Will Sands

The Forest Service is applying the brakes on off-road vehicle abuse in Southwest Colorado. A few bad throttles have been bending the rules, and the agency is now addressing motorized violations with a firmer hand.

Back in 2004, Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth named ORV abuse as a top threat to public lands. The move came in response to huge growth in motorsports and the sudden appearance of more than 60,000 miles of renegade routes on forests throughout the nation. At the time, Bosworth spoke out of both sides of his mouth and said, “Our goal is to improve opportunities for off-highway vehicles and assure the best care of the land.”

POLAND — A pair of vandals on four-wheelers left a swath of destruction in Poland early Tuesday and police spent the rest of the day searching for clues.

Androscoggin County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Nichols said overnight and into the morning, the culprits tore up property and plowed through mailboxes in the area of Empire, Hardscrabble and Plains roads.

Diane Dryden

SHELL LAKE - The regular meeting of the city council had standing room only Monday evening, July 12, as the question of allowing ATV/UTV vehicles on the streets and alleys of the city was discussed.

Council heard public input from several citizens.

Eric Young

WEST BRANCH — The Mills Township Board voted unanimously July 13 to contract with the county for an ORV enforcement officer in the township.

The township will pay the wages for the officer, not to exceed $1,500, and the county will supply the patrol vehicle and pay for gas.

June Q. Wu

When threatened, the piping plover will often stay still and blend into the sand until the predator slinks away.

But when the threat is a sport utility vehicle, the sparrow-size shorebird is in trouble, conservationists say.

Ryan Cronk

Over Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Forest Service completed sound monitoring tests for off-highway vehicles in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, resulting in data that showed 50 percent of users were above the 93-decibels noise limit.

With many Florence residences in earshot of OHV riders, it was natural that excessive noise levels, coupled with enforcement issues, were the main concerns introduced at last month’s OHV Designated Routes Working Group meeting.

Stephanie Hemphill

On a high ridge overlooking Lake Vermilion is a picture-postcard view of northern Minnesota.

There's an expanse of water reflecting the blue sky, a scattering of graceful islands, and a few homes and cabins nestled in the woods.

Ken Byron

BERLIN -- The town council is considering imposing strict limits on the use of all-terrain vehicles because of complaints about noise and disruption.
ATVs are already prohibited from town-owned open space parcels, much of which are used for walking trails and other passive recreation.

The council is considering an ordinance that would go further and limit the use of ATVs on private property. Mayor Adam Salina said several residents have complained about ATVs in their neighborhoods.

Fred Contrada

NORTHAMPTON - Last summer it was not unusual for Ward 3 residents to see and hear 30 to 40 dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles tearing through the Meadows on a weekend. This year, over the July 4 weekend, there were none.

"I have to tell you, it's been wonderful," said Ward 3 City Councilor and Meadows resident Angela D. Plassmann.