Keep off-road vehicles away from car and train traffic

Opinion from the Editor of the Courier-Post
Thursday, August 2, 2007

The tragic death of a young Hammonton girl reveals the need for vigilance by riders and more safe sites for ATVs.

The death of Gabrielle Campione is a tragic reminder of the need to use all-terrain vehicles well away from thoroughfares -- including rail lines.

Campione, 15, was killed Monday when a New Jersey Transit train hit an ATV stuck on the tracks.

Campione and eight friends were riding their ATVs in an isolated area off the White Horse Pike in Winslow. A friend's ATV became stuck on the rails and Campione was helping to get it free when a train on the Atlantic City line came around a bend. The engineer was unable to stop the train before it reached the ATV, an NJ Transit spokeswoman said. The flying ATV hit Campione, killing her.

It is unfortunate, sometimes tragically so, that the number of safe, recreational areas to ride ATVs lags behind the number of these vehicles sold. If skateparks can be built to keep skateboarders from putting themselves and others in harm's way on the roads, it would seem that ATV parks could be created in some of the bigger state and county parks to offer safe riding areas.

Of course, the dearth of off-road riding sites cannot justify anyone venturing into dangerous areas. Young people especially should be continually reminded to stay off roads and away from rail lines, regardless of where they are located. The danger is too great.

We offer our condolences to the Campione family and their friends, and urge other families to take heed. No family should have to experience what the Campiones are now going through.

Link to opinion from the Editor: http://www.courierpostonline.com

Send a letter to the Editor: lstrupczewski@courierpostonline.com

Teen killed in ATV accident recalled for helpful nature

By LEO STRUPCZEWSKI
Courier-Post Staff

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

HAMMONTON, NJ. - It was typical Gabrielle Campione, trying to help a friend.

But when a train rounded a bend in Winslow on Monday afternoon, that impulse proved deadly for the 15-year-old, officials said.

Campione and a friend were trying to free an all-terrain vehicle that had become stuck on railroad tracks when the train appeared, NJ Transit spokeswoman Courtney Carroll said Tuesday.

The friend scrambled for safety, but Campione could not get clear. The train smashed into the ATV, which flew through the air and fatally struck the girl, Carroll said.

No other injuries were reported.

Campione, who was about to enter her sophomore year at Hammonton High School, was loyal to the end, said her father, Allen Campione.

"That's what got her killed," he said Tuesday.

The accident occurred as the teen and eight friends passed through a remote area about three-quarters of a mile west of the White Horse Pike.

The youths weren't riding on the tracks but were crossing the rails when a boy's ATV became stuck, Carroll said.

Campione, a passenger on a nearby ATV, jumped off to help, her father said. The ATV on the tracks was hit about 2:45 p.m. by a train headed for Atlantic City.

Carroll said the train's conductor applied an emergency brake and sounded the horn when he saw the teenagers.

"Unfortunately, the train was not able to stop in time," she said. "It does take a train some time to come to a complete stop."

Carroll did not know how far the curve was from the scene of the accident or how fast the train was traveling.

NJ Transit officials expressed sympathy for the girl's death, but also noted the teens were trespassing in a dangerous area.

Monday's tragedy reflected Campione in action, her father said. For as long as he could remember, Allen Campione said, his daughter's friends turned to her for help.

Hammonton Middle School Principal Gene Miller remembered Campione, a 2006 graduate, as a "very nice student."

"She always had a smile on her face. She always said "hi' in the hallways or cafeteria. She was a terrific student who was highly liked by her fellow students," Miller said.

Allen Campione said his daughter had been riding ATVs since she was 5. The two of them, along with Gabrielle's older brother, often went riding together.

It was only recently that Campione, described as a "social butterfly," began riding without her father. Friends were getting driver's licenses and the teens would haul ATVs on trailers to riding sites.

"She just loved to have fun," Allen Campione said. "She had fun every day of her life."

The group the teen was with Monday was "very close," her father said.

"They do everything together," he said. "The kids are rocked."

Most spent much of Monday night at the Campione home, culling through photographs in her bedroom, her father said. They were planning to return Tuesday night to help family members create a slideshow for the funeral.

Link to story http://www.courierpostonline.com

Staff writer Jim Walsh contributed to this report. Reach Leo Strupczewski at (856) 317-7828 or lstrupczewski@courierpostonline.com

Hundreds of ATV enthusiasts enjoy 50-mile
Pittsburgh-area trail

The Associated Press

PATTON, Pa. - Hundreds of all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts are flocking to a new 50-mile trail through a 6,000-acre area of western Pennsylvania's scenic forests and grasslands, bringing tourism dollars to the rural region.

The $8 million Rock Run Recreation Area, touted as the best ATV trail east of the Mississippi, runs through the Allegheny Mountains in Cambria and Clearfield counties. It is part of a broader plan to increase the trails by another 100 miles and build 250 campsites, snowmobiling areas and walking and biking paths.

Rock Run, which opened in early May, has so far averaged about 150 riders on the weekends, most of them from the Pittsburgh area, about 90 miles away. But people have also come from other states, including Connecticut, Virginia and Washington.

The prospect of increased tourism has energized nearby rural communities, including Patton, a small town of just over 2,000 people, where bed-and-breakfasts, new restaurants and an ATV rental and repair shop have popped up.

"People are really excited about the development as well as the energy that it has brought to town. There is a lot of traffic on Fridays and Sundays," said David LaSota, a local engineer. "I think this is the first step in really bringing jobs back to the area and promoting economic growth, obviously in the service industry."

To read the story in the The Philadelphia Inquirer: http://www.philly.com

Good guys also ride on ATVs

By Adam Benson
Staff writer The Herald Journal

February 21, 2007 A measure that would make off-highway vehicles “street legal” in every county except Salt Lake moved through the House on Thursday, over the protests of at least one state environmental group.

“This is quite a big policy change in the state of Utah,” sponsoring Rep. Mike Noel said of his House Bill 425.

The Kanab Republican is seeking to take authority away from the federal government when it comes to motorized access on so-called “RS 2477” roads and place it with state leaders.

“A county and the state of Utah has the right to designate what kind of vehicles can go on their roads and highways,” Noel said. “The federal government shouldn’t control what type of vehicles we put on our roads. That’s micromanagement to the ultimate.”

Jurisdiction of RS 2477 roads has been disputed between state and federal agencies since 1866, when national lawmakers deeded the accesses to local governments to facilitate development of the Western United States.

The United States government controls underlying RS 2477 lands, while counties maintain the rights-of-way.

Noel said his provision would bring Utah in line with states like Arizona, Idaho and Montana that allow the use of off-highway vehicles on most of their roadways.

But Heidi McIntosh, conservation director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, said if HB425 becomes law, it would destroy fragile ecosystems and riparian areas across the state and said Noel’s motives are suspect.

“There’s a hidden agenda here. This bill is a bail-out for Kane County,” McIntosh said.

Noel’s home county has spent millions of dollars battling the federal government in court over RS 2477 access, and was sued by SUWA and other environmental groups over its ATV ordinance.

“What they’re trying to do with HB425 is turn this defunct county ordinance into state law and have the state bail them out,” McIntosh said. “This is Christmas in February for Kane County.”

But HB425 proponents said opening up more of Utah’s backcountry to motorized vehicles could have positive benefits for tourism and other industries.

“We see this as an opportunity to benefit … our rural communities … in a positive and environmentally safe way,” said Mike Swenson, executive director of the Utah Shared Access Alliance.

Despite a 49-20 vote on the House floor, several lawmakers said they were worried about safety concerns that could come with letting ATVs operate alongside larger vehicles.

“This is a pretty broad swath to put them on highways with other vehicles, and that really concerns me,” said Rep. James Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville.

Cache County Attorney George Daines said he wasn’t familiar enough with the legislation to comment, but empathizes with those who have spoken out against it.

“I can understand the alarm some people are expressing over it,” he said.

Access on public roads for ATVs locally isn’t unprecedented. Last October, Mendon officials approved an ordinance allowing off-road vehicles on city streets under limited conditions.

While the Sheriff’s Office said they haven’t responded to any complaints as a result of it, Lt. Chad Jensen said widespread implementation could present challenges to the agency.

“Any time you add another element to traffic, it’s going to require enforcement,” he said.

And North Park Police Sgt. John Italasano said visibility could be a factor.

“An ATV is almost harder to see than a motorcycle,” he said. Plus, their tires aren’t designed to handle city streets, presenting another hazard.

McIntosh said she and others opposed to HB425 plan to lobby senators before the bill is debated by them.

“We’re hoping that as senators learn more about the safety risks involved, they are not going to be willing to risk the life of Utahns to bail out Kane County,” she said. “There are a number of reasons why this is bad policy.”

View Full Story: http://hjnews.townnews.com

Senate committee rejects $10 ATV registration fee

By Tom Searls
Staff writer Charleston Gazette

February 21, 2007 Senators turned down an effort Tuesday to have West Virginia residents register their all-terrain vehicles for a special fee, something law enforcement and the Division of Motor Vehicles favored.

