ATV clubs

[Roofer]

Does anyone know about what your clubs are doing for us? I can't say because I don't know. Is there any money involved to get anything accomplished. I have seen some that are $20-$30 a year membership. You can't get anything done with that little money, especially when the opposers have federal money. Am I way off here? Anyone want to get something going with some real authority, members, and money?

If this is out of line mods, feel free to edit and/or erase this thread.

[Scott K]

Do you have ideas? Or are you just looking to donate the $$. I think the biggest issue is the people sitting in office have never seen an atv, nonetheless been on a trail. What they think is all bad that these machines do, try to convince otherwise is words spoken on deaf ears. Thats been my expirence.

[Roofer]

I hear you on the deaf ears.

I don't donate to anything, so that's not it. I want a group of people who are willing to try new ways to be able to ride. Like maybe a group to buy land or something more private. Or maybe going somewhere else. Going public and including EVERYONE doesn't seem to work. I don't know, maybe I'm way out of line. Any ideas??

I want to abide by the rules, but they are just making it too easy to go the other way and be rebelious. I don't want to be that way because that is what hurts the sport.

[Scott K]

See my post on tires!

[Dave]

Roofer,

ATVAM is the Minnesota ATV Association and they help all ATV Clubs in MN. If anything, sending some $$ to ATVAM is reasonable and that money is used to help fight for more trails in MN. It's actually quite cheap membership, if you ask me, to join ATVAM. Which remionds me I have to renew ATVAM is the group that fights down at the capital to keep the trails open.

The smaller ATV Clubs are formed in areas around the state so they can have their own club rides together with people in their area and make new friends. They don;'t have to rely on ATVAM to create ride trips. The smaller clubs can also hold events to raise money for their own club, too. If that club wanted to buy some private land for riding, great. The smaller clubs have meetings to gain info, come up with new trail ideas or plans and they start there and filter into ATVAM to help get the trails approved and on the ground. Remember, ATVAM people are volunteers. They work hard and are very helpful. ATVAM works with the clubs and the DNR to make sure everything is par during planning and building stages. They really do one heck of a good job!

[Roofer]

I know what ATVAM is. You obviously don't know me.

Anyhow, atvam does some great things. I was thinking something different.

Like doing something that the riders want, not giving in to what ever anyone else wants. I know, it sounds like ignorant talk, but it's the only way to put it on the WWW.

[Dave S]

Unfortunately, acquiring land involves politics. With current land prices ranging between $5-7.5K per acre, not too many clubs are capable of coming up with the necessary funds to purchase this land. At least here in southern MN. This is the frustrating part when the GIA fund has over $8 million. Roofer, I can understand how you feel. We put our funds into the registrations, and we see very little if any return in the southern half of the state.

The DNR isn't in the business of negotiating contracts with private land owners. That's where we get stuck with the double edged sword as clubs struggling to genereate the funds to make the land acquisitions.

[Dave]

Roofer, your right, I don't know you

Land's a lot cheaper way up north but, that doesn't help any riders down here either. I think I understand what you're saying now but, it's a tough thing to do.

[Roofer]

Thanks for the reply's guys. It has to be even worse down south. I have only been down there once to ride, but I can just imagine how it is to drive so far just to ride.

I have found land this year for about $750 an acre, but there was a swamp surrounding the high ground of 160 acres. Now, how is this land ever going to be useful or valuable with the rules we have now? The Realtor said to bring an atv with, but there wasn't a good way to get to it unless it was winter. I ended up walking to try to find this land, but never got to see any of the property. The rules will have to change in order for some land to be useful. This was near Isle.