@house.mn'; 'rep.mike.beard@house.mn'; 'rep.connie.bernardy@house.mn'; 'rep.len.biernat@house.mn'; 'rep.greg.blaine@house.mn'; 'rep.dick.borrell@house.mn'; 'rep.lynda.boudreau@house.mn'; 'rep.fran.bradley@house.mn'; 'rep.laura.brod@house.mn'; 'rep.mark.buesgens@house.mn'; 'rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn'; 'rep.karen.clark@house.mn'; 'rep.tony.cornish@house.mn'; 'rep.ray.***@house.mn'; 'rep.greg.davids@house.mn'; 'rep.jim.davnie@house.mn'; 'rep.chris.delaforest@house.mn'; 'rep.randy.demmer@house.mn'; 'rep.jerry.dempsey@house.mn'; 'rep.david.dill@house.mn'; 'rep.dan.dorman@house.mn'; 'rep.john.dorn@house.mn'; 'rep.rob.eastlund@house.mn'; 'rep.kent.eken@house.mn'; 'rep.keith.ellison@house.mn'; 'rep.matt.entenza@house.mn'; 'rep.ron.erhardt@house.mn'; 'rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn'; 'rep.brad.finstad@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.fuller@house.mn'; 'rep.chris.gerlach@house.mn'; 'rep.barb.goodwin@house.mn'; 'rep.mindy.greiling@house.mn'; 'rep.bob.gunther@house.mn'; 'rep.bill.haas@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn'; 'rep.elaine.harder@house.mn'; 'rep.alice.hausman@house.mn'; 'rep.bud.heidgerken@house.mn'; 'rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn'; 'rep.bill.hilty@house.mn'; 'rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn'; 'rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn'; 'rep.larry.howes@house.mn'; 'rep.thomas.huntley@house.mn'; 'rep.carl.jacobson@house.mn'; 'rep.mike.jaros@house.mn'; 'rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn'; 'rep.jeff.johnson@house.mn'; 'rep.al.juhnke@house.mn'; 'rep.phyllis.kahn@house.mn'; 'rep.margaret.kelliher@house.mn'; 'rep.tony.kielkucki@house.mn'; 'rep.karen.klinzing@house.mn'; 'rep.jim.knoblach@house.mn'; 'rep.lyle.koenen@house.mn'; 'rep.paul.kohls@house.mn'; 'rep.phil.krinkie@house.mn'; 'rep.william.kuisle@house.mn'; 'rep.morrie.lanning@house.mn'; 'rep.dan.larson@house.mn'; 'rep.ron.latz@house.mn'; 'rep.ann.lenczewski@house.mn'; 'rep.john.lesch@house.mn'; 'rep.bernie.lieder@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.lindgren@house.mn'; 'rep.arlon.lindner@house.mn'; 'rep.eric.lipman@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.magnus@house.mn'; 'rep.tim.mahoney@house.mn'; 'rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn'; 'rep.paul.marquart@house.mn'; 'rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.meslow@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.mullery@house.mn'; 'rep.mary.murphy@house.mn'; 'rep.michael.nelson@house.mn'; 'rep.carla.nelson@house.mn'; 'rep.peter.nelson@house.mn'; 'rep.bud.nornes@house.mn'; 'rep.stephanie.olsen@house.mn'; 'rep.mark.olson@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.opatz@house.mn'; 'rep.lynne.osterman@house.mn'; 'rep.maryellen.otremba@house.mn'; 'rep.rebecca.otto@house.mn'; 'rep.dennis.ozment@house.mn'; 'rep.erik.paulsen@house.mn'; 'rep.michael.paymar@house.mn'; 'rep.gene.pelowski@house.mn'; 'rep.maxine.penas@house.mn'; 'rep.aaron.peterson@house.mn'; 'rep.duke.powell@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.pugh@house.mn'; 'rep.jim.rhodes@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.rukavina@house.mn'; 'rep.connie.ruth@house.mn'; 'rep.char.samuelson@house.mn'; 'rep.alice.seagren@house.mn'; 'rep.marty.seifert@house.mn'; 'rep.tony.sertich@house.mn'; 'rep.dan.severson@house.mn'; 'rep.katie.sieben@house.mn'; 'rep.dean.simpson@house.mn'; 'rep.nora.slawik@house.mn'; 'rep.steve.smith@house.mn'; 'rep.judy.soderstrom@house.mn'; 'rep.loren.solberg@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.stang@house.mn'; 'rep.steve.strachan@house.mn'; 'rep.steve.sviggum@house.mn'; 'rep.howard.swenson@house.mn'; 'rep.barb.sykora@house.mn'; 'rep.cy.thao@house.mn'; 'rep.paul.thissen@house.mn'; 'rep.kathy.tingelstad@house.mn'; 'rep.dean.urdahl@house.mn'; 'rep.ray.vandeveer@house.mn'; 'rep.jean.wagenius@house.mn'; 'rep.neva.walker@house.mn'; 'rep.dale.walz@house.mn'; 'rep.lynn.wardlow@house.mn'; 'rep.scott.wasiluk@house.mn'; 'rep.andy.westerberg@house.mn'; 'rep.torrey.westrom@house.mn'; 'rep.tim.wilkin@house.mn'; 'rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn'; 'rep.mike.beard@house.mn'Link to the e-mail list.