Members of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 5-4 to defeat the bill (SB508), which would have charged ATV owners a one-time $10 fee and established penalties for not registering the four-wheelers with the DMV.

ATV owners have been required since 1989 to register their ATVs, but many do not. Steve Dale of the DMV said his agency has about 144,000 ATVs registered, and about 15,000 more get registered each year. Still, he said, there could be another 100,000 in the state that aren’t registered.

Police said identifying numbers on the vehicles, such as those on other motor vehicles, would help them identify ATVs that have been stolen.

The legislation would have given ATV owners up to a year to register their four-wheelers without punishment.

Sen. Shirley Love, D-Fayette, said the bill seemed to be more geared “to keep people from buying them.”

He was joined by Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, who said police have never convinced him there is a major theft of ATVs.

“I just want to make sure that whatever we’re doing there’s a reason for it, and I’m not sure I’ve heard it yet,” he said.

A companion bill (SB506) would enact new safety laws for ATV drivers, but the committee did not take that up Tuesday.

“This bill is not going to do a thing to change [the safety] situation,” said Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph.

He called the bill “a revenue generator” and said that’s not what the public wants.

“The public has demanded that we look at safety issues,” he said.

West Virginia has led the nation in per capita ATV fatalities for several years. Last year, at least 53 people died in the state as a result of ATV accidents.

To view this story in the Charleston Gazette go to: http://sundaygazettemail.com

To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5198.

OFF-ROADERS CHALLENGE OFF-HIGHWAY MOTOR VEHICLE RECREATION (OHMVR) COMMISSION

DirtBike Magazine

On January 26, 2007, EcoLogic Partners, Inc., the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA), the San Diego Off-Road Coalition (SDORC), the California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA), the American Motorcyclists Association District 37 (AMA D37), and the American Sand Association (ASA) filed suit against the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Commission alleging the commission acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner during its December 8-9, 2006 meeting when it rescored law enforcement grants without any evidentiary support for the new scores. Those actions resulted in decreased law enforcement funding for areas where many California families recreate.

The lawsuit specifically challenges the OHMVR Commission's action to
dramatically reduce the score of the law enforcement grant application submitted by Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) El Centro field office. Despite receiving a score of 82 from Division staff, the BLM El Centro grant application was downgraded to a 69 by the Commission.

Although more than $10 million in law enforcement grant requests were submitted to the OHMVR Division, the Division was able to allocate only $4 million in law enforcement grants. Once The OHMVR Commission rescored the BLM El Centro law enforcement grant, the $4 million allocation was almost gone. BLM El Centro and another grant applicant with a score of 69 were vying for the remaining dollars. Rather than analyze the two applications on the merits, the OHMVR Commission simply tossed a coin! El Centro BLM won the coin toss and was awarded the remaining $387,349. Still, even this award was more than $1 million less than that recommended by OHMVR Division staff.

Recently the OHMVR division staff implemented a competitive grants process to ensure that the limited funds available are disbursed in a fair and equitable manner. By subverting that new process, the OHMVR Commissioners not only flouted the law, they placed in jeopardy the safety of the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) each year.

The ISDRA, the area for which the El Centro BLM was requesting funds for, receives approximately 1.4 million visitors each year, the majority of which are families. OHV grants are a central component in providing law enforcement for this area which is one of the most heavily visited OHV areas in the entire nation. It is difficult to understand why the OHV Commission would substitute a game of chance for sound analysis and scoring of OHV grants for such a popular area, rather than the scoring criteria established in regulation they are legally mandated to use.

Link to story: http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com/detail.asp?id=715

New Consumer Product Safety Commission Report
New Consumer Product Safety Commission Report
Shows Decline in ATV Injuries Involving Youth Under Age 16

Thursday, December 07, 2006

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 6, 2006 – A report released today by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC 2005 Annual Report of ATV Deaths and Injuries”) shows that the number of estimated all-terrain vehicle (ATV) injuries involving children under 16 fell 10% between 2004 and 2005, and has fallen from 37% of all ATV-related injuries in 1998 to 30% in 2005.

The report also shows that the estimated injuries per 10,000 ATVs declined for the fourth year in a row and is now at its lowest point since 1998. These declines have occurred even while the number of four-wheel ATVs in use increased by 700,000 units between 2004 and 2005. The four-wheel ATV injury rate declined 9% over the same time period.

Further, the report indicates that the risk of fatality per 10,000 ATVs has declined from 1.4 per 10,000 in use in 1999 to 1.1 per 10,000 in use in 2005.

Since 1998, the number of ATVs in use has more than doubled. Yet, for the eight-year time period since the CPSC’s new injury sample and methodology has been in place, there has been no appreciable upward trend in injury risk and, as noted, the injury risk has declined since 2001 and is now at its lowest point since 1998.

“The CPSC report again shows that the commitment of the member companies of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America to rider education, parental supervision, and state legislation is working and has resulted in a continued decline in injury and fatality rates over the past several years,” said Tim Buche, president of the SVIA. “Since 1984, the major manufacturers and distributors of ATVs in the United States have worked closely with the CPSC to implement ongoing safety initiatives. The industry applauds CPSC’s recent public education efforts to promote safe and responsible ATV use, and has supported the agency in these efforts.”

Buche added that the industry is also cooperating closely with the CPSC on the agency’s review of ATV safety standards. He said the ATV industry is committed to the safety of its customers and will continue to promote and enhance its multi-tiered efforts aimed at increasing awareness of the proper operation and use of ATVs.

“However, we remain concerned that new entrants to the U.S. market that don’t comply with the voluntary safety standards that established ATV companies adhere to are jeopardizing the safety of young riders,” he continued. “These new entrants now comprise 20 percent of the market and are undercutting the safety programs developed by established ATV companies. SVIA encourages CPSC to analyze the new entrants’ compliance with safety standards as part of the agency’s review of ATV standards.”

“We want to ensure that the injury trend continues in this direction – down – so it’s more important than ever to get the word out that kids don’t belong on adult-sized ATVs, and that all riders need to follow the industry’s recommended guidelines for safe and responsible riding. The bottom line is, even one crash or injury is one too many,” said Buche.

Millions of Americans operate ATVs safely and responsibly every day. Unfortunately, more than 92% of ATV-related fatalities involve one or more behaviors that the industry strongly and visibly warns against in its rider education programs, in all its literature, and on the vehicle itself. The industry’s top priority is to continue to work with the CPSC, user groups, retail dealerships, and all others interested in promoting ATV safety to further reduce the number of accidents resulting from misuse of the product.

SVIA
Since 1983, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America® (SVIA) has promoted the safe and responsible use of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) through rider training programs, public awareness campaigns, and state legislation. The SVIA also serves as a resource for ATV research, statistics, and vehicle standards. The SVIA, based in Irvine, California, is a not-for-profit trade association sponsored by Arctic Cat, BRP, Bush Hog, Honda, John Deere, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, Tomberlin and Yamaha. For membership information, call 949.727.3727; for safety information or to enroll in the ATV RiderCourseSM nearest you, visit www.atvsafety.org and click on “Online Enrollment” or call 800.887.2887.

The big, knobby ATV tires leave money trail

Sep. 16, 2006
BY LEE BLOOMQUIST
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

SILVER BAY MN As all-terrain vehicle riders traveled along a rocky, dusty trail on the edge of Silver Bay on Friday, they passed signs pointing to the city's AmericInn Lodge & Suites, a restaurant and other lodging.

Placement of the commercial signs among tall pine and birch trees might seem odd. But ATV recreation is big business.

Nearly 300 ATV riders are expected in Silver Bay this weekend for the All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota fall convention. As of Friday, more than 230 were pre-registered.

The three-day event is aimed at celebrating the organization's membership, showcasing North Shore recreational trails, and underlining the economic impact of ATV riding, ATVAM President Phil Morud said.

It's also a sign that the sport's popularity isn't about to slow down.

"These machines are so versatile," said Morud, who works for Arctic Cat, a Thief River Falls, Minn.-based ATV and snowmobile manufacturer. "What's making them so popular is that you can use them to clean up leaves and sticks in your yard, and then use them on the trail in the afternoon."

Despite facing issues of trail development and forest use, the sport's popularity is running at top speed.

ATV registrations in Minnesota number about 270,000, up dramatically from about 19,000 in 1988.

Studies show that in 10 years, registrations could hit 1 million, said Len Hardy of Nashwauk, ATVAM's first vice president.

"They're not like a snowmobile," said Hardy. "If you don't have any snow, you can use these year-round. They're economical to run, and the attachments they have for them now, like cultivators, snowblowers and plows mean you can use them for a lot of things."

According to a February 2006 state Department of Employment and Economic Development analysis survey, Minnesotans in 2005 spent $641.9 million on ATV-related expenditures, of which $260.3 million was spent at riding destinations and $311.8 million at home and en route.

