How many times have we heard the mufflerheads on here say that they would be all for stiffer fines???
Stiffer fines suggested for ATV violators
January 9, 2005
St. Paul, Minn. — The coalition includes groups like the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and the Izaak Walton League. The League of Women Voters also backs the proposed legislation.
Sean Wherley with Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness says the coalition decided to bring the ATV issue back to the Legislature after reviewing state statistics that showed a big increase in off-highway violations. During a recent 12-month period, conservation officers handed out more than 3,100 tickets.
"What's revealing about those figures is that 86 percent of them were committed by adults," says Wherley. "It counters the age-old argument that these are only irresponsible youth who are tearing up our hunting grounds and our fishing streams -- and it's time we rein in those lawbreakers."
Wherley thinks stiffer fines would help. His group proposes raising the fee on a first-offense from $100 to $200. Second and third violations would increase substantially, too. The group also wants to add ATV tickets to a driver's motor vehicle record, a move that would likely affect the driver's insurance rates.
But repeat offenders would feel the most pain in their pocketbooks. Under the proposal, flagrant violators would have their ATVs seized and sold.
Gene Larimore, a member of the Jack Pine Coalition, says the plan may sound harsh, but it's fair.
"Some people just have to be separated from their vehicle," says Larimore. "If you get arrested three times in one day, I think the time has come when the authorities simply have to take the machine away. You can't tolerate that. That is criminal behavior."
Larimore says he's seen the destruction caused by ATVs first-hand. He owns a cabin near the Foothills State Forest in north central Minnesota. The area has been a popular off-road vehicle site.
"The damage was astonishing. Huge ruts made by ATVs, hills absolutely trashed by 4x4 trucks, and just generally an aura of destruction," says Larimore. "The understory of the forest is ... gone. So that's kind of how I got my consciousness raised."
But the All Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota, also known as ATVAM, doesn't think environmental groups are being fair at all.
"We understand that there are things that need to be fixed, no doubt about it," says ATVAM's president, Dave Hendricks. "But you gotta fix 'em right and they've gotta be on the right side."
ATVAM opposes the new fines. Hendricks says the problem isn't bad drivers, it's a lack of access to trails. He says even if all ATV drivers obeyed the law, environmentalists would still be opposed to giving them more room to ride.
"Anti-access groups and this conglomerate of nine organizations -- they're going to do whatever they need to do to keep ATVs out of public lands," says Hendricks. "They will stop at nothing and they will say anything to make that a reality for their organizations."
Hendricks says his group does want to rein in ATV violators who are ruining the sport for others. ATVAM will ask lawmakers this session to require mandatory ATV training for all riders born after July 1, 1987. The group is also recommending training for riders who are cited for violations.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources enforces ATV regulations, and so far, the agency hasn't taken a position on the competing proposals. But the DNR is used to criticism when it comes to this issue. Environmentalists claim the agency isn't doing enough to protect state land, while angry ATV users complain there aren't enough trails.
Assistant Commissioner Brad Moore says even within his agency there are disagreements over how to handle the ATV issue. But he says it's definitely not an option for the DNR to ignore ATV users and other off-highway vehicles.
"The Legislature's made it very clear that this kind of recreation is appropriate on state forest land, and our job is to try to determine where to put those machines in an environmentally sound manner."
The popularity of ATVs has been growing steadily. Figures show that Minnesotans have bought roughly 15,000 new machines each year for the past five years. Currently, there are more than 230,000 registered ATVs in Minnesota.
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ATV 'bad apple' bill draws mixed reviews
Cook County News-Herald
Thursday, January 27th, 2005
Julie Bratvold/Legislative correspondent
ST. PAUL — Led by Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, a bipartisan group of legislators held a press conference at the State Capitol Thursday to unveil new legislation geared toward imposing harsher penalties for off-highway vehicle users who damage land.
However, many lawmakers from the Iron Range are not supportive of the legislation, saying better ATV trails for users not harsher penalties is the way to go.
The legislation, which is authored by Marty, includes several measures that would add more regulations on OHV use and enact stricter punishments on those who violate the rules. Marty claims that his bill is designed to help protect the state’s environment and natural resources. “ATV owners and riding clubs have long said they wanted to rein in the few ‘bad apples’ and now they have their chance,” Marty said in a press release. “Responsible ATV riders should support this common sense bill rather than allow our forests and wetlands to be trashed by reckless, lawbreaking riders.”
