Washington

Caleb Hannan

When the neighbor dog breaks free and runs into your yard, common courtesy says to politely return it to its owners. Less recommended is the more aggressive strategy apparently employed by a 56-year-old Snohomish man.

Marcie Fairhurst was getting ready to drive her son to school when she saw Molly, her four-year-old retriever-lab mix, running into a neighbor's yard. Next she heard a gunshot. When the mother of four ran to investigate she says she saw Molly lying on the ground, not moving.

Andy Rathbun

MONROE — State officials could be in for a bumpy ride as they try to sell the off-road community on a plan to redevelop Reiter Foothills.

Officials want to win public support for the plan, but they are braced for some resistance during a public meeting in Monroe tonight.

We live across the Cowlitz River from the property that Mike Mask wants to turn into an ATV haven. We and many of our neighbors spent over two years getting rid of the ATVs on that property, with considerable help from Cowlitz County Commissioner Axel Swanson and the County Sheriff’s Office.

We had ATVs from before dawn until well after midnight, with unbearable noise and billowing clouds of dust. All summer the dust was so bad you couldn’t enjoy watching team sports at the North County Recreation area.

Bob Heye

WASHOUGAL, Wash. – Damage caused by vandals and four-wheel vehicles along Bonneville Power Administration power lines is out of control and could make power bills larger and power outages worse.

The damage is happening to roads on power-line access roads north of Washougal. These roads are used by line repair crews to inspect and repair high-tension power lines.

Many of the roads are pockmarked with four-foot deep ruts, abused by four-wheel-drive and other off-road vehicles. On Tuesday BPA officials and a KATU reporter witnessed Isaiah Oviat and a companion climbing out of their four-wheel drive vehicle.

Ramesh Negi

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management has 10 discretionary cooperative agreement opportunities to manage and protect natural resources along trails and roads

The award ceiling for this funding opportunity is $1,500,000.

YAKIMA, WASH. -- The Yakima County commissioners on Tuesday formally approved their May 20 decision on new rules for off-road-vehicle facilities.

The decision, which lessened some restrictions while tightening others, was the result of a debate that dates to last year. More than 300 people on both sides of the issue -- ORV enthusiasts looking for more places to ride and their neighbors concerned about noise and dust -- packed an April public hearing on the matter.

Off-road vehicles can stir up a lot of dust when being operated. They also can stir up a lot of emotions when talk turns to increasing their use in Yakima County.

At issue is whether county commissioners should ease up the current regulations and permit greater use of these types of vehicles on private property in rural areas. Both proponents and foes alike rely on private property rights as a key element when arguing for their cause.

David Lester

YAKIMA, Wash. -- What happens when two opposing views use the same argument to support their position?

That is what likely will unfold when Yakima County commissioners finally take up a controversial proposal on off-road vehicles -- dirt bikes, four-wheelers, four-wheel-drive vehicles and snowmobiles -- that would allow their use virtually throughout unincorporated Yakima County without regulation.

The ORV issue is causing much light and heat as the hearing approaches, and the arguments center on property rights.

Mary Swift

The message on the sign posted by the U.S. Forest Service on Deer Gulch Road near Liberty is clear.

"This mixed-use road is open to ATVs on a trail run," the sign says. Then it lays down the rules: Stay on the designated road, no cross country (leaving the roadway travel). Respect private land and other forest users.