The survey states the industry employs 1,477 people in retail stores, indirectly contributes to 8,756 jobs that pay $224.6 million in wages and pumps about $85.2 million into state and local tax accounts.

But there's more to ATVing than money.

Enthusiasts who took a VIP ride Friday near Silver Bay say the activity is about making friends, educating new riders on protecting the environment and enjoying the outdoors.

"It's a social thing," said Sandi Irish of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., an ATV safety and education instructor. "There's a few bad apples, but they're the ones who always get the press. ATVers are really great people, and we're not out to destroy the earth.

"We'd really like to see Minnesota realize the economic value of it, especially on the (Cuyuna) Iron Range where we have a cabin. The iron mining is gone there, but the hotels, restaurants and gas stations all benefit from it."

"We are motorized environmentalists," Morud said. "When ATV people are out in the woods, they know how to take care of the environment. They don't need to be told."

About 1,000 miles of grant-in-aid trails, maintained by local clubs with financial help from the state, exist across the state, said Ron Potter, Department of Natural Resources Off-Highway Vehicle program supervisor.

Still, land conflict issues remain.

The DNR is mapping about 50 of the state's 58 forests to determine the future of existing trails in those forests.

So far, 12 of the forests have been mapped, closing about half of the existing trails in those forests not deemed suitable to sustain off-highway riding. Another 15 forests should be mapped by year's end, said Potter. Maps of the forests -- and where ATVs can be ridden -- are available on the DNR Web site, he said.

Considering growth of the sport, Hardy says ATV riders need about 20,000 miles of trails across the state. He said registrations are expected to increase by 251 percent in the next decade.

"What we'd like to do is get a trail system like the snowmobilers."

LEE BLOOMQUIST can be reached weekdays at (800)368-2506, (218)744-2354 or by e-mail at leebloom@cpinternet.com

To View Full Story Click Here.

Overly Restrictive Off-Highway Vehicle Ordinance Voted Down in Amador County
County Supervisors Choose to Protect the Rights of Property Owners and Families Wanting to Recreate Responsibly on Their Own Land

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2006
By: Press Release

FOLSOM, CA On August 1 the Amador County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously AGAINST the adoption of an off-highway vehicle (OHV) ordinance that would have curtailed recreational OHV use on private property. The ordinance as written was poorly drafted and discriminatory against people that choose to recreate on OHV’s.
Dave Pickett, American Motorcyclist Association District 36 Legal Affairs Officer, suggested to the Supervisors that the county enforce current regulations already on the books instead of punishing law abiding citizens who wish to use their own property in a responsible manner. Amador County Supervisor Candidate Brian Oneto spoke against this ordinance because it restricts private property rights and makes criminals out of law abiding citizens who choose to recreate on their own property.

Similar ordinances have popped up all over the country. Riverside County is in the process of passing the most restrictive OHV and noise ordinances in the state and as a result are facing lawsuits from the OHV community. We are pleased that the Supervisors in Amador County did not overreact and take away the rights families to recreate together on their own property.

OHV Club / Park Insurance Program to Be Released Through NOHVCC

Wednesday, July 19, 2006
by Jeff Magowan

Motorized off-road recreation has enjoyed tremendous growth in the US, which has an estimated 15 million off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders. Along with that growth have come many different challenges, with insuring OHV clubs and parks being one of them.

“Insurance coverage, particularly liability insurance, has been tough to obtain for OHV recreation,” says Jeff Magowan of Garceau Wenick-Kutz Magowan Insurance Agency in Escanaba, MI. Magowan, an avid off-highway motorcyclist, has been involved in insuring OHV clubs and parks for many years, and understands the unique requirements of this specialized coverage. Infortunately, this coverage has only been available sporadically, forcing many clubs and parks to pay exorbitant premiums or sometimes to go completely without any coverage at all. So, since Magowan was both an OHV enthusiast and an insurance specialist, increasing the availability of insurance coverage for off-highway recreation was a natural for him.

Recently, working with an “A-Rated” insurance carrier, he has developed a competitive insurance option for off-highway organizations, businesses and trail systems. “Putting all the pieces together has been a five-year project,” he said. “We’ve put several risks in the program, and have found the coverage and pricing to be very competitive.” His affiliation with the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC)—he was recently appointed the Associate State Representative for Michigan--helped in the development of the program. Because the participants in NOHVCC programs represent the “best in the business” of OHV recreation, Magowan said, the program is being released initially through the NOHVCC before being introduced to the general public (since laws vary from state to state, the coverage may not be available in all areas).

Contact Information. For more information about this program, contact Jeff Magowan at 906 / 789-0900 or by email at jam@garceauins.com. For more information on the NOHVCC, contact them at 4718 S. Taylor Dr., Sheboygan, WI 53574, 800 / 348-6487, fax 920 / 458-3446 or visit their website at http://www.nohvcc.org.

ATVA Praises CPSC Rejection of Anti-ATV Proposal

Wednesday, July 19, 2006
by Tom Lindsay

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) is praising the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission's rejection of a request by anti-ATV groups to ban the sale of full-size ATVs for use by children under 16.

On July 12, the three-member commission formally rejected a petition for the ban filed by Consumer Federation of America, Bluewater Network, and the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition. The ATVA had opposed the petition.

The commission also voted to accept proposals from its staff on new safety rules for ATVs. Those proposed rules will now go out for public comment.

"This is great news," said ATVA Director Doug Morris. "The recommendation to the CPSC board by its ATV Safety Review team validates what we've been saying all along: that the guidelines must be changed so that as many kids as possible can get ATV safety training. And that will go a long way to reduce youth injuries."

The decisions by the safety panel constitute a major victory for the ATVA in its efforts to convince federal safety experts that young riders should be allowed to ride ATVs that are the proper size for the child's body size.

In testimony to the commission over the past several years, the ATVA argued that current CPSC age guidelines limiting children under 16 to small ATVs prevented or discouraged youth from getting ATV-riding training.

That's because free training is offered by manufacturers to buyers of new ATVs, but only for family members who are of the "proper" age for the purchased ATV. In other words, if you buy an adult-size 300cc ATV, only those 16 and older are eligible for training. A child can be 5-foot-10, 180 pounds and be just weeks shy of 16 years old, but can't take the free training because children under 16 are limited to ATVs with engine displacements of 90cc or less.

In late May, the CPSC staff made recommendations to the full board to improve ATV safety nationwide, which are the proposed rules the panel accepted, including rewriting the restrictive age guidelines "so that children under the age of 16 can ride and be trained on ATVs which are more likely to fit them physically and which conform to their developmental capabilities."

The staff report notes that formal training may reduce an ATV rider's risk of injury by half.

To read the full story go to: http://www.whowon.com

Environmental groups merge

JUN. 1 2:26 P.M. ET
By SUSAN GALLAGHER
Associated Press

HELENA -- The Ecology Center and the Native Forest Network, two of the groups critical of federal forest management in the Northern Rockies, have merged.

Operating jointly as the new WildWest Institute with some 800 members will improve the groups' effectiveness, Executive Director Matthew Koehler said Wednesday from the organization's Missoula office. Koehler is one of two staff members and said a third will be on board within a few weeks.

A news release said WildWest will be a "leading public lands watchdog in the Northern Rockies," monitoring nearly 20 national forests. Areas of concern for the group include removal of trees, watershed quality and the future of roadless lands.

The Ecology Center and the Native Forest Network last week asked a federal judge to stop the U.S. Forest Service from beginning a forest-thinning project in Montana's Bitterroot Valley. A lawsuit filed by those groups and Friends of the Bitterroot charges the project on almost 5,000 acres jeopardizes the environment and amounts to industrial logging, rather than being the "healthy forest" plan advanced by the Forest Service.

"They can change their names, but they can't change their spots," Steve Flynn, a Deer Lodge lumberman and president of the Montana Wood Products Association, said Wednesday. "Those two groups were based on obstructionist policies and generally don't agree to any management of the forest. I'm assuming that their new and improved organization will act in the same manner."

The Ecology Center was established in 1988 and Native Forest Network in 1992, Koehler said. Both were based in Missoula.

Koehler, who was on the Native Forest Network staff, is joined at WildWest Institute by Jeff Juel, who worked for The Ecology Center. In his new role, Juel has the title of ecosystem defense director. The third staff member, Jake Kreilick, has been working for the National Forest Protection Alliance in Missoula and will work for WildWest as restoration coordinator.

Koehler said WildWest will draw about 45 percent of its funding from membership fees and events such as auctions, with other money coming from foundations. The funding goal for 2006 is about $140,000, he said. Other resources include people who volunteer expertise in fields such as forest ecology and wildlife biology, he said.

View full story at: http://www.billingsgazette.net

New ATV regulations proposed

JUN. 1 2:26 P.M. ET
The Associated Press/WASHINGTON

Three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles would be banned and four-wheelers intended for children wouldn't go faster than 15 mph, under rules suggested Thursday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission's staff.

The recommendations would also require ATV manufacturers to offer free training to families when they buy ATVs.