If passed, the proposed legislation would establish a toll-free hotline for reporting OHV violations, require full-size license plates on the back and front of all ATVs, prohibit snorkels and extreme tires on public lands starting in 2007 and require mufflers on all OHVs. Supporters of the bill also praise the punishment elements, which include more than doubling the maximum fines for violating natural resources laws and requiring that repeat OHV law violators have their vehicle taken away by law enforcement.
One of the co-sponsors of the bill, Sen. Carrie Ruud, R-Breezy Point, said that her district, located in north-central Minnesota is “ground zero for the ATV issue” and is glad to see that it is being addressed through this bill. “Two years ago we had no plan at all,” she said. “Now we have a good bill introduced.”
Ruud claims that the current penalties for law violators are too lenient and supports the additional penalties mentioned in the bill. “[Current penalties] are so inconsequential that it just doesn’t matter,” she said. “More stringent penalties are in order.”
But Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids, who is vice chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee of which Marty is the chair, said he would prefer lawmakers devote their efforts to improving and creating ATV trails rather than impose harsher penalties.
“I think the biggest factor in keeping down damage done to property is better ATV trails,” Saxhaug said. He noted that more and better trails would prevent damage caused by OHV users who have too few areas where they are able to ride their equipment safely and lawfully.(gimme a break
) “I realize that some people get mad at ATVs,” he said, “but most of these problems are because there isn’t much public land for them to use.”
Another member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, agreed.
“I’m very disappointed they are rattling their sabers about raising penalties when what the Legislature needs to do is create funds for trails for people to use them,” he said.
Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, said he is against the bill because it limits the power judges have to enforce the punishment that they feel best fits the crime. “I’ve always opposed these heavy-handed measures where good people end up as criminals for minor violations,” he said.
“To put in law what the fine has to be, it takes justice away from the judges.”
Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, the vice chair of the House Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee, declined to comment on the proposed legislation. However, Dill did say that he is rarely in agreement with Marty when it comes to legislation involving OHV regulation and use.
The bill is expected to be passed down to the Environment and Natural Resources committees for further discussion.
Bakk expects that the bill will be met with a fight in committee, and said it was up in the air whether or not it will survive past committee hearings. “I think it might be really hard for Senator Marty to get [the bill] out of his own committee that he is the chair of,” Bakk said.
“It’s going to be a real close vote. It could go either way.”
Stiffer fines suggested for ATV violators
January 9, 2005
St. Paul, Minn. — The coalition includes groups like the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and the Izaak Walton League. The League of Women Voters also backs the proposed legislation.
Sean Wherley with Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness says the coalition decided to bring the ATV issue back to the Legislature after reviewing state statistics that showed a big increase in off-highway violations. During a recent 12-month period, conservation officers handed out more than 3,100 tickets.
"What's revealing about those figures is that 86 percent of them were committed by adults," says Wherley. "It counters the age-old argument that these are only irresponsible youth who are tearing up our hunting grounds and our fishing streams -- and it's time we rein in those lawbreakers."
Wherley thinks stiffer fines would help. His group proposes raising the fee on a first-offense from $100 to $200. Second and third violations would increase substantially, too. The group also wants to add ATV tickets to a driver's motor vehicle record, a move that would likely affect the driver's insurance rates.
But repeat offenders would feel the most pain in their pocketbooks. Under the proposal, flagrant violators would have their ATVs seized and sold.
Gene Larimore, a member of the Jack Pine Coalition, says the plan may sound harsh, but it's fair.
"Some people just have to be separated from their vehicle," says Larimore. "If you get arrested three times in one day, I think the time has come when the authorities simply have to take the machine away. You can't tolerate that. That is criminal behavior."
Larimore says he's seen the destruction caused by ATVs first-hand. He owns a cabin near the Foothills State Forest in north central Minnesota. The area has been a popular off-road vehicle site.
"The damage was astonishing. Huge ruts made by ATVs, hills absolutely trashed by 4x4 trucks, and just generally an aura of destruction," says Larimore. "The understory of the forest is ... gone. So that's kind of how I got my consciousness raised."
But the All Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota, also known as ATVAM, doesn't think environmental groups are being fair at all.
"We understand that there are things that need to be fixed, no doubt about it," says ATVAM's president, Dave Hendricks. "But you gotta fix 'em right and they've gotta be on the right side."
ATVAM opposes the new fines. Hendricks says the problem isn't bad drivers, it's a lack of access to trails. He says even if all ATV drivers obeyed the law, environmentalists would still be opposed to giving them more room to ride.