 

I understand that would be frustrating. I would also think that if SF850 passed types like that would sneak to the ditches and onto your property anyway. Heck, even though no riding is allowed in the ag zone now I see DNR reports of activity and enforcement. Its kind of like the gun debate. The criminals are going to do the wrong thing anyway. Why punish those who stay in the ditch.

John

 

Be careful what you wish for,you might just get it! Unless you have a lot of land to use, be prepared to drive a lot to be able to ride. It isn't going to stop at just ditches. Some of the more populated counties are starting to go after riders even on private property using new noise and even DUST ordinances. If you think I am kidding check out what is going on in Sherburne county. Don't be one of those "can't happen to me guys." Complacency will get you every time! If the anti ATV groups get what they want you will have a fraction of what is currently available now. If you have been at the capital as much as I have lately you would find it pretty unsettling just to think about it. They keep going and going and have no intention of stopping. They don't think like rational people.
I sympathize with you about your land. I don't condone what is happening for sure, but I disagree with your idea to fix it! There are already laws in place to allow you to protect your property. Make sure it is properly posted, and call and report trespassers and (illegal ditch riders) every time you have a problem. Nothing will work better than a hit in the wallet to wake up those responsible. Closing down ditches statewide to everyone just because someone might trespass on your land is selfish, and hurts law abiding riders more than anyone. I don't care to ride ditches as a rule either, but I do use them up north when hunting to access my hunting area. Think about your fellow riders, what you say, and the future consequences of it. Also, I can guarantee your tastes in riding will change over time. I used to be into your kind of riding too. Trust me ...the body wont last forever. Don't be surprised if you start hearing people say "close the sand pits down, the noise is annoying and the dust causes a total mess! Fricken hot rod guys on noisy quads sneek down to the pit and distroy the land." My bet is that it is already being considered.

Now.....sorry for the lecture.... I don't mean to attack you personally. I have been at this a long time and it's a hot topic for me!

Let's ride!

 

I understand your problem BartlettRacing, but no matter how bad you want it, the ditch is not yours. It is county property, and the law states that an atv can ride there in the correct parts of the year.
I put most of this on the manufacturers and dealers. They sell the machines and make money on them. They should fight for us to have a place to ride. They have the dollars and the info to do it for us, and I'm sure the public riders will stand behind them.