"Limiting maximum speed is the most critical safety factor for youth ATV models," the commission staff said in the report outlining a series of recommendations to reduce the death toll from the vehicles.

ATVs cause hundreds of deaths every year and tens of thousands of injuries.
The commission said 18 people died in ATV accidents during the 2006 Memorial Day holiday.

Last year, ATVs caused 4,400 injuries during the Friday through Monday Memorial Day period, the most recent for which the commission has injury data.

The commission staff recommended that:

-- For children ages 6 to 8, ATVs shouldn't go faster than 10 mph.

-- For children from 9 to 11, ATVs shouldn't be able to go faster than 15 mph and they should have a device -- which parents can turn on or off -- that would limit their speed to 10 mph.

-- For those 12 and older, ATVs shouldn't go faster than 30 mph and should have devices that could limit their speed to 15 mph.

Major ATV manufacturers have agreed to stop selling three-wheeled ATVs, which are three times as likely to cause injury as the four-wheeled variety, the report said. But there are new kinds of three-wheeled vehicles being sold in the U.S., and a ban would "help ensure that three-wheeled ATVs will not be reintroduced into the U.S. market," the report said.

Manufacturers and distributors of ATVs should have to give people who buy an ATV a certificate entitling them and their immediate families to free training on the vehicle, the report said.

A patchwork of state regulations apply to the vehicles, but there are no federal laws governing ATVs. The commission does have voluntary agreements with big ATV manufacturers to discourage sales of ATVs intended for use by children.

The staff will recommend that the commission propose the new regulations at a June 15 meeting, and the commission will later vote on whether to do so.

To view the full story go to: http://www.businessweek.com



Dirt-biker mystified by trap set on trail
No known conflict with 3 neighbors charged in assault

May 18, 2006
By John Coté, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle

Robert Barnes sat in his Los Gatos hills home Wednesday, his face grooved with gashes, his mouth reconstructed with titanium plates, and wondered: Why would anyone set a booby trap across a road used by motorcyclists?

Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies say that Barnes, 46, could have been decapitated May 6 while riding his motorcycle along Loma Chiquita Road in unincorporated Santa Clara County when he rode into a rope or some other object that had been tightly stretched across the road.

On Tuesday, sheriff's deputies arrested Barnes' neighbors, Edward Anderson, 48, Donald Bryant, 62, and Donna Olsen, 46, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury in connection with the booby trap. Police say the three watched from nearby bushes as Barnes rode into the rope.

"I know Ed, I know Don, I know Donna," Barnes said, slightly lisping from the wounds and 500 stitches to his face. "It's hard to really explain. I wish I knew just what the heck they were thinking."

Barnes was the lead rider in a group of motorcyclists, going 20-25 mph, when something struck him across his upper lip. He was wearing a full-face helmet, but the impact ripped through parts of his face, knocked out teeth and damaged the sides of his helmet around the face guard, he said.

A second dirt-bike rider saw Barnes thrown from his motorcycle and slowed, Santa Clara County Deputy Serg Palanov said. As the second biker was coming to a stop, he saw the suspects pull taut what appeared to be a rope, Palanov said. The second biker was able to stop in time and sustained only minor injuries from hitting the object.

A friend drove Barnes to the emergency room at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, where, after surgery, he was in a coma for five days.

Sitting in the living room of a home perched on a hillside, Barnes tried to make sense of what happened that day. With teeth missing, and stitches protruding from a gash tracking upward from the right corner of his mouth, he spoke slowly, sometimes angrily.

"That was not just a rope," Barnes said. "When the trauma nurse looked at what happened, she said 'There's no way that a rope did this.' "

Barnes suspects he hit a length of rebar or something similar that his neighbors had secured at both ends across the roadway, and only after he had struck that did they pull up a rope for the second rider.

Barnes' wife, Wendy Barnes, 41, credited the helmet with saving her husband's life.

"Without that, they said he would have been dead," she said.

The bizarre incident stunned some law enforcement officers.

"I've ridden for years, and I've heard of stories like this, but I just thought it was another urban myth," Palanov said. "I can't believe someone would do this. ... If it was a few inches lower, I don't know. It could have decapitated him, or it could have broken his neck."

Authorities said they are investigating whether the incident was triggered by a dispute about Loma Chiquita Road, a private road about 5 miles east of Highway 17 at Summit Road. Barnes lives just houses away from his alleged attackers.

But Barnes, a construction worker by trade who now cares for his children, said there was no conflict with his neighbors.

He described the neighborhood, where a neighbor's welcome mat read simply, "Leave," and where a power pole is adorned with a blue alien doll, as one that "used to be like the Wild West."

Some neighbors along Loma Chiquita Road, a ribbon of asphalt that periodically turns to dirt, said they were shocked by what happened.

"I don't know anything about a dispute," said Kylee Johnson, 26.

Johnson said she had known the suspects for more than 10 years, described them as nice people, and said she had never heard them complain about motorcycles in the area.

"I've never heard them complain once; I've never really heard anyone complain at all," said Johnson, whose mother commutes to work on a motorcycle. "People who come up here usually come to get away from it all. You expect stuff like this to happen in the city, but you never expect that it can happen here."

E-mail John Coté at jcote@sfchronicle.com.


SAWMILLS AND GREEN SCAMMERS
Southwest Montana Proposal Causes Nasty Split Among Green Groups

May 12, 2006
By Bill Schneider
www.newwest.net

For months, three major green groups and have deep in negotiations with sawmill operators and other forest product companies over timber production and wilderness designation on the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest, which sprawls over most of southwestern Montana. The resulting proposal has caused a serious split among pro-wilderness groups.

The Forest Service is not compelled to accept the proposed new direction for its forest plan, but the agency will find it difficult to ignore a historic consensus between people normally on opposite sides of most forest management issues, even though the public comment period on the forest plan has long ago ended. And if the FS does adopt this new “Partnership Strategy” for the national forest, the Montana congressional delegation is likely pick up on the idea, too, which could lead to the first Wilderness bill in twenty-seven years.

You’d think Wilderness groups—all of them—would strongly support the long overdue end of what I’ve frequently called “Montana’s Wilderness drought,” but no. Instead, we have an openly bitter, no-holds-barred debate.

Like any other slice of society, green groups disagree on many issues, but normally this stays inside. Not only have I never seen such polarization among normally agreeable enviros, but I have never seen it purposely taken into a public forum, starting last week when the Alliance for the Wild Rockies (AWR) purchased large ads in two independent newspapers, Helena’s Queen City News and the Missoula Independent, calling the green groups (Montana Wilderness Association, National Wildlife Federation, and Trout Unlimited) involved the partnership “Green Scammers.”

“Behind closed doors,” the ad reads, “self-appointed interlopers sold out the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest!”

The ad claims the “green scammers” unilaterally gave away public resources, sacrificed 200,000 acres of roadless land, allowed 700 miles of new roads, promoted ATV damage and ruination of trout and elk habitat.

In the ad, the AWR and five other smaller green groups push for support for its alternative, the Rockies Prosperity Act (HR 1204), legislation currently introduced into the U.S. House of Representative with 188 sponsors, but none from the northern Rockies. On its website, the AWR lists 122 green groups (including, ironically, the Flathead-Kootenai chapter of Montana Wilderness Assn.) as members of its alliance.

When asked about the ad, Michael Garrity, executive director of AWR said, “I think it’s important to have a public debate. These are public lands and they deserve to have a public debate.”

“I totally agree that we should all work together….We should all be on the same side working for wilderness,” Garrity concedes, “but they are not our allies. They are proposing logging 200,000 of roadless lands. They are not on the same side of this issue as we are. They (the Montana Wilderness Association) are not a wilderness group. They are a wilderness logging group.”

Here are the numbers that matter. At 3.1 million acres, the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge is the largest national forest in Montana, larger that Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks combined. More than half of it, 1.9 million acres, is still officially inventoried roadless land, so deciding its future is hardly a trivial undertaking. The current FS plan calls for 249,000 acres of Wilderness, but there seems to be little support for that number. The Partnership Strategy calls for about one-third of that roadless land (573,000 acres) becoming officially designated Wilderness, and HR 1204 would protect all of it as Wilderness. Hence, the main source of the disagreement.

In recent years, this collaborative approach has led to new Wilderness areas in several western states, but Montana has resisted further compromising away roadless lands just to get big “W.” Other states have also experienced the same disagreement among Wilderness supporters, but they did not air their disagreement so publicly.

“HR 1202 is a show bill,” says John Gatchell, conservation director for the Montana Wilderness Association (MWA) and one of the key negotiators of the Partnership Strategy, “not a serious piece of legislation. It’s been introduced for 18 years without a single vote.”

“We aren’t against this bill,” Gatchell says, “but it’s not going to happen. This is mythology, feeling good because we supported a bill that’s DOA, that will never be voted on.”

AWR executive director Michael Garrity, says his group strongly disagrees with the compromise and instead agrees with Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath who has filed suit to protect all roadless lands. “The result of the compromise is more political pressure for logging roadless areas,” Garrity insists, “and there is no indication any wilderness will result from it. They (MWA) don’t have a bill, and they haven’t had a bill for a long time.”