"Anti-access groups and this conglomerate of nine organizations -- they're going to do whatever they need to do to keep ATVs out of public lands," says Hendricks. "They will stop at nothing and they will say anything to make that a reality for their organizations."
Hendricks says his group does want to rein in ATV violators who are ruining the sport for others. ATVAM will ask lawmakers this session to require mandatory ATV training for all riders born after July 1, 1987. The group is also recommending training for riders who are cited for violations.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources enforces ATV regulations, and so far, the agency hasn't taken a position on the competing proposals. But the DNR is used to criticism when it comes to this issue. Environmentalists claim the agency isn't doing enough to protect state land, while angry ATV users complain there aren't enough trails.
Assistant Commissioner Brad Moore says even within his agency there are disagreements over how to handle the ATV issue. But he says it's definitely not an option for the DNR to ignore ATV users and other off-highway vehicles.
"The Legislature's made it very clear that this kind of recreation is appropriate on state forest land, and our job is to try to determine where to put those machines in an environmentally sound manner."
The popularity of ATVs has been growing steadily. Figures show that Minnesotans have bought roughly 15,000 new machines each year for the past five years. Currently, there are more than 230,000 registered ATVs in Minnesota.
**********************************************************
ATV 'bad apple' bill draws mixed reviews
Cook County News-Herald
Thursday, January 27th, 2005
Julie Bratvold/Legislative correspondent
ST. PAUL — Led by Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, a bipartisan group of legislators held a press conference at the State Capitol Thursday to unveil new legislation geared toward imposing harsher penalties for off-highway vehicle users who damage land.
However, many lawmakers from the Iron Range are not supportive of the legislation, saying better ATV trails for users not harsher penalties is the way to go.
The legislation, which is authored by Marty, includes several measures that would add more regulations on OHV use and enact stricter punishments on those who violate the rules. Marty claims that his bill is designed to help protect the state’s environment and natural resources. “ATV owners and riding clubs have long said they wanted to rein in the few ‘bad apples’ and now they have their chance,” Marty said in a press release. “Responsible ATV riders should support this common sense bill rather than allow our forests and wetlands to be trashed by reckless, lawbreaking riders.”
If passed, the proposed legislation would establish a toll-free hotline for reporting OHV violations, require full-size license plates on the back and front of all ATVs, prohibit snorkels and extreme tires on public lands starting in 2007 and require mufflers on all OHVs. Supporters of the bill also praise the punishment elements, which include more than doubling the maximum fines for violating natural resources laws and requiring that repeat OHV law violators have their vehicle taken away by law enforcement.
One of the co-sponsors of the bill, Sen. Carrie Ruud, R-Breezy Point, said that her district, located in north-central Minnesota is “ground zero for the ATV issue” and is glad to see that it is being addressed through this bill. “Two years ago we had no plan at all,” she said. “Now we have a good bill introduced.”
Ruud claims that the current penalties for law violators are too lenient and supports the additional penalties mentioned in the bill. “[Current penalties] are so inconsequential that it just doesn’t matter,” she said. “More stringent penalties are in order.”
But Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids, who is vice chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee of which Marty is the chair, said he would prefer lawmakers devote their efforts to improving and creating ATV trails rather than impose harsher penalties.
“I think the biggest factor in keeping down damage done to property is better ATV trails,” Saxhaug said. He noted that more and better trails would prevent damage caused by OHV users who have too few areas where they are able to ride their equipment safely and lawfully.(gimme a break
) “I realize that some people get mad at ATVs,” he said, “but most of these problems are because there isn’t much public land for them to use.” Another member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, agreed.
“I’m very disappointed they are rattling their sabers about raising penalties when what the Legislature needs to do is create funds for trails for people to use them,” he said.
Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, said he is against the bill because it limits the power judges have to enforce the punishment that they feel best fits the crime. “I’ve always opposed these heavy-handed measures where good people end up as criminals for minor violations,” he said.
“To put in law what the fine has to be, it takes justice away from the judges.”
Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, the vice chair of the House Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee, declined to comment on the proposed legislation. However, Dill did say that he is rarely in agreement with Marty when it comes to legislation involving OHV regulation and use.
The bill is expected to be passed down to the Environment and Natural Resources committees for further discussion.
Bakk expects that the bill will be met with a fight in committee, and said it was up in the air whether or not it will survive past committee hearings. “I think it might be really hard for Senator Marty to get [the bill] out of his own committee that he is the chair of,” Bakk said.
“It’s going to be a real close vote. It could go either way.”
