Blue Earth county is next, your rights are slipping away!!!

[Benny]

Now Blue Earth county is proposing a ditch riding ban,it will become a domino effect.
Soon we won't have any place to ride besides the designated trails , and only when the DNR says we can.Not bashing the DNR here, they are tring to help us but they don't control the ditchs.
You ATV riders in these countys DO,if you don't start standing up and taking a stab at the anti's, they will soon have all your rights taken away.

I do agree there are some trouble areas where some one-who-thinks-I-am-silly just couldn't help but to rip up a land owners drive way.But we need to enforce the current laws not let the anti's ban them for ever out of the ditchs.

Now there won't be any way a local resident can ride out his drive way and down the ditch to see if his friend and neighbor is doing.He will have to trailor it to that persons yard, then ride up to the door.
What fun that will be.

It is up to the locals not us people who may trailor thier ATV's to a favorite site to ride.The people who reside in these counties are the ONLY ones who can vote on the ban.

Benny

[Rip_Some_Lip]

Benny, I read that last week also. I live in Mankato and have an atv. I dont ride it around here much other than hunting and fishing. I would hate for them to ban it though. The same thing will happen in Rice County where I work Im guessing. There are trails in alot of ditches and people are tearing them up, even the ones that are mowed nice. What needs to happen is for the DNR to buy some old gravel pits and turn them into atv areas. Its always the few "bad ones" that screw it up for the majority.

[Benny]

Yes your exactly right, it is only a few clowns who just can't ride like a normal person.
I am all for going out to a sand pit or an old mine pit and rip around have fun.But respect the private property and areas sensitive to the damage an ATV can and will cause if driven by an one-who-thinks-I-am-silly.

We fello ATVers must police our own ranks and get these people who can't respect any thing, but untill we can get a handle on them we must also fight to keep the ditches open so we can ride to those trails we so love to ride.
If the people who live in those counties don't speek up and think "Oh they won't close my county" are all in for a rude awakaning next time they try to drive down the ditch to the next door neighbors house for a cup of coffe.

Itasca,St Louis,Koocheging(sp?) and Rousou counties all have planned meetings for early next year.
They will pass a ban if the residents don't speel out against it.

Benny

[Benny]

Just a btt to show how many counties in just this month alone that have or are banning ATV riders from the ditches.

Benny

[Dave]

Rip_some_lip, sorry to say but even the Gilbert offroad recreation area (read: ATV Park) up north, has been criticized and spoken against by some groups. I agree with ya thou, some riders do need a kick in the pants.

[Guest]

I'm not even an ATV owner, but all of these "bans" and restrictions I read about are assanine! It's like banning driving because some folks are poor drivers and cause damage or do stupid things. There are alot of poor motorcycle drivers who have loud exhaust systems and drive like idiots, but NOBODY is talking about banning bike riding. If the DNR or our state legislature made the plates larger (so it's easier to see the plate from a distance) and increased the fines for damage to property would help. How about making all drivers have to have an endorsement on their license (like a motorcycle operator) and increasing the age to at least 16 before you are allowed to operate an ATV? Just my 2 cents worth. If nothing is done the tree hugging bleeders will win in their continued well intended, yet extremely ignorant and naive assault on all of our rights as outdoorsmen (not outdoors person).

[Dave]

Uncle Dave,
Your logic is right on the money concerning these 'bans'. And, some of your suggestions have already been proposed. Increased plate size is difficult becasue of some machine size and was found it really wouldn't help the situation. Increased fines have been legislated last session and enforcement has been increasing since then. To have an endorsement on your license would be a tough sell also since no other recreational vehicle (dirt bike, PWC, snowmobile, boat, etc., etc) to not need one, and every one of those recreations has its bad apples as well. Lastly, 12 years old is more than enough to ride responsibly. Youth riders do need a safety certificate and this is a family recreation, just like many other recreations where 12 year-olds can participate on their own. Remember, 12 year-olds can shoot guns.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I own an ATV. I also own a motorcycle, snowmobiles, and a boat. I go hunting. I go fishing. I'm part of many different groups that recieve a lot of critisism for a few "Bad apples." Fortunately for us ATV owners the sport has recently taken off and gotten popular. There are many motorcycle and snowmobile clubs in the state that do their share of lobbying in the legislature to make sure they can enjoy their sport. Most of these groups started when their particular sport was getting popular. Now is the time to join forces and make the common voice be heard instead of poking stabs at each other.

[Guest]

did it get outlawed?????

[Benny]

Don't know what happened there.No one has heard if the ban went through or not.
Maybe Dave knows????

Benny

[Dave]

I haven't heard either.

[Little_Bones]

Yes it is very irritating that the vocal few are trying to take away our enjoyment because of a few bad apples. Duluth has banned ATV's in the city. The problems stated were already against the law. We need enforcment. One of our councilors even suggested that we need to "put up" for our sport, buy a trailer and go somewhere where riding is allowed. In my letter to the editor I suggested that the bikers, hikers, walkers, using the trials that our public money provides "put up" by charging them a license fee to use the trails..... WE need to voice our opinions. There is a meeting in Ogilvie Mn thur night on this very subject. If you can attend great, if you can't at least write a letter. This is the same problems that we had with snowmobiles in the late 70's early 80's. We solved the problem by 1. Regulate it. 2. Created a 22K miles of trails 3. enforce it. We have more registered ATV's in MN than snowmobiles and there are 749 miles of ATV designated trails in mn (per DNR HSOforum). Note: I don't hear about this problem in Wisconsin where there is 5500 + miles of ATV trails.
Get to meetings and voice your opinions.
Jim Walters

[Guest]

well any news yet??????

[Benny]

As far as I know it didn't have the support the anti's wanted.But I would not rest easy as this new bill introduced in the legeslature will surely fuel the green people all over again.

Benny