“I’m all for new Wilderness, “Garrity assures, “and if somebody would introduce a smaller bill, we’ll support it.”

But he is clearly not in favor of compromising away anything at the beginning, as he claims the Partnership Strategy does. “Over 200,000 acres of roadless lands will be lost. Temporary roads are not temporary. They become unofficial ATV roads.”

“It’s compromise,” Gatchell admits. “It involves more timber harvest than currently planned and some new roads, but we’re not going to lose roadless lands. It means 10-15% of inventoried roadless areas already with lots of user-created jeep roads…I call them impaired roadless areas…will be logged, but these roads will be reclaimed, not those gated roads that everybody hates. There will be some stumps in a few roadless areas, but no permanent roads. Our plan states that there will be a net reduction in roads, especially in key elk hunting areas.”

Basically, what we have is a disagreement on strategy. The members of this new partnership have decided to do the compromising at the beginning because they view this as the only chance they have of ever getting the conservative, mostly anti-Wilderness northern Rockies congressional delegation to hold hearings and allow a vote on a bill. “We want to have something that has a chance of passing,” Gatchell points out.

Contrarily, supporters of the Rockies Prosperity Act suffer no illusion about getting the entire acreage supported in the bill. “You don’t do your compromising at 8 am,” Garrity argues. “You do that at 11:59 pm.”

Garrity clearly believes he has the right track. “We have more sponsors than any other Wilderness bill in Congress,” he boosts. “Nancy Pelosi (D-CA, minority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives) told us its one of the three highest priority environmental bills for the next session. If the democrats take the House next election, we’ll get a hearing and a vote.”

And MWA clearly believes AWR’s approach is flawed. “The MWA council has decided that we can’t go on without protected some of our Wilderness,” Gatchell explains. “We think its time for a new approach, for a bipartisan approach, something Congress will pass.’

But I’m sure Garrity and all other Wilderness supporters would agree with Gatchell when he says, “It’s shameful how much of Montana’s wilderness is protected, only 4% of the state, less than Idaho, Wyoming and British Columbia. This is nothing for a state like Montana. It’s what you’d expect in New Jersey.”

Read the story at: http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/8428/C41/L41



State budget is unfair to ATV riders, who pay fees and get nothing in return
04/19/2006

All-terrain-vehicle owners are being stuck in neutral by New York state.
They paid a substantial amount of money in fees in hopes of restoring old trails and developing new ones. Not only is that money gone, but they are still being charged with no hope of ever getting anything in return for their investment.

Last year, the state, in conjunction with ATV advocacy groups, raised the ATV registration fee from $10 to $25. The increase was to create a dedicated fund to pay for trail work, a goal that was just about unanimously regarded as a good one. ATV advocacy groups wanted the trails on which to ride, and landowners whose property was being used without their permission favored trail work to keep the ATVs off their own land.

About $850,000 was raised through the increased fee and put into the special fund.

But with the State Senate and Assembly unable to come to agreement on how to restore and develop new trails, the fund was simply eliminated in the 2006 budget.

The money was rolled into the state's general fund.

The major sticking point between the two legislative bodies was whether any trail development would be allowed on state land in the Adirondack Park.

In eliminating the dedicated trail fund, the legislature also decided to reduce the registration fee back down to $10.

Assemblyman Chris Ortloff is pushing a bill that says ATV owners should not have to pay anything for registration, since they are getting nothing in return.
Estimates are that since the initial $10 registration fee was levied in the mid 1980s, about $10 million has been collected for trail development.

But the promise has not been fulfilled. Where are the trails? In the absence of allowable, well-groomed trails, some renegade ATV owners are riding on other land that is either unsuitable or illegal or involves trespassing.

When you register a car, you get paved roads, traffic signals and law enforcement to help you travel.

When you register a boat, you get boat patrols, buoys and other navigational assistance provided by the state.

When you register a snowmobile, you get trails and maintenance.
Yet, when you register an ATV, you get nothing.

We agree with eliminating the $10 registration fee.

Until the state can decide on how to better serve the ATV community, it is unfair to levy this tax without providing anything in return.

To view full story go to: http://www.pressrepublican.com


Trail system shouldn't die
04/18/2006 

Any measures sent by the Rensselaer County Legislature to the state Legislature are essentially toothless, as no matter how strongly worded or strenuously supported, such messages to state lawmakers are only suggestions, which the state Legislature can consider or toss without a second glance.

Just tossing such measures is not a wise move, as attentive state lawmakers could learn a lot about public sentiment on the grassroots level through these items.

Last week, the county Legislature passed a resolution urging the state to reconsider its abandonment of plans to build a statewide system of trails for all-terrain vehicles.

In order to build this expensive system without eating tax dollars, the plan was to be funded by an increase in ATV registration fees from $10 per annum to $25.

The fees did go up, but, apparently, the plan is pretty much kaput.

Apparently the roadblock was erected by the Assembly Democrats. According to Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno's office, the Senate is still behind the trail, but the Assembly opposition has all but killed the proposal, although it could - and should - be reconsidered.

The Assembly argument is that ATVs would disturb pristine areas within the Adirondacks and Catskills. That is an empty argument, as ATVs are not allowed in forest preserves in the first place.

The other factor for the Assembly to consider is that of a broken promise. The $25 registration fee was imposed specifically to fund the trail system.

The plan now is to "refund" that extra money by extending one-year registration to two years. That still means ATV owners are getting rooked, as they are getting a $20 value for a $25 fee.

Maybe $5 doesn't sound like much, but multiply it by the 137,000 registrations out there and you have a rather hefty chuck of change. To what use is this money going to be put? That is a question the Assembly has yet to answer.

Rensselaer County is an area with many ATV owners, and a trail system is definitely called for here.

So even though the county Legislature can't change state plans, the lawmakers are to be commended for airing the issue, and the Assembly should take a closer look at the situation before slamming the door on a trail system.

To view full story go to: http://www.troyrecord.com


Spring break in Utah
Hatching plans for Easter escape? Reserve early
March 19, 2006
By Tom Wharton
The Salt Lake Tribune

Salt Lake Utah - Spring break means travel time for families, desert lovers and students.

While some may head to Florida, Southern California, Mexico or Hawaii, thousands of Utahns stay close to home.

Popular southern Utah destinations, including Moab and St. George, usually experience their busiest time of the year during March and April as Wasatch Front residents roll the dice with the weather and head south for a desert vacation.

Here's a look at several Utah hot spots:

St. George: "March is our busiest month of the year," said Pam Hilton, marketing director for the Dixie Center in St. George. "The weather is generally good and it can still be winter in the rest of the state. We get a lot of conventions in March and it is a prime month for golf."

While the number of Wasatch Front teens who flocked to St. George on Easter weekend, April 15 and 16 this year, has declined in recent years, many still come, Hilton said. An art festival in St. George, a car show at Hurricane High School and a Peter Breinholt concert at Tuacahn Amphitheater will add to the Easter weekend crunch.

St. George has new hotels either open, close to completion or just breaking ground, including the Hilton Garden, Courtyard by Marriott, La Quinta, Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn and Suites that should help in the future.

Still, if you don't have a room in St. George in March and April (especially on weekends), you may be looking at staying nearby in Cedar City, Springdale, Kanab or Mesquite, Nev.

Moab: Finding a room or campsite in Moab can be at least as difficult, especially during Easter week when thousands of four-wheel-drive enthusiasts converge on the southern Utah recreational center for the annual Easter Jeep Safari.

"We're already full," said Marian DeLay of the Moab Travel Council, which works with area hotels to find out about cancellations.

That means families and students looking to vacation in southwestern Utah may be considering Green River, Monticello, Blanding or Cortez, Colo., for lodging.

Zac White of Denver, right, guides his wife, Kelly, over an obstacle along the Kane Creek Trail outside Moab last year. (Associated Press file photos )

Or they can hope to find a camping spot at numerous Bureau of Land Management sites surrounding Moab or at a private campground.

Because of the nearly 2 million visitors a year on BLM lands around Moab, the agency recently announced new limitations in six heavily used areas on dispersed camping - the term for staying outside developed campgrounds, without toilets, treated water or fire grates.

Dispersed camping will be limited to marked and designated sites in the area north of Highway 313, south of the Blue Hills Road, west of U.S. Highway 191 and east of the Dubinky Well Road. In addition, dispersed camping will be limited to designated sites in the area where the Hurrah Pass Road crosses Kane Creek, around Dripping Springs in Ten Mile Wash, on the west side of Spanish Valley, within one mile of developed recreation sites in the Canyon Rims Recreation Area and along the Pack Creek and Black Creek Roads.

While there is no fee to use these dispersed sites, campers are required to carry out all garbage, including solid human body waste. There is also no wood cutting allowed.

