CONTACT YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER
LEGISLATORS
House of Representatives
State Senate
SAMPLE LETTERS - We ask
that you help us by sending letters to the editor of
local papers in Beltrami, Clearwater and Hubbard Counties.
Not sure what to write? Below are a couple samples that
you can use to get you started. Click on the title to
download.
TALKING POINTS
The Mississippi Headwaters Protection Alliance is composed
of people from many groups and perspectives who share one
goal: protecting the first 40 miles of the Mississippi
River. Some members are paddlers, some are cross-country
skiers, some are hikers, a few even own ATVs.
Below are some points you may want to use when contacting
officials. When making contact be sure to identify environmental
groups you are part of and remember to include your name,
address, phone and email in your correspondence.
- The
Mississippi Headwaters Protection Alliance is opposed
to the use of ATVs in wetlands, streams and streambanks,
especially in the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest.
There is a place for everything and ATVs simply do not
belong in the state's protected waters, especially the
first 40 miles of the Mississippi River, which is nationally
recognized as a significant natural resource.
- By the
nature of their design, ATVs can damage wet areas. In
fact, manufacturers and many rider clubs caution against
riding in wet conditions or in mud.
- Because ATVs are loud,
emit an odor of gasoline fumes, and can cause damage,
manufacturers and club sites caution riders to yield
right of way to non-motorized users.
- Recreational management
favors multiple users. However, most users and managers
acknowledged that all users are not equal and therefore
adjustments in operation must be made. That's why ATV
club web sites caution users from spooking horses when
they are sharing trails with horseback riders for example.
- Irresponsible use of ATVs change multiple use to no
use. For example, campgrounds in the Mississippi Headwaters
State Forest have either been gated and barred or closed
due to continuing destructive use by ATV. Keeping ATVs
out of environmentally sensitive areas is essential.
- ATVs are permitted, valid forms of transportation
and recreation. All ATVs should be registered. Doing
so benefits ATV riders in two ways: it provides a source
of funds for trails and damages and it helps with enforcement
- a vehicle with a registration number can be traced
to an owner. DNR Conservation Officers state that increasing
the number of registered ATVs is necessary.
- Noxious
weeds: ATV's have wide grooves in their tires that are
spreading weeds further and further into the woods each
year. Expenses to control these noxious weeds fall on
the townships and counties. In Jared Diamond's book,
Collapse a study found that Montana spends $100,000,000
per year controlling weeds, much of it attributable to
ATV's. A good source to support this argument is the
DVD, "Out
of Sight, Out of Mind" by Professor Peter Hovde
from Concordia College.
- Soil compaction which reduces
the ability of water to infiltrate runoff which increases
runoff which increases stream pollution
- Destruction of
habitat for plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates
- Enforcement
of the current laws is also essential. Minnesota does
not have enough conservation officers to do the job themselves.
We need other tools to help this effort. For example,
establishment of a TIP line for ATV problems would help;
registration of all ATVs would make that resource even
more effective. We also need to inventory, assess and
repair the damage that has been caused by ATVs. There
is a claim fund to do this, but it also needs to happen
on public lands.
- According to local real estate agents
property values decrease 10 - 25% depending on the property's
distant from OHV trails.
- The estimated cost to repair
a 200 ft long by 8 ft wide ATV rut is $1250.
It takes approximately three passes of a grader to
repair ruts in township roads due to riders doing "wheelies" in
the road. This adds to township maintenance costs.
- A township can expect that emergency services cost
would be greatly increased as a result of OHV trails.
Example: a fire and rescue call costs approximately $2123
which is paid by the township and property owners.
- The
County highway engineer recommends hard surfacing roads
that reach a certain traffic count of vehicles/day. For
them it would mean $1 million, tripling the current township
levy - an expense to property owners.
- U.S. Government spends millions of dollars each year
through the Forest Legacy Program designed to preserve
natural areas. Why should the counties be allowed to
destroy the natural area?
- General expenses incurred by
OHV riding that taxpayer's dollars will fund:
- build trail
- maintain the trail
- Clean-up of garbage
- enforce regulations
- pay for emergency vehicle responses
- pay for hospitals
- ATV Club expenses
- county employees for trail administration
- liability
insurance
- litigation both for defense and plaintiff
- DNR personnel
- ditch repair ( I don't recall right
now if we had researched an exact cost)
- repair wetlands
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