Comments on: Burying the facts does not eliminate the truth about off road vehicles on public lands

By: adam

adam — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 03:14:48 +0000

we should close all “wild” areas to any and all human contact. this would be the only way to protect the environment completely. then no one can use it and everybody should be happy right? extremes of both worlds are what make it into the articles and pages like this. we could have naturalist parks where they could flock too on the weekend to watch nature with the hundreds of others who like to do the same. it could be something like a library, very quiet and serene. and we can have off road parks where they can all flock too as well. and the rest of the land is off limits. and while we are at it. we should also have mandatory birthcontrol. sort of like a lottery. only the lucky ones to be drawn in the raffle can have kids. this would help with population control to limit the effects on the land. as well we should outlaw helmets of all kinds. may as well ban seatbelts too. both of those items contribute to over population.

By: Tim Murray

Tim Murray — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 04:14:51 +0000

BAN ATVs

I wished I had a rocket-launcher to deal with the ATVs and snow-mobiles
I encounter in the woods. These operators claim to want to enjoy a
natural experience but they are destroying mine and those of every hiker
and cross-country skier in ear-shot. How can these barbarians enjoy
nature if they can’t even hear it? What gives them the right to usurp my
enjoyment?
The FDA screens out all harmful drugs before they are permitted release
onto the market. Why then aren’t these toys first screened for their
environmental impact before they are allowed to be unleashed on the
innocent bystander? We act as though there are only two parties involved
here. One the product manufacturer or retailer who wants to make a buck
selling these noise machines, and two the insensitive moron who wants to
operate them.
There is a third party. The person, the people, who want to experience
the forest and the meadows as they are meant to be experienced, in peace
and tranquillity. That’s why people leave the cities to go to them. If
you like motorized transport, stay in urban Canada, which every day
encroaches on precious wilderness. If you like the forest, walk,
snow-shoe, or ski. If you like the water, row, canoe or kayak. Leave
your ATVs, snow-mobiles, outboard motors and jet-skis behind. Only
police and rescue personnel, or those in the serious business of making
a living have any justification to use them.
If regulation and a shift in attitudes will not chase these rednecks out
of the woods, then maybe the imminent collapse of fossil fuel production
will.
Hallelujah.

PS My friend Keith Hobson of Saskatoon had a more sober suggestion: short of banning them a surcharge should go on the sale of these machines and be put into an environmental recovery fund. But how would that recover my peace of mind and lost nature experience?

Tim Murray
Quathiaski Cove, B.C.
V0P 1N0

By: Trevor

Trevor — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:33:25 +0000

Face it, everyone has a right to voice their own opinion and point fingers where they see fit. This issue has been going on for many years, and will continue to go on for many more. You don’t like it? GET INVOLVED! Whether your an environmentalist or an off road user…. those who win are those who buddy up with the right people and work hard to get the results…. Sometimes the squeeky wheel does get the grease, even if its just to shut it up….

By: TRI

TRI — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:56:38 +0000

Jason,

I’d love to see the literature you are speaking of. By your logic it should first apologize for all the houses the club members own and address their own impact on urban sprawl before getting into the reason they started the club in the first place?

Why don’t you just take it a step further and recommend that everyone just kill themselves in order to protect the environment?

A 3rd grader could make a better argument than that.

By: TRI

TRI — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:53:54 +0000

Derek,

You obviously haven’t read any of your own off road enthusiast propaganda. I bet you think that stuff is totally fair and unbiased.

By: jason

jason — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:54:51 +0000

I hope he lives under the stars with no lodging and walks to work in his bare feet. to talk about distruction of land and not focus on the expantion of the growing cities and distruction to the land area his house is sitting on is absolutly hypocritacal. how much impact has that development had on the enviroment? his urban dwelling has had more impact on the wild life then any off roader has.I dont disagree there is some people who disreguard rules and regulations set up to allow the continued use of the areas, but there are numerous clubs helping to eliminate that through education for the general public.

By: TRI

TRI — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:05:42 +0000

He did say the “core group” in his characterization. This stigma was created by off roaders themselves. It sucks being thrown into a big pile when you don’t agree with the group you are thrown into.

Happens all the time. Conservationists are dealt with this way every single day. Off road enthusiasts throw us all into the same pile and paint us with a wide brush as tree huggers and anti-everything.

If you want to fight for recognition as being different from the majority, you have no choice but to do what we do and keep getting the word out the best you can.

But there’s no denying that most off roaders could give a rats ass about what they run over. They say as much in their blogs and propaganda without apology.

The characterization Horejsi puts forth above is dead on in that regard, despite any small outlying groups who seek to be seen differently.

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:47:40 +0000

Nothing like grouping all offroaders together. Look into it a bit there are clubs out there that are trying to maintain the sport and the environment. Not all of us are “machine and party idolizing young males best characterized as environmental deadbeats”. Do some homework

By: Derek Schaffer

Derek Schaffer — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:17:49 +0000

That letter from Horesji had to be the most ignorant one sided piece of trash I have ever seen written.

By: John Reynolds

John Reynolds — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 17:38:14 +0000

Here in MN the land of 2 ATV makers they are out of control too. Our very own DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten pushed to allow ATV riders to literally ride anywhere in the forest trail or no trail.

Here’s how the MN DNR treats ongoing ATV erosion into a fish spawning stream during spawning season.

http://www.angelfire.com/mn3/dnrdocuments/haycreek.html