Russ von Koch, who supervises recreation for the BLM's Moab office, said campers who hope to use one of his agency's 500 developed or semi-developed camp sites in the Moab area on Easter week need to find one on Wednesday of Easter week. Otherwise, the only alternative may be a private campground.

"April and May are the two busiest months in Moab followed closely by October," said von Koch. "In April and May, camping areas near Moab are filling early Friday."

This is the 40th annual Jeep Safari. The event, in which four-wheel-drive enthusiast challenge their vehicles on difficult trails and redrock around Moab, was started by the Moab Chamber of Commerce. To register in those days, drivers showed up on Saturday morning and signed up for the trail they wanted.
These days, the event is run by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers and many of the trips fill well in advance. The cost starts at $50 per vehicle for the first day and $25 per vehicle for each additional day.

Only mailed applications are accepted, though registration at the event may be possible at the Spanish Trail Arena south of Moab on a first-come, first-served basis.

Little Sahara Recreation Area: While Moab and St. George host large crowds, perhaps the largest single Easter weekend gathering occurs at the Little Sahara Recreation Area, 60,000 acres of sand dunes, trails and sagebrush flats in western Utah. Its developed campgrounds and dispersed areas at the base of 700-foot-high Sand Mountain host thousands of all-terrain vehicle, dirt bike and dune buggy riders. The normal daily entrance fee of $8 increases to $10 on Easter weekend. For information, call the Little Sahara Visitor Center Office at 435-743-3100.

Other recreation destinations: The Knolls Recreation Area, a 35,877-acre off-highway playground east of Wendover and south of Interstate 80 that is managed by the BLM, has imposed changes this year as well. A $6-per-day, per-primary-vehicle fee is being charged for the first time. Fees are being used to upgrade and improve the main access road, the installation of two restrooms, the construction of parking lots and the installation of informational bulletin boards.
New rules at the Knolls this year prohibit target shooting and the use of glass containers outside enclosed vehicles. Fires are not allowed outside the confines of a fire pan or other containers.

Southern Utah's state parks are also quite crowded, especially on Easter weekend. Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Dead Horse Point, Escalante, Goblin Valley, Kodachrome Basin, Sand Hollow and Snow Canyon are already booked. Goblin Valley is booked on most spring weekends between now and Easter.

While much of the spring break emphasis is on heading south, many of Utah's ski resorts plan to stay open through April 16 to take advantage of the later-than-normal Easter weekend.
"Park City's resorts are staying open an extra week," said Hilary Reiter of Ski Utah. "They are expecting to be busy through the close of the season."
Alta will close April 16, but reopen April 21 through 23 if conditions permit.

Sundance and Wolf Mountain are scheduled to close the first weekend in April. Snowbird will be open through May 7 and then on weekends through Memorial Day. Solitude is expecting to close April 16 while Brighton has yet to determine its closing date. Southern Utah's Brian Head will stay open through Easter weekend.
The long ski season makes it possible to ski in the morning and then head into the valley and play a round of golf in spring weather.

Whether you plan to visit dunes, deserts or mountains, expect to run into large crowds of sun worshippers. The key is to plan ahead or, if that is too late, consider slightly colder weather alternatives such as Cedar City, Logan, Wendover or Vernal.

Contact Tom Wharton at wharton@sltrib.com or 801-257-8909.
Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.

Off-road fans fight for forest,
State is gathering steam for local ban.
March 2, 2006
By Tim Wacker, Globe Correspondent

GEORGETOWN, ROWLEY- Motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle fans are facing an uphill battle to keep open 5 miles of trails at the last parkland in Northeastern Massachusetts to welcome them, Georgetown-Rowley State Forest.

More than 100 residents from across the state gathered in the Georgetown Middle-High School Auditorium Monday night to discuss the future of off-road vehicles at the 1,112-acre forest, one of seven in the state that still allows them. The state is drafting new regulations for off-road vehicles, or ORVs, in all its parks, and early indications are they don't fit well at Georgetown-Rowley.
That didn't sit well with many in the audience.

''These are standards [ORV users] must meet, but hikers and horseback riders don't," said Robert Pasquale of Georgetown. ''That's the crux of the problem.

We're holding a certain user group to a whole different set of standards."
That's pretty much the case, said Gary Briere, chief of the state Bureau of Recreation, who moderated most of the two-hour meeting.

Gas-powered recreational vehicles take a greater toll on trails, he said, so the state now wants to outline specific conditions for their continued use in its parks.
Those conditions are being presented for public input at meetings across the state, the first held in Georgetown. There are four more hearings scheduled before the ORV standards are set sometime in late spring, Briere said.

While Briere made clear these conditions are subject to change, the trails at Georgetown-Rowley fall well short on one key requirement being proposed: There must 30 miles or more of trails available for ORV use.

''When you have only 5, 8, or 10 miles of trails, once they ride that, folks are going to be looking for somewhere else to go," Briere said.

There are other key criteria the state is proposing in its standards for ORV use in its parks: Leaving room for wetlands, rare plants, and animals and a host of other environmentally sensitive areas.

Honoring property use restrictions and right-of-ways.

All parks with ORV trails must have management and maintenance plans in place by 2010 and the funding to support them, which comes from the state and from license fees.

''We have a 100-year-old parks system where some of these old forest roads weren't even designed for pedestrian use," Briere said. ''We have 185 miles of [ORV] trails in the state, but some of these trails are a disaster."

Another state concern is the growing number of people using the parks for other reasons, such as hiking, cross-country skiing, and fishing. While sales of ORVs in Massachusetts have tripled since 1995, Briere said, they make up only 7 percent of the traffic at state parks.

''It certainly puts this into context," said Briere. ''We're getting much bigger demands for other uses. Nonetheless, we still have 90,000 households across the state with some ORV use in our state parks."

A more complex problem facing Georgetown-Rowley is the changing face of the people using it, seen clearly in the acrimony of some of the comment Monday night. William Foley of Rowley said he's lived next to the forest land for 45 years

''I grew up with a lot of people who had horses and I never had any problems with them until all these other people moved in," he said. ''I just want to run my dogs; I don't bother anybody . . . but there are people who don't want to share the park. They want to make it their own personal property."

Georgetown resident Tom Falzareno is just as embittered toward the ORV users.
''We have encountered multiple misuses and abuses of the state forests by riders and drivers of off-road vehicles," he said. ''People don't stay on the trails. If they did, I wouldn't be here tonight."

Still, Georgetown-Rowley is one of few parks permitting ORVs, and proponents say they will be fighting to keep it open. Representatives from the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association, the North Quabbin ATV Association, the New England Trail Rider Association, and the Western Massachusetts ATV Association argued on behalf of ORV use at Monday's meeting. It's even getting some national attention, said Paul Cote, the legislative director of the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association.

''The American Motorcycle Association has been getting involved in this issue," he said. ''It has put Massachusetts on its radar screen, and they are putting together the resources, . . . but we've got to work together."

Democratic state Representative Barbara L'Italien, who represents Precinct 2 in Georgetown, and Bruce Tarr, Republican state senator for Georgetown and Rowley, were present at the meeting.

Both said they weren't taking sides on the issue, but were there to hear both sides.

''My job here is to be the connection between the citizens' concerns and the state Legislature," L'Italien said.

It's uncertain what role legislators will play because the final policy decisions rest with the state parks officials and not elected officials, Briere said. He was reluctant to comment on what will happen to the ORV trails at Georgetown-Rowley State Forest until then.

''I'm not going to suggest which state parks will or will not make it or when," he said. ''We will apply the criteria [eventually adopted] over the next couple of years."

"To me, it's a sense of freedom, and a chance to create memories with my family," said Varela.


ATV riders ready to protest lack of land
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
By Kara Kenney
NBC2

COLLIER COUNTY- Riders of all terrain vehicles are upset with the county because they are running out of places to ride.

Rick Varela, a Collier County resident says riding his ATV is part of being American.

"To me, it's a sense of freedom, and a chance to create memories with my family," said Varela.

However, Varela has not taken his ATV out much lately. He explained part of the reason is because the state shut down 22,000 acres of prime riding land in the Picayune State Forest.

Although there is a small place to ride in the Big Cypress Preserve, Valera says there is no longer a place for the entire family to ride.

"I'm a firm believer that a family that plays together stays together, and unfortunately we've been denied that recreational activity," said Valera.

In 2003, South Florida Water Management signed an agreement with Collier County to set aside 640 acres of land specifically for ATV riders. The land was supposed to be ready in October of 2005 but riders are still waiting.

"It's not just allowing people to ride on the property, we need to look at environmental issues," said Clarence Tears of South Florida Water Management.

The district is now looking at 600 acres near Lake Trafford but the county wants to make sure it’s safe.

"We're committed to finding a section of land, and it will happen. It's just taking some time," said Tears.

ATV riders are planning a protest on Saturday, March 11 at the entrance of the Picayune State Forest. If they cannot come to an agreement with the county and South Florida Water Management they may file a lawsuit.


