ATV_ORV's

----- Original Message -----

From: Hovels

To: Skip Schulz

Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 2:49 PM

Subject: FW: Confessions of an off-road outlaw - High Country News.htm

 

 

County Line Wood Products

6063 Baker Lake Road

Conover, WI  54519

phone: 715-479-8528

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Confessions of an off-road outlaw

Writers on the Range - November 06, 2009 by Garrett VeneKlasen

By God, it was my right. No one could tell me I couldn't chop new roads through national forest land with my off-road vehicle and my chainsaw. 

I paid my taxes. This land belonged to me. If a few trees had to be cut and some makeshift roads had to be opened, well, too bad. It was worth it if I got to have a little more fun. My buddies in New Mexico and millions more around the country probably felt the same way.

Then I began to notice something about the Carson National Forest near Taos, N.M. The elk were leaving, migrating somewhere else, and the quality of the hunts I'd enjoyed began to decline. And I noticed something else: The elk were moving to areas where they didn't have to face harassment from rogue off-road vehicle-users like me. 

I remained quiet about this for years, but when a group of thoughtless riders ruined my own hunting experience, I had no choice but to think hard about what I'd been doing. It was time for me to change my habits and to speak out openly on behalf of reasonable and responsible off-road use.

For an entire morning, I'd tracked a herd of elk in an area that hadn't faced significant pressure from aggressive ORV riding. It was the peak of the rut, and the bugling of bull elk echoed during a perfectly planned hunt. I knew that the long effort of following this herd was going to pay off.

But then, three all-terrain vehicle riders shattered the stillness, roaring into the area on an illegal trail and blasting shotguns at a flock of grouse. The elk fled � and my hunt was over.

When I confronted the riders, they had no clue that their raucous invasion had destroyed my outdoor experience. They didn't even think about the impacts their riding had on those who enjoy quiet recreation �� hiking, camping, hunting and horseback riding in our national forests.

After the three ATVers ruined my hunt, I knew I had to change my ways. I love ATV riding, but the truth is that my ATV and the millions like it have made severe and cumulative impacts on our public lands and wildlife. The impacts of off-road vehicles are probably even more profound and far-reaching than we think they are. It's sad but true that future generations -- including my 3-year-old daughter's -- will find our public lands roaded and devalued beyond repair if this problem is not addressed.

When I told my fellow ORV riders of my change of heart, most replied that I was "nuts." They said that even if I decided to alter my behavior, most other ATV riders would not.

Luckily, that has not been the case. My transformation into an advocate for responsible off-road vehicle riding has led other riders I know to rethink how they behave in the national forest. And as more of us set examples of prudent off-road use, we can become a powerful force to protect our key national forest lands.

It couldn't happen at a better time. The Carson National Forest, which sits right in my backyard, is at a critical juncture. Its land managers, along with other forest managers across the country, are drafting long-term plans that will change how off-road vehicles are dealt with for decades to come.

Now is the time to urge our land managers and lawmakers to set aside large segments of America's national forests, preserving them for clean water, wildlife habitat and the vast majority of us who visit the backcountry seeking peace and quiet. This means accepting fair and reasonable restrictions on ORV use. After all, everyone has a right to enjoy our forests, but no one has the right to abuse them.

If we don't change our ways, then the warning of Wallace Stegner, the esteemed author and conservationist, may well come to pass: "Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed ... so that never again can we have the chance to see ourselves single, separate, vertical and individual in the world, part of the environment of trees and rocks and soil, part of the natural world and competent to belong in it."  

Garrett VeneKlasen is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He was born, raised and currently lives in northern New Mexico.

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Here is my response:

Mr. Hovel,

 

It is amazing how those that think that our publicly owned National Forests only belong to the Anti-Motorsports community.

 

While groups like Mi-TRALE invest our membership money and our own volunteer time to put up signs trying to keep ORV Riders on legally open trails.  Mi-TRALE depends upon $25.00 membership money to buy materials for proper signing, while Hiking and Bike Trails are paid with 25 to 100 THOUSAND DOLLAR plus "Grants." 

 

It is Mi-TRALE that used our own money to develop, print, and distribute an ORV Trail Map so ORV Riders would know where they can and cannot legally ride.  We not only did this to try to keep ORV Riders from riding where they do not belong, we also did this to try to bring tourism to an area that is economically depressed.

 

Please send me all that you and your organization is doing to help our ailing tourism economy.

 

It is Mi-TRALE that puts on events to help Habitat for Humanity, and American Cancer Society.  This winter, Mi-TRALE volunteers will be working on two more events to help Cancer victims.  In August of 2010, Mi-TRALE will be sponsoring and organizing the "Girls of Grit" ride to benefit rreast Cancer research.   Hmmm, send me the events that YOUR group puts on.

