Nearly 40 States Take Action - Highlights 2007-08

Thousands of Americans responsibly use off-road vehicles for work and recreation. But a growing number of reckless riders damage public and private land, get themselves hurt, burden law enforcement, and ruin hunting, fishing and hiking experiences for the rest of us. Their actions are creating a backlash from sportsmen, property owners, ranchers, safety advocates, and taxpayers tired of paying to clean up the mess from irresponsible riders.

Since the beginning of 2007, 39 states have considered 78 pieces of legislation dealing with reckless riders, including: supporting law enforcement, protecting hunting and fishing, stopping private property damage, and improving safety. Of these proposals:

  • 37 addressed ORV law enforcement gaps with measures such as tougher penalties for reckless riding, increased funding and license plates.
  • 21 moved to protect private property owners through tougher laws for property damage and excessive noise.
  • 32 targeted ORV safety issues, especially child riders.
  • 18 worked to protect ORV-threatened or damaged hunting lands and fishing streams.

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State-By-State Community Action

Reckless off-roading is a fifty-state problem. To learn more about community action in your state, click on a link below:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California
Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia
Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa
Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland
Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey
New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio
Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina
South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont
Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

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State by State Momentum

Community Voices

“As a rancher who leases public lands for cattle, I’ve seen my share of cut fences and rangeland damaged by ORV use. I’ve also experienced ORV trespass onto my private lands. But I’ve had no way to identify the culprits when reporting trespass or illegal ORV use to local law enforcement. Congress should require that ORVs used on public lands have visible identification plates or decals. Doing so would remove the anonymity enjoyed by ORV riders who are bent on breaking the rules.”

- Ambers Thornburgh, second-generation rancher from Oregon who grazes cattle on his private land and adjacent lands leased from the Bureau of Land Management