Say no to new ATV trails in Crow Wing

Robert Manning

Couched in protecting our environment, chair Franzen of the Board of Crow Wing County Commissioners stated to the board, "I want to protect the environment as much as anyone else"... by putting ATVs on the ground.

ATVs running in our woods 24/7 all year long serves as a means to protect our environment? Not if you are a citizen who has firsthand experience of living nearby where these machines roam. As one of these citizens, I experience the degradation and damage by the ever increasing number of ATVs. Must we have our officials continually encourage destruction of our environment, our habitat, our sense of peace, quiet and safety on an ongoing basis?

This is not a welcome message to the Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners who claim, as their chair states, to be concerned with the environment on one hand, while on the other court large groups of ATV machines and riders from far distances (including China, we were told recently) to run the trails that Chair Franzen wishes to "put on the ground."

The invited ATV leader to Tuesday's meeting noted that there are only 12 miles of trails for ATV riders in Crow Wing County. It sounded pitiful and convincing until a local citizen corrected him with the fact that there are more than 160 miles of approved trails for ATVs in Crow Wing County now. Who can we trust to watch over the environment for ourselves and for future generations?

Isn't it time to just say NO to new ATV trail development in our county? Can't our Crow Wing County commissioners find anything better to do with their time and our money than spend it on new ATV trails? Can your stomach take any more?

Source: http://www.pineandlakes.com/stories/030409/opinion_20090304023.shtml

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