North Dakota

Leann Eckroth

Many suggestions rolled out from an off-road vehicle forum held Wednesday at the 4-H Building at the Missouri Valley Fairgrounds.

User groups, parents, county officials and State Parks and Recreation groups again tried to balance the fun in operating snowmobiles and the off-road devices against the damages and risks they pose.

Leann Eckroth

Licensing fees and recreational grants may pay for a proposed off-road vehicle play area at the Missouri Valley Fairgrounds.

User groups and the public are invited to attend a 7 p.m. Wednesday meeting at the 4-H Building at the fairgrounds to gauge interest in the proposed project.

A rise in the popularity of multi-purpose all terrain vehicles has sparked safety concerns for the West Fargo Police Department. Up scaled ATVs with names like Razor, Rhino and Mule are making their way more frequently onto the roadway. Lacking the required safety features present on cars, trucks or low speed vehicles, the ATVs place the passengers and the motoring public at risk for injury or death.

West Fargo Ordinance 13-0304 requires that a motor vehicle being operated on the roadway be registered and display a distinctive plate issued by the state. To become eligible to be registered the vehicle must be equipped with specific equipment. Failure to display the proper registration plate is an infraction and the driver is subject to a twenty dollar fine. A vehicle lacking proper equipment may also be impounded.

The controversy over all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles will not be silenced soon, but is riddled with questions.

The Burleigh County Commission revisited the problem again Monday evening with Joe Schwingler.

Schwingler hays ditches southeast of Bismarck around housing developments. He said some were simply too dangerous to clear.

Brochures, designated-use sites and volunteer efforts to repair damaged ditches were among the answers offered for the growing complaints of off-highway vehicle and snowmobile misuse in Burleigh County.

About a dozen people participated in the Burleigh County Motorized Recreation Meeting on Thursday at the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department Century Center. Among them were property owners, state Parks and Recreation officials, law enforcement, user groups, Burleigh County officials and more.

The meetings were scheduled after some landowners complained about misuse of the devices in ditches, noise, damage to approaches and destruction of other property. Some are finding large ruts where users have been.

Leann Eckroth

Should there be more teeth in local enforcement of snowmobile and off-highway vehicle use?

Neil Fahlsing, a property owner living 1.8 miles east of Lincoln, thinks so. His three banged-up "no trespassing" signs, shown Monday to the Burleigh County Commission, were intended as proof that someone is abusing the privilege.

County commissioners took no action Monday, but a meeting is pending between rural county landowners, user groups, county officials and State Parks and Recreation officials to clear up the action. Commissioner Brian Bitner expected the meeting to be set up before April.

Gordon Weixel

Complaints on the ATV use of public right of way adjacent to county roads stirred discussion at the Burleigh County Commission meeting on Monday.

Richard Barrios and Neil Fahlsing, both living along Lincoln Road, want the county to restrict all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles from the ditches adjoining county roads. Barrios, meeting with the commission, pointed to degradation of the ditch banks, noise pollution and safety concerns as reasons for their request.

"We are aware the state allows for off-road vehicles to use the right of way along state highways," Barrios said. "But we believe counties can restrict the use along its roads."