Ride your dirt bike or ATV
on mining property for $100 a year
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
By G. Wayne Laepple
The Daily Item

POTTSVILLE — If you want to ride a dirt bike or all-terrain vehicle or go mudding on Reading Anthracite Co. property, you'll have to buy a permit from the company.

Anyone with a driver's license or training certificate and insurance can purchase an annual permit for $100.

David Christ, Reading Anthracite's treasurer, said the company has had trouble for many years with trespassers.

"It's all over the Internet," he said. "They list places where it's good to ride, where to party, where to go swimming."

There is also a lot of illegal dumping by area residents and vandalism of equipment and theft of materials from mining operations.

In late January, for example, thieves took 500 feet of copper wire valued at $20,000 from a work site in New Castle Township, Schuylkill County.

The proceeds from the permits will be used to beef up security and patrols on company holdings, which total thousands of acres in Northumberland and Schuylkill counties.

"Unfortunately, we don't have an accurate map of our property, but we're working on it," he said.

Reading Anthracite has extensive holdings in the Trevorton and West Cameron areas of Northumberland County.

Since the permits went on sale in January, Mr. Christ said, about 200 have been sold.

"We hope it will be an incentive to people riding with permits to report trespassers," he said. "We want to get the renegades off our property."

As an incentive, anyone who turns in a trespasser will receive a free permit for the next year, said Mr. Christ.

"You are signing a legal agreement," Mr. Christ said of the document required of all permit applicants. "It holds the company and its workers and officers harmless if you injure yourself or others or if you damage your vehicle while on our land."

The company's insurance carrier was concerned about liability issues, Mr. Christ said. A number of people have been injured and even killed riding ATVs, dirt bikes and Jeeps or swimming in water-filled strip mine pits on company properties over the years, and they often try to blame the company for the accidents.

"There's a lot of responsibility to the permit holder," he said.

Many riders come from outside the area to ride, and Mr. Christ said being able to ride legally may benefit the local economy because it will attract more visitors.

There are several ATV parks in the coal region, and trespassing and vandalism in those areas has dropped off. Those ATV parks are in Tremont, Tower City and Hazleton on land leased from coal companies. The parks are patrolled, and they provide areas for camping, cookouts and other activities as well as trails for riding.

Hunters who formerly hunted on coal company property after purchasing a $2 permit are also covered under the new arrangement, which Mr. Christ called "a recreation permit."

The permit also stipulates that users may not bring alcoholic beverages or food on the property, and fires and camping are not permitted. Swimming is not permitted either.

Users are also not permitted in areas where active mining operations are under way, Mr. Christ said, adding that those areas are posted.

To purchase a permit, call the Reading Anthracite Co. at 622-5150.

E-mail comments to wlaepple@dailyitem.com.


Working group to assess need for ATV Club
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
BY ROBERT TAGLIALEGNE
Northern Life Canada

A working group was formed last month to look at the possibility of creating a new ATV club or building a Sudbury chapter. Around 70 people - most of whom were all-terrain vehicle riders - attended a meeting at T.M. Davies Community Centre/Arena in Lively in February. Between 40 to 50 people signed up to participate in the working group.

Around 40 to 50 people signed up to participate in a working group to discuss the possibility of starting an ATV club in Greater Sudbury.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Rainbow Routes Association, the Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicles Clubs and the public.

The meeting was called by the Rainbow Routes Association in response to complaints from property owners and trail users who say some ATV riders are causing problems on paths that form the Trans Canada Trail, a network of trails linked from coast to coast.

One of the bigger bones of contention is that ATV enthusiasts are riding on part of the trail between Centennial Park in Naughton to Black Lake Rd., which is reserved for walkers and snowmobiles.
 
Since a portion of the trail is on private property, snowmobilers have land-use agreements and third-party liability, whereas ATV users do not. Property owners are concerned about potential lawsuits should an ATV accident occur on their land.

If ATVers are part of an organized club, like the Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicles, they’re entitled to third party liability, which in turn protects property owners.

Debbie McIntosh, executive director of Rainbow Routes, said it was important to involve ATV users when it comes to solving these problems and educating riders. “We want them to work out the problems,” she said, adding only five percent of ATV riders are problematic.

Federation executive director Rick Antaya said there is support in the Sudbury area for a club but the “impetus must come from residents in the area.”

Judging by the turnout at the meeting, he said there is obviously enough interest in Sudbury for an ATV club.
 
Aside from providing third party liability insurance, the federation also provides a unified voice for ATV enthusiasts and promotes trail building in the province.

The working group will meet to decide how it should proceed. The date for the meeting is yet to be announced.


Off-roaders plead for sports park
Published: 02.24.2006
By Erica Meltzer
Arizona Daily Star Tucson, Arizona

Dirt bike and ATV fans begged the Board of Supervisors Tuesday not to turn the closed Pima Motorsports Park into a shooting range.

The discussion came the same day the board met with the City Council to transfer control of the library system to the county.

Rafael Payan, Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation director, first suggested converting the off-road park into a shooting facility to complement the adjacent Southeast Regional Park in a January memo, sparking an outcry from off-road vehicle enthusiasts.

"We would hate to see you throwing the baby out with the bath water because the last management company was, in our view, incompetent," said Kent Nicholls, president of the Southern Arizona Offroad Coalition.

Off-road-vehicle enthusiasts said the activity brings families together and told the supervisors they have to travel to Sierra Vista or Phoenix to ride.
"Ryan is not here, but he left a lot of friends, and they have nowhere to go," said Kathleen Gamble, the mother of 13-year-old motocross racer Ryan Gamble, who was killed at Pima Motorsports Park in 2004.

Alona Bachi, a desert ecologist working on a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona, also supported reopening the park.

"Every track at PMP is one less track through pristine Sonoran Desert," she said.

But Suzanne Heins, a volunteer 4H leader who teaches shooting to children, said there is a need for more shooting facilities as well.

The county is in the middle of four public meetings about the future of the park. Supervisor Sharon Bronson said she hoped there could be consensus.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said whether the motorsports park will reopen depends on whether an operator can be found "who can and will and has the resources to operate it safely."

"There is serious doubt given the previous experience."
The transfer of the library system was far less contentious, culminating more than a year of negotiations.

"I think this is a truly historic day for all of us in Pima County and the city of Tucson to see the transfer of such a large department that has been operating for so long with such excellence," Supervisor Richard Elias said.
Both groups unanimously approved the agreement that will take effect July 1.

Supervisors also approved a $2 million contract with consulting firm Greeley and Hansen to conduct a two-year study of the county's wastewater treatment system.


Crashes propel ATV legislation
Published February 24, 2006
LYNNE P. SHACKLEFORD,
Cherokee County Bureau

GAFFNEY -- At least one local legislator has changed his mind about a bill requiring training for younger riders of all-terrain vehicles.

Once a critic of the legislation, Rep. Lanny Littlejohn, R-Pacolet, said a recent ATV accident that left a 14-year-old from his district in the hospital made him see things differently. It was the first of two serious ATV accidents in Cherokee County in less than a week -- the second incident left a mother dead.

Tyler Lovingood had been checking raccoon traps behind his Pacolet Highway home. When he did not return, a group searched the area and found Lovingood with the ATV on top of him. Lovingood was not wearing a helmet and suffered serious head injuries.

Lovingood, a Gaffney High School freshman, remains in critical condition at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

An ATV accident on Sunday resulted in the death of 48-year-old Karen Ivey.

Ivey was riding an ATV with her 21-year-old son, Brian. Karen Ivey was driving the ATV on Swofford Drive when she veered off the road into a ditch, causing the vehicle to overturn. Both Ivey and her son were thrown from the vehicle. Neither was wearing a helmet. Karen Ivey died Monday at SRMC.

"At first, I didn't see the need in it, but now, I think it's something I will support," Littlejohn said. "ATVs are becoming more popular. And, naturally, we'll have more accidents."

The House bill, called "Chandler's Law," would require riders 9 to 16 years of age to complete an ATV safety education program before they are allowed to operate an ATV. The bill also requires an adult to be present when a minor is riding an ATV, and it calls for riders 9 to 16 years old to wear a helmet and safety glasses.

Rep. Adam Taylor, R- Laurens, a sponsor of the bill, said

he expects the bill to be passed by next month. If approved, the law would go into effect July 1, 2007.

"People don't understand how dangerous ATVs are," Taylor said. "These vehicles travel from 20 to 30 miles per hour, and if you crash, it's no different than if you were riding a motorcycle."

The bill has passed the House and is awaiting approval in the Senate.

The bill also requires owners to register their ATVs with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources by paying a $30 fee every three years, the same fee that applies to boats and jet skis. Those funds would be used for a safety education program.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 75 ATV deaths were reported in South Carolina between 1982 and 2004.

In 2003, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported there were 6.2 million ATV operators, a figure that was twice the number reported five years earlier.

"What we want to stress is ATV riders should absolutely use helmets, and no one under the age of 16 should ride adult-size ATVs," said Scott Wolfson, Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman. "Riding ATVs is a growing sport and one that is enjoyable to many people, but using good safety measures is extremely important."

