Another reason not to allow ATV (and snowmobiles) on state property is that they burn gasoline, thus emit pollution particles and greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Our DNR evidentially doesn't think there is anything wrong in burning gasoline frivolously like that.
Mike Neuman "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." - Ansel Adams --------- Forwarded message ---------- MON., OCT 29, 2007 - 4:50 PM Wester: Say no to ATVs in state forest By Dave Wester Managers of the Northern Highlands-American Legion State Forest in Northern Wisconsin want comments on two proposed ATV trails, as discussed in the State Journal by Pat Durkin on Sept. 10. The Northern Highlands-American Legion State Forest now does not include ATV trails, and it is hard to imagine why the managers want them. Through rude behavior and a callous disregard for natural resources and the law, ATV enthusiasts have proven themselves to be the bad boys of the outdoors. If you don't already know that, do an electronic search for ATV abuses. You will get almost two million results, with Wisconsin figuring into many of them. ATV trails on public lands lead to ATVs in public campgrounds which, through noisy, rude and inconsiderate behavior, change the nature of the campgrounds. For example, in mid-October I was the only person camped at the national forest's 25-unit Sailor Lake Campground near Park Falls until a group with at least nine ATVs, two vehicles and a large camper decided they had to crowd into the site right next to mine -- at 2:00 a.m. They erected a tent, hollered to each other, and then started a generator that ran until morning. My trip was salvaged only when the Forest Service allowed me to move to another campground. (I understand the Forest Service later cited the group for various violations.) I was certainly not the first person to be driven out of a campground by ATVers. Most non-ATVers avoid campgrounds with heavy ATV use. ATVs by default become an exclusive use. They do not play well with others. The DNR's electronic response form asks you to state the positive features of each alternative trail proposed for the state forest. There are no positive features. Oh, some people might say that providing a place for ATVs to do their thing is a positive feature, but that is like saying that a positive feature of a bank is that it provides the likes of Jesse James a place to do his thing. Some DNR managers seem to feel they have an obligation to provide recreation for any interest that has achieved "critical mass," as ATV enthusiasts certainly have. That's bowing to politics, not managing resources. ATV enthusiasts are now a political force. Nothing else can explain why public land managers are trying to accommodate them. They certainly do no good for the natural resources. And by the way, according to Silent Sports magazine's web site, a DNR lawyer has already determined that the agency is not obligated to provide trails for ATVs. The downside of a democracy is that we can vote ourselves right onto the garbage heap of resource exploitation unless public land managers are willing to take stands for the resources they are charged with protecting. Let them know you want them to protect the resources by not providing ATV trails in the Northern Highlands-American Legion State Forest. The electronic response form is available at dnr.wi.gov/forestry/input, and you must submit it by Thursday. Wester lives in Elroy. http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/other/index.php?ntid=253892&ntpid= 2 _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