 

In an effort to keep our County Fair going, it was Mi-TRALE that came up and works on an event.  This event brings people to the fair, people and money that helps our area 4-H children out. 

 

It is Mi-TRALE that got a Search and Rescue unit activated.  These VOLUNTEERS spend their OWN MONEY on Search and Rescue Training and Equipment.  These VOLUNTEERS use their own equipment, yes that dreaded motorized ORV, to help find hunters, fishermen, even HIKERS.  Hmmm, where were you and your group when I put out many e-mails and press releases looking for people to spend 2-3 hours every month for search and rescue training? 

 

It is Mi-TRALE that used our own money and the little money we could 'round up' to take Senior Citizens, 65-90 into the Ottawa National Forest with that dreaded Motorized Off Highway Vehicle.  After two years, I wish you could have seen the tears of joy from Senior Citizens that only dreamed of someday having the chance to see the Ottawa National Forest like Mi-TRALE and Ottawa N.F. VOLUNTEERS showed them.  While I know you won't believe this, but this was the common statement at the end of the ride..."I never thought that at my age I would ever get the chance to see the Ottawa like this!"

 

Where was your group in at least contributing the cost of the bus transportation or the lunch we provided the Senior Citizens for free?  Where were you then?

 

It is Mi-TRALE volunteers that clean up the side of the former M-107 in Silver City.  Could you send me the portion of the highway that you and your organization cleans up? 

 

It is Mi-TRALE that is the ONLY organization that is working to develop an Equestrian Park.  This park would also be used by cross country skiers and dog sledders in the wintertime.  Please send me the info as to the parks or areas you and your organization are working on for the benefit of the motorized community, since Mi-TRALE is doing a lot of work for the NON-Motorized community. 

 

It is Mi-TRALE that went to every single Public Meeting, Public Hearing on the Ottawa Off Highway Vehicle Connector Trail proposals.  Yet I see by the Ottawa NF Supervisor decision papers that you sent in your objection to OHV Connector trails with what you want the public to think are scientific and informed  'facts.'  Why didn't you go to all the Public meetings so that the two sides could sit down and work out the differences?

 

It is Mi-TRALE that sends out 2-4 e-mails a month explaining what our organization is doing.  We send this to close to 200 people.  We have a website, www.mi-trale.org where anyone and everyone can see for themselves what we have done and what we are doing.  Mi-TRALE goes out of our way to make sure everyone knows when and where our meetings are.  We don't keep 'secrets' as to what our organization is all about.

 

It is Mi-TRALE members that pay for the Annual Trail Sticker.  It is the funds from this and our membership that has repaired trails and bridges.  Mi-TRALE and the ORV Community does not get $100,000.00 in GRANT money for a bike trail.  We have to do this with our own money.

 

In case you did not know this, the National Recreation Trails Fund gets a very small percentage of the Federal Gas Tax money that the ORV community pays...yet 30% of the National Recreation Trails Fund (from ORV Federal Gas Taxes) goes to develop and maintain NON-MOTORIZED trails.  Mi-TRALE is NOT against this, as our organization has and will continue to work TOGETHER with ALL trail users.  That's why you won't see Mi-TRALE sending out e-mails and letters FIGHTING the non-motorized community.

 

Mi-TRALE believes in the currently federal and state recognized wilderness areas, such as the Sylvania, Silver Mountain, and Porcupine Mountain Wilderness areas.  Our organization believes that areas like those should be 'set aside' for the non-motorized community.  We also believe that the motorized community has the right for our families to recreate together on and in non-wilderness areas.

 

Mi-TRALE recognizes that we have a small minority of ORV Riders that do not respect other peoples rights, and/or the enviornment.  That is why it is Mi-TRALE that took it upon ourselves, with our own membership money and equipment to begin training young people on the safe way to ride AND how to respect the enviornment.  Could you send me the dates and classes that you taught DIFFERENT user group children on the importance of 'working together with ALL user groups?'  That's what Mi-TRALE instructors teach...WORK TOGETHER WITH ALL USER GROUPS.  I'm sure you wouldn't teach people only the negatives of motorized recreation, right?

 

While you may take pride in focusing the letter and actions of ONE irresponsible ORV user, I will not invest my volunteer time in searching and sending out e-mails highlighting the actions of certain groups that put nails in trees to hurt those working in the woods, or people and groups that start fires at sawmills.  What would that accomplish?

 

I would rather find ways that the different user groups can WORK TOGETHER instead of sending out an e-mail like the one you sent me.

 

By the way, I'll not only sign my name...I'll put other info about me at the bottom of this e-mail.

 

Skip Schulz

Mi-TRALE President

sschulz@jamadots.com

906-884-9101