Lynne P. Shackleford can be reached at 487-7146 or lynne.shackleford@shj.com.


State takes ownership of 7,200 acres
planned for ATV use
By Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. New Hampshire parks officials expected to complete a deal today that gives them ownership of 72-hundred acres in Berlin for a new state park providing hundreds of miles of trails for all-terrain vehicle use.

The park will be the first-of-its-kind in New England. The closest similar park is in West Virginia, though one is planned for a former strip mine in Cambria County in western Pennsylvania.

New Hampshire riders have long complained they have few places to ride their all-terrain vehicles, and conflicts between riders and private landowners have risen as A-T-V popularity has soared.


State takes ownership of 7,200 acres planned for
ATV use
By Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. New Hampshire parks officials expected to complete a deal today that gives them ownership of 72-hundred acres in Berlin for a new state park providing hundreds of miles of trails for all-terrain vehicle use.

The park will be the first-of-its-kind in New England. The closest similar park is in West Virginia, though one is planned for a former strip mine in Cambria County in western Pennsylvania.

New Hampshire riders have long complained they have few places to ride their all-terrain vehicles, and conflicts between riders and private landowners have risen as A-T-V popularity has soared.


Texas Off-Highway Vehicle program is about to start
By Associated Press

TAUSTIN — A new law just going into effect requires people who buy or own any four-wheel drive vehicle sold for off road use on public land in Texas to buy an annual decal includes motorcycles, or any other four-wheel drive vehicle. Golf Carts and two-wheel drive Dune buggies are exempt unless either is a four-wheel drive for now.

Decal sales revenue will fund grants to create or improve motor vehicle parks in Texas where off road activities can be enjoyed.

Decals are not required for OHV use on private lands.

For the first year of the program, the OHV decal will cost $8 and will be current from Jan. 1-Aug. 31, 2006. After the first year, OHV decals will be good from Sept. 1 through the following Aug. 31, matching the TPWD fiscal year.

OHV decals are now available for sale, and game wardens will begin enforcing the new rules. A person caught riding on public land without a decal could be issued a citation and fined.

Decals can be purchased over the phone with a credit card by calling 512-389-8917. Eventually, decals may be sold over the Internet and at some OHV parks and dealerships.  

The 78th Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 155 several years ago, which closed all navigable stream beds in Texas, except for some parts of the Canadian and Red Rivers, to motorized recreational vehicles. That law also directed TPWD to “facilitate development of sites for motor vehicle recreation other than protected freshwater areas.”

The more recent 79th Texas Legislature in 2005 enacted Senate Bill 1311, which created the new OHV decal and program administered by the department.

Funds come from a portion of the federal gas tax generated by gasoline purchases to utilize off-road recreational vehicles, such as off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. A federal requirement is that 30 percent of the funds be spent on motorized recreational trail projects.

There is a growing demand for OHV recreation areas in Texas, and most off-road enthusiasts will tell you there are too few places for people to ride.

The agency has been directed by the legislature to provide more OHV opportunities. We want to do that in ways that are safe and environmentally sustainable and that maintain good relations with neighbors and local communities.

Relatively few public parks or public lands in Texas currently allow OHV recreation. The department is compiling a list of public parks or land where OHV recreation is legal. This list can be got from the TP&W web site news releases.

Eisenhower State Park north of Dallas is the only state park that offers OHV recreation, but only in a 10-acre Mini Bike Park within the state park. TPWD wildlife management areas are not open to recreational trail riding; however, ATV use by people with disabilities who have an official placard or license plate is allowed for them to travel to and from hunting or fishing locations in Wildlife Management Areas.

The legislation defines “off-highway vehicle” as either (1) an all-terrain vehicle, as defined by Section 663.001 of the Transportation Code; (2) an off-highway motorcycle; or (3) any other four-wheel drive vehicle not registered to be driven on a highway.

The new decal is required for any OHV operating in Texas on public land or on land purchased with grant funding from TP&W.

There is a lot more to this act. You can go to the TP&W web site to find out more about it.


ATV rules prompt campsite buyout
Last updated Feb 17 2006 10:42 AM AST
CBS News

The province is offering to buy out campsite leases in the Tobeatic Wilderness Area to limit all-terrain vehicle traffic.

Lease owners have until March 31 to take the government up on its offer of $20,000 per camp.

The offer comes as the government prepares to bring in new rules to protect environmentally sensitive areas around Nova Scotia from ATV traffic.

Under the off-highway vehicle plan, ATV riders will only be allowed in wilderness areas if they have specific licences to maintain or remove a campsite structure.

As such, Environment Minister Kerry Morash expects most leaseholders will accept the $20,000 offer.

"It's a long walk and I expect we will have take up on this voluntary transfer," Morash said. "I think it's good for everybody."

The Tobeatic, in the southwestern part of the province, is the largest protected wilderness area in Nova Scotia. Its 103,780 hectares cover parts of five counties.

Steven Gray says the government can keep its money. He says his family has had a camp in the Tobeatic since the 1800s.

"It's a big part of the family heritage, and it has a significant value in that way and so does the sight, where it's been travelled by my family for generations," Gray said.

Gray says there are too many unanswered questions about what happens to lease owners who don't agree to the amount.

The province says it hasn't decided what to do with people who don't sign on.

The Tobeatic Wilderness Advisory Committee says the province is moving in the right direction. It's hoping all campsite structures will eventually be removed from the wilderness area.


ATVs not legal on all terrain in the state of Kentucky
Thursday, February 16, 2006; Posted: 11:15 a.m. EDT
BY JUSTIN VERST
COMMUNITY RECORDER GUEST COLUMNIST

Under Kentucky Revised Statutes, a person shall not operate an all terrain vehicle (ATV) upon any public highway or roadway or upon the right-of-way of any public highway or roadway. There is an exception to this law for vehicles specifically authorized to operate on public highways prior to the law's effect on July 15, 1998. Also public highways that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet or a city or county government may designate for use of ATVs would be excepted.

Kentucky law provides that a person shall not operate an all terrain vehicle on private property without the consent of the land owner, tenant or individual responsible for the property. Also, a person shall not operate an all terrain vehicle on public property unless the governmental agency responsible for the property has approved the use of the ATVs on the public property.

A person operating an ATV on public property is required to wear approved protective headgear at all times the vehicle is in motion. However, the approved headgear requirement does not apply when the operator of the ATV is engaged in farming or agricultural activities, mining activities, logging activities, or any other business, commercial or industrial activity. Also, the use of protective headgear is not required if the ATV is being used on private property.

A person under the age of 16 years is not permitted to operate any ATV with an engine size exceeding 90 cubic centimeters displacement and a person under 16 years also is not permitted to operate an ATV except under direct parental supervision.

A child under the age of 12 years is not permitted to operate an ATV with an engine size exceeding 70 cubic centimeters displacement and without direct parental supervision.

ATVs may be operated on any two lane public highway only for the purpose of crossing the highway in which case the operator must cross the highway at as close to a 90 degree angle as is practical and safe and shall not travel on the highway for more than two-tenths of a mile. Also, a person may operate an ATV on a two lane public highway if the operator is engaged in farm or agricultural related activities, construction, road maintenance or snow removal.

There is a criminal penalty for violation of the above noted laws concerning ATVs which seems to be very low, being only a fine of up to $50 plus court costs, which are currently $146.50. Of course, if someone is injured as a result of the operation of the ATV, there could also be civil lawsuits which seem to be filed these days in ever increasing numbers.

Justin Verst is the Campbell County attorney. He can be reached at 331 York Street, Newport, Kentucky 41071 or fax to me at 491-5932 or e-mail our office at jdvcca@fuse.net


ATV enthusiasts kick up dirt.
February 12, 2006
By PATRICE ST. GERMAIN
patrices@ad.gannett.comRiding into an area he has ridden several times before, Jay Var Campbell said he's still amazed by the scenery.

The worst day on the trail ATVing, he said, is better than the best day at work.

Campbell, president of this year's Tri-State ATV Club Jamboree, went out riding Tuesday with a group of club members and Doug Miller of "Outdoors with Doug Miller."

The ride was to promote the Jamboree, which is scheduled for March.
ATV riding has increased in popularity, and with the weather and stunning scenery in Southern Utah, it's no wonder the Tri-State club's membership and jamboree is growing in numbers
.
There are several reasons for the increase in popularity. The area's population is aging, ATVs provide a chance to get out where poor health would be prohibitive otherwise. Also, the Bureau of Land Management has designated trails for ATV use.

"I've been riding for about eight years and I like being out in the backcounty, but I'm not a hiker." said club secretary Cindy Bowden. "I have bad knees and bad hips. (on an ATV) you get to see some beautiful country and you can't meet anybody nicer than the ATVers."

When the club was formed four years ago, it started out with less than 100 members. Each year, the number of members has increased and now there are 222.

The club recently came up with a code of honor, which is to keep the trails open by keeping them clean, stay on the path and also stay in a group and use the buddy system.

Bowden said the club rides together about twice a m