The same thing is happening with the hunting areas. Too many people and not enough land. The public hunting areas get so over hunted, there is nothing left. I have my own land to hunt and ride on, but not everyone has the money now days to buy land for that purpose.
I agree, the bad apples always make it worse for everyone else. Yesterday, a dirt bike and two atv's came screaming down my road on the shoulder. This is what makes us look bad, although I have seen snowmobiles do the same thing. I also saw 3 road bikes side by side yesterday driving down one lane on highway 95. Some people just can't follow the rules and be respectful. This will always be, and nobody can change it.

 

Without a 180 degree change this is about fighting a un-winable battle. This is about a number of ATV drivers tearing the hell out of forests and parks, ditches, fields and trails with indiscriminant and intentional damage. This is also about damaging private property. Given the current trends, we to will all end up riding on a 10 acre plot previously known as the city dump. Don't believe me? Visit Waterloo Iowa.

Seldom do I ride a public trail system where I don't witness one or more and sometime several people off-trail ripping the snot out of some area or another. If the ATV riders didn’t leave such a rutted out mess behind them, there wouldn’t be any evidence to point at. Defoliated hillsides and fields, ditches along otherwise scenic highways that are turned into mud pits, and baseball and football fields torn to shreds give valid cause to complaints - one picture still says a thousand words.

In the military you learn on day one – there are two kinds of disciplines – one that is imposed, the other is self – when you have self discipline, the imposed disciplines are less needed.

Last year the Gilbert ATV convention and OHV park ride was a perfect example. In 3 days the trails and ditches between the campground, park and convention center looked as if a convoy of bulldozers had gone through. It wasn’t pretty. The mud in the roads at the trail crossing was enough to create a traffic hazard, not to mention an ugly mess. I question how long even a economically suffocating economy like the Gilbert area will tolerate the mess and damage before they too choose to pass on welcoming us back. And this doesn't even begin to address the moronic behavior that runs rampant in this sport. The cookies in the baseball field just about got us all thrown out of the city and nobody was impressed with the idiots using the sanitary dump station to wash their quads - leaving a plugged up mess and a half a ton of mud and grass for someone else to clean up - as an example.

No, I think the days of ignoring the opposition are over. Continuing in denying their complaints – with pictures is tantamount to the story of the Emperors New Cloths. We can't keep walking down the street naked and assume everyone doesn’t see the problem with our denial. They do see it. And they vote - they make phone calls - they assemble – they contribute money and in just about every way – they out class us with tangible evidence that we deny.

If we want to win this battle - we need to engage the enemy. But I don't believe the enemy is the environmentalists or the politicians - the enemy is the mess we leave behind us. The enemy is the bone heads that think ripping the snot out of everything is fun - the enemy are the riders that cause what looks like environmental damage that brings the negative attention and evidence of it to our sport.

Maybe rather then fight - we need to support laws that impose the self disciplines that are missing! Do we need to impose higher age limits for ATV riders to actually do something about the problem? Do we need a requirement for a drivers licenses or motorcycle endorsement? Should we support a requirement for proof of liability insurance? What will it take to address the real enemy? When will we realize that we don't have any cloths on? I personally don’t think that more trails will reduce the problem – maybe spread it out over a larger area, but not fix it. I want more trails – don’t get me wrong – but Wisconsin has a lot more trails and they have the same problems we have.

I can't do much about the bone head adolescent who’s greatest achievement in life will be their drivers license, or the moronic juvenile boys who will likely not graduate from high school- But I can do something - I can quit pretending that its not a problem that needs to be fixed.

 

I can agree with those on the ditch riding. I think there is a place to do that style of riding and it isn't the ditches. I admit I went on the 169 ditch in March but that is my first and last time going there. I do ride the ditches along Hwy. 10 towards Becker but that is very dry riding. It is nice to be able to go out for a quick ride to relax. The main problem is we have to police ourselves. Hold ourselves and other riders to higher standards. Stop other riders if you see them breaking the laws and turn them in, try talking to them first. As an example, I am an avid snowmobiler as well and live on a street that is a main access point to a lake therefore we get alot of snowmobile traffic. I have stopped snowmobilers on my street and yelled at them for speeding. For some reason they feel they can rip up and down the streets paying no attention to the speed limits. The people I have stopped probably thought I was some anti-snowmobiler but quite the opposite. It is fools like them that ruin it for the majority that do the legal and common sense ways. My point being is that there will be idiots everywhere but we need to jump in as much as possible and try to get them to stop ruining it for everyone or it will come to the point of only OHV parks and private property. There is a time and place for everything, I just hope there always will be.

BartlettRacing - My Dad owns land in WI and has had a camera hooked to a tree as a bird house with a movement sensor. Using it to catch wildlife photos however we have also caught ATVer's on private posted property. You may want to try something like that and try to find these violators and get them brought to justice. I think I may start up a most wanted board and post pictures of them, but my Dad didn't want to since some jerks already broke into his shed up there.

Maybe we should have most wanted website and post pics of violators if we have them. Not sure if that is all and good but may be something worth checking out. Closing down everything makes no difference to the criminals already doing most of the time it seems.

Stop the idiots within our sport to help save it. If you are one of these idiots then STOP!!!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

 

TREAD LIGHTLY

Those two words mean a lot when riding. You don't need the big mud tires in the road ditches. Or anything with an aggresive tread pattern. Don't spin the tires and take it easy over land that is near a residence. Also if the road ditches are wet Stay out of them. That is when the most damage is done.

Why punish the people that respect other peoples property and conduct themselves in a responsilbe manner. There are laws already intact, they just need to be enforced. Closing the road ditches to all ATV's isn't going to change anything, because the people that are recking it for the responsible riders are still going to do it.

If the road ditches do end up closing, my z400 will be for sale. I don't have time to take it 2-3 hours up north to be able to ride it.

 

lots of good info here.

Bartlett,

I say take it to those who are trespassing on your land. Make them pay for it. Nail them for trespassing like Trailboss mentioned. A couple years ago, I saw a sheriff sitting infront of the KOA campground by Jordan just waiting for an oncoming DS in the ditch with 2 people (no helmets) and if I remember correctly, it was during the period when ditches are off limits. This is an example of what we have to overcome as ATV enthusiasts. This is an image that goes out to the 82% of Minnesotans that don't have a registered ATV and turns them into anti's.

I don't feel however, that the 4x4 machines should bear most of the blame. They may be the ones in your area that cause the majority of the damage. But on my commute home every day past this area, I see an equal amount of sport and utility machines. In the right circumstances, the Raptor that thinks it's a jet will do it's share of damage. Do note that this is only my .02 and is in no way intended as a personal attack. I feel that everyone who enjoys ATV'ing is responsible for making this sport more acceptable in the public eye.

Lueker,

I'm with you. I too rely on some road ditches for riding. But now they are closed so I am forced to drive atleast 45 minutes to ride. The weekend before they were closed, I put on close to 70 miles in local ditches alone. Although they can be boring, it is somewhere to ride when there is nothing else.

What has me ticked off is the area up by Princeton where the ditch had some significant ruts in it from ATV "riders". I say "riders" because they are the ones in control of the machine. The state fixed the ditch. The work was no more than done, and the morons were back out there again and tore it up. ARE THESE PEOPLE STUPID??? For crying out loud, if the state has to come in and fix an area, LEAVE IT THE "F***" ALONE!!!!!!!!!

It makes the rest of us who ride legally, look bad.

WhoDat,

As far as the Gilbert area, I would have to hold fault with ATVAM for not planning the event better. The spring convention at Isle a couple years ago had a place at McQuoids to spray the machines down. This could have been planned into the Gilbert convention as well. Now maybe that was something that was done by a private party in Isle, but it should have been a lesson learned.


In closing my time here on the soap box, I want to say to those in this thread, I have had the pleasure of riding with in the last couple years. I have enjoyed time on private land and the utmost in hospitality (you know who you are). Others, have been generous enough to grant permission to ride, (even though I rode a 4x4) in which I do appreciate. In some form or another, I have had the pleasure of being able to enjoy the comradery by meeting everyone on this forum. Everyone here is deserving of the highest respect. Lets put our knowledge and our ethics to use. If you see someone screw up out on the trails, let them know about it.

 

Thanks for the input all. Another point on the effect of SF850. While it may be a problem in the ditches in the metro and mid-metro areas. After riding WAY up north this weekend I realized that without ditches we wouldn't have been able to traverse from trail to trail. SF850 would make all ditch riding illegal unless the local city granted it. Now up north they may or may not grant it but for those hunters or riders who do travel 3+ hours to ride imagine not being able to legally ride in a ditch to switch trails. You want to see riders free ranging that would probably do the trick. Gotta think big picture when it come to this stuff. I'll be John Marty isn't.

 

Even if your not a ditch rider, check this out it affects everyone.

ATVAM Mailing List

WE MUST TAKE A STAND AGAINST THIS LEGISLATION. WE NEED YOU TO COME TO THE
CAPITOL ON TUESDAY, APR. 22ND TO GIVE SUPPORT TO OUR CAUSE. IF YOU ONLY
ATTEND ONE HEARING THIS YEAR - THIS IS IT!! IT IS NOW OR NEVER!

Negative Highlights of SF850 (1st Engrossment &Marty/Ruud Amendments
offered on 4/15/03)

Below are the elements of SF 850 that will have a negative or fatal effect
on ATV/OHM/ORV riding in Minnesota.

· 24/7 toll-free hotline. This will cost the accounts $196,000 the first
year and $120,000 annual operating cost. This is an expensive luxury that
is not needed!
· Certification (licensing) &Rules Decal &plates - Total cost of
$2,021,000 the first year &a $406,000 cost per year after that. This is an
expense that is totally unwarranted and a waste of our funds. The
Marty-Ruud Amendment calls for an additional $15 registration fee to pay for
this new licensing requirement.
· Marty-Ruud will move up the "closed unless posted open" restriction from
Oct. 2005 to Oct. 2004. This amendment, if adopted, will kill any ATV
legislation this year.
· Does not allow any new construction of grant-in-aid trails.
· Establishes an "OHV Damage Surcharge". The initial cash for this account
comes from the OHV dedicated trail accounts and is a raid on our accounts.
The Marty-Ruud amendment is asking for $1.2 million dollars from our
dedicated trail accounts to fund this so-called "damage". We still don't
know what they will be asking for as a "surcharge" on our registration fees
for this "damage account". This is another killer amendment.
· Civil Citation authority; This provision will cost our dedicated accounts
$532,000 per year, another unwarranted cost. These issues can be handled
just fine under the current trespass statutes without the need for wasting
these critical funds from our accounts. Just enforce the law as it stands
today!
· DNR is asking for another 8 conservation officers if this legislation
passes. That amounts to $958,000 the first year and $841,700 every year
thereafter. This additional expense even before we have an additional mile
of trail designated. Another unwarranted claim on our accounts.
· The Marty-Ruud amendment calls for an additional $5.8 million in funds
from our dedicated account to pay for their bill. That is $4.5 million from
the ATV account, $1 million from the ORV account, and $300,000 in the OHM
Account.
· This bill will eliminate ditch riding as we know it today. ATVAM was able
to modify the first Marty-Ruud amendment on 4/15 to ensure that the counties
can really make the decision to open the ditches back up to riding by the
county boards.

This legislation will do exactly what we have been saying all along the
anti-access crowd wants - a defacto ban of OHV riding is state forest lands.
By depleting our trail funds, our ability to build any real designated trail
system in Minnesota will be gone, along with our dreams of a statewide
designated trail system.

Come early enough so you can visit with your own legislator about this issue
and present your concerns first hand on SF 850.

The Senate Finance Committee will reconvene on Tuesday April 22, 2003 at
12:30 PM in Room 107 of the Capitol.

Dave Kryzer
ATVAM 1st Vice President


ATVAM's website www.atvam.org

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