Minnesota

Recent Legislative Action

2009

SF1655: Increases penalties for ORV violations including revoking riding rights and vehicle impoundment for reckless riding and environmental damage (3/18/09: Passed Environment Committee; sent to Judiciary)

HF376: Ensures that riders under 12 are supervised by 18 or older (3/23/09: Passed Environmental Policy Committee)

HF1237: For riding in wetlands, ORV riders will face tougher criminal penalties, a year-long ban on riding and, if caught a second time, seizure and forfeiture of their makes reckless destruction of wetlands a gross misdemeanor, which carries penalties of up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $3,000. That offense now is a misdemeanor. Anyone convicted of wetland violations or illegal riding in rivers, lakes, state parks or state natural areas will be barred from operating an ATV for a year under the new law.  (5/22/09: Signed into law)

2008

HF4028: Creates and increases penalties for reckless riding, habitat destruction and private property damage; creates "ORV damage account" (3/13/08: Introduced to House)

2007

SF1538: Requires the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to prescribe a season for off highway vehicle use on state forest lands (exception for posted winter trails), and establishes a program to promote responsible riding without environmental harm. (3/16/07: In Finance Committee at adjournment)

Community Voices Demand Action in Minnesota

• "ATV riders sometimes adopt a Second Amendment mentality - they have a God-given right to ride where they please and the public be damned. That doesn't endear them to the populace. Homeowners are anguished at convoys of four-wheelers roaring past their residences, tearing up their driveways, eroding their ditches and putting the fear of God in motorists who can't see them approaching...Policing riders is of concern locally, as to who will pick up the costs. Only one deputy patrols trails, checking for licenses, helmets, alcohol use and other violations." -- Park Rapids Enterprise Editorial Board, "Legislating change for ATV riders will challenge us all", Park Rapids Enterprise (10/8/08)

• "It actually gets worse because ATVs and snowmobiles are kind of shredding through people's properties to get to the hill and basically terrorizing the neighborhood." -- Vanda Heuring, homeowner in New London, "Off-road vehicles damaging popular New London sledding hill", West Central Tribune (9/29/08)

• “I chose to live in a rural area for the peace and quiet, country lifestyle...Why are the rights of the ATV club superseding my rights as a property owner? I’m not against ATVs. My dad has one. We have snowmobiles. Are you going to listen to the voice of the people who will have to deal with this trail every day? Ask yourself this, if this trail was going within 50 feet of your front door – would you still be in favor of it?” -- Angie Hins, property owner, "'Don't tread on me:' ATV trail foes again attend meeting", Brainerd Dispatch (4/28/10)

• "Last June I observed three all-terrain vehicles leave a closed trail in a state forest...In this case I was able to catch the registration number of one of the trailing ATVs and directly reported it to the local conservation officer. I was assured that the complaint would be followed up ASAP, meaning when the officer was finished with an identical complaint over 30 miles away. Every minute spent on these was a minute that could not be allocated to fishing regulations, boating or invasive species education and enforcement." -- Mike Lein, writer of Letter to Editor, Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/21/08)

• "We need the Legislature to put a brake on the DNR's reckless ATV policy in the coming session. If something is not done soon, many of our beautiful state forests and wetlands will be ruined for decades to come, and many simply will never recover." -- Val Cunningham, St. Paul resident and writer of Letter to the Editor, "ATV enthusiasts are dictating DNR policy", Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/22/08)

• "[DNR Commissioner Mark] Holsten's decision [to restrict ORVs during deer season] is a victory for deer hunters fed up with non-licensed hunters who tear around the woods illegally during the firearms deer season. Even among Nemadji hunters who legally use ATVs, there was outrage over the reckless riding that occurred during hunting hours. One Nemadji hunter last year said the motorcyclists were lucky they didn't get shot -- by accident or not." -- Chris Niskanen, Outdoors Columnist, "Hunters cheer new ATV limits", St. Paul Pioneer Press (9/20/08)

• "The thrill of playing in the mud is apparently hard for some people to resist. Nothing else can explain the frequency with which riders of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) stray off designated trails to churn pristine wetlands into ugly rutted mudholes...But stiffer fines and penalties, including the confiscation of the machines of purposeful offenders, would likely be a more effective deterrent to riders tempted to play in the mud." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune Editorial Board, "Stiffer fines in order for ATV renegades", Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/17/08)

• "In three minutes he terrorized the entire campground...We made a simple choice: we lose, you win." George Carleton describing why he and his wife no longer visit Land O' Lakes State Forest after an ORV rider on a yellow dirt-bike roared by children riding tricycles." -- George Carleton, former Land O' Lakes State Forest campground users, "Resentment grows as ATV users, others try to share state forests", Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/15/08)

• "If we have all these bad apples digging up the mud all over the place...pretty soon no one is going to have a spot to ride." -- Dan Scholl, President Eastern Morrison County 4-Wheeler Club, "Part I: Renegade riders", Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/15/08)

• "It seems like some of them think they can ride anywhere they wish regardless of what guidelines and laws there are." -- Matt Miller, State Conservation Officer, "Part 1: Renegade riders", Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/15/08)

• "It's pretty discouraging...Here we have clubs that are supposed to be promoting good things about riding ATVs responsibly, and they're actually doing different when they're out there, where nobody can see them." -- Cary Shoutz, DNR Conservation Officer investigating reported wetland damage during an ATV club-sponsored ride, "Part II: Renegade riders", Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/16/08)

• "It's almost arrogance on the part of some of these people where they can drive and what they can do." --Pat Znajda, Conservation officer for the Department of Natural Resources in Stephen, Minnesota, "DNR targets baiting, ATV violations", Grand Forks Herald (11/12/06)

• "Fine them big time and word will get around fast." -- ATV owner, proponent of higher fines for reckless riding, "ATV owners volunteer to police their own", Faribault County Register (8/11/08)

• "I think the first thing we'll see is just that having that visibility out there of the trail ambassadors is going to keep those few bad apples out there, hopefully behaving themselves a little bit more...When there's some eyes and ears out there and people know that they're being watched, they have a tendancy to not do bad things." -- Mike Hammer, DNR Division of Enforcement Education Coordinator, "New trail ambassadors will be 'eyes and ears' for DNR", Minnesota Public Radio (4/4/08)

• "We are not enforcement officers, so we cannot confront them. But what we'll do is just make note of it. If we have a chance to talk to them on the trail, we'll just say 'how you doing? Here's some regulations. Oh, I noticed that you went off the trail. You really aren't supposed to do that. Here's the regulations that show you the laws in case you weren't aware of that." -- Cheryle Young, a member of the North Metro Trail Riders ATV Club from Coon Rapids, "New trail ambassadors will be 'eyes and ears' for DNR", Minnesota Public Radio (4/4/08)

Recent ORV-Related Media Coverage