ATVs leave trails of destruction

Written by The Times Union

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Letter writer Pat Stanley (July 18) is just wrong when stating that ATV trails work well for other states.

A recent paper written by the Sierra Club documents that illegal ATV use has not declined in states that have established ATV trails. In fact, the trails seem to provide a means for ATV riders to gain access to still more places that they don't belong. Massachusetts was forced to close state forest access that it had previously opened to ATV riders because it could not control their bad behavior.

Yes, there are problems associated with logging, but ATV riding should not be compared to logging. Logging is a legitimate industry whereas ATV riding is too often just destructive activity disguised as recreation.

Bruce Krug
Constableville

Source: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=821922&category=OPINION

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

State by State Momentum

Community Voices

“During the past decade, I have personally had six out of seven elk hunts ruined by the careless intrusions of ATV operators. This epidemic has forced me to abandon one prime hunting area after another, only to encounter the same situation elsewhere. The shameful part of this picture is that the overwhelming majority of these ATV’ers are young and healthy, not decrepit or physically challenged. Maybe these riders would be more respectful of other people's outdoor experience if they knew we could ID them."

- Bill Sustrich, Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Anglers