Off-road vehicle use debated at public forum

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.

Burleigh County Commissioner Brian Bitner collected names for a steering committee to find answers.

He showed pictures of the serious damage some users caused to ditches, to the base of road beds, to crops and to drainage systems.

Bitner said these damages not only placed extra expense and property damage, but caused deadly risks to operators unfamiliar with a patch of land.

Bitner encouraged developing a designated play area at a portion of the fairgrounds to ease the pressure off ditches.

"We have to start somewhere," he said.

Many of the 60 attending argued that would do no good for younger riders. They said a network of trails to the play areas would decrease the damage. They noted most attending operated the vehicles respectively.

Lori Reis, a parent, said her son would enjoy a dedicated play area, but also felt a trail system could help.

"Kids cannot necessarily load up their ATVs and go. I would like to see something connected so they could go out and go ride," she said.

Others pushed for better educating the young riders before they drive foolishly or put themselves at unneeded danger.

State Parks and Recreation Division Manager Arik Spencer said $15 of a $20 registration fee charged to off-road drivers is earmarked specifically for teaching users safe driving practices. "We manage class courses, hands-on courses and on-line courses," he said.

Spencer said a simulator also moves around the state to improve drivers' maneuvers.

He said the funds have been used to improve various trails around the state.

"There are federal grants we can use for motorized recreation and we'd like to see counties and cities apply to us for those," Spencer said. Some $300,000 annually is dedicated for motorized recreation.

Others wanted special users areas developed around the "Desert," near Christmas Island area, or a site near Lincoln.

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Source: http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_ebe2324c-eabf-11de-80da-001cc4c03286.html

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