Comments and Concerns

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Comments & Concerns..

One of my pet peeves here at ATVbarn is trash in the dunes-forest or wherever you and I play. The last time I was down at Coos Bay (Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area) I had to dodge broken beer bottles every where I rode. Have you checked out the price of sand tires for an ATV lately? This is a problem no one should have to deal with. Pick up your junk and take it out with you! The powers that be use these issues to shut us down. Clean, safe and sane will help to keep the forests and dunes open for all of us. Dick Clark

A new response to "Trash in the dunes"....

   More Closure!
   My family and I were camped out at Winchester Bay last weekend and
   had to run into town to buy some parts. Talking to the lady across the
   counter she informed us that where we were camped and a very large portion
   of the "ATV" access area in Winchester Bay will be closed. Basically from
   main camp ground area clear down to the last parking area. They will have
   an access road that you will have to travel, "Gravel" "That is hard on
   Paddles also" to access the small dune area. At a current meeting they
   announced the closure and in her words "it did not matter what we said!
   The decision was already made, the meeting was only to inform us what was
   coming!"
   We camped out in the Sand and I was picking up bottles and broken
   glass everywhere. My kids wanted to run around with their shoes off but
   could not. I love Sand dunning and the general sport, I see more
   closures every year and people that take advantage of the sport and don't
   pick up after themselves are ruining it for everyone else. Earlier in the
   year we made a trip to Sand Lake after a big weekend, same scenario, what
   a mess trash and bottles left everywhere. Some how the message needs to
   get out to everyone if they want to continue having access to any off-road
   exercise they better start picking up after themselves and treating the
   areas with respect.

   Regards,
   Concerned ATV'er

Thