New Jersey

Elizabeth Skrapits

HANOVER TWP. - All-terrain vehicle riders shredded through newly planted grass, ripped down about 150 feet of fencing and torched a bale of hay that continued to smolder into Monday evening at an Earth Conservancy-owned former mine-waste dump.

"There are ATV tracks throughout the 10-acre area that have just torn up the grass," Earth Conservancy Director of Public Affairs and Development Jacqueline Dickman said. "It's very, very disappointing, after putting so much effort into the reclamation, then having it just beat up that way over the weekend."

Jean Jones

Commercial TWP.- State police are continuing their crackdown on illegal off-road riding by conducting sweeps and responding with their own ATVs.

Sgt. Gerald Kuhar, the new commander at the Port Norris station, told the Commercial Township Committee last week that on two weekends police "hit the sand plants" in Maurice River and Commercial townships and issued 20 summonses.

Ben Meritt

HAMMONTON -- A municipal ordinance that would regulate the use of all-terrain and off-road vehicles will undergo more scrutiny before it is formally presented to Town Council later this year.

The council's Law and Order Committee -- which includes Mayor John DiDonato, Councilman Ed Wuillermin and Councilwoman Tracy Petrongolo -- will review the measure, solicitor Brian Howell said.

Rob Spahr

FOLSOM - All-terrain vehicle riders could soon face tighter restrictions on where and how they ride in the borough.

The Borough Council introduced an ordinance Wednesday night that will prohibit the use of all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and dirt bikes on public property, limited access highways and public streets.

Edward Van Embden

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - Addressing recent requests from the local governing body, troopers from the State Police's Buena Vista barracks have stepped up patrols of hotspots for illegally riding all-terrain vehicles throughout the area.

Calling it a process of education, Station Commander Lt. Joseph Shanahan informed township Mayor Chuck Chiarello that troopers are conducting ATV-specific enforcement details across the township.

Shanahan said the goal is not to write tickets - although that can happen - but to inform riders that they are breaking the law even by riding in places that may seem remote. Trails and sandpits in the township are attractive to riders but are often private property or part of nature preserves, he said.

Fred Akers

As the New Jersey state Legislature moves to protect the public from rampant illegal all-terrain vehicle riding, Sen. Jeff Van Drew is working hard to protect his special interests in the off-road vehicle industry by voting against a desperately needed registration and enforcement program that would protect taxpayers and save them money.

His lame argument against registration and increased ORV enforcement is that the registration will require a fee to administer the program, which he is calling a tax, and he is now saying he is against taxes because the state is being taxed to death.

Tim Zatzariny Jr.

BUENA VISTA -- State police here spent the weekend trying to put the brakes on illegal all-terrain vehicle use.

Between Saturday and Sunday, state police issued a total of six summonses, as well as several warnings, for illegal ATV operation at various locations in Buena Vista and neighboring Folsom. Troopers also passed out more than 30 pamphlets containing information explaining proper ATV use.

Christina Paciolla

MONROE TWP. The Pinelands Municipal Council, a group of officials representing Pinelands' communities that work with the Pinelands Commission regarding legislature, have again approved a resolution calling for off-road vehicle laws.

"There is no legislation out there controlling ATV (all-terrain vehicle) use and as a result, we've got open space and public lands getting torn up by local ATV riders," said Anthony Mazzella, secretary of the council.

Joseph P. Smith

BUENA VISTA -- A push for new rules on owning and riding all-terrain vehicles and other off-road rides still is finding conditions slow and bumpy in Trenton.

Buena Vista is among rural communities that want the kind of crackdown proposed legislation would bring on issues like under-18 drivers, registration, insurance and fines for outlaw riders that chew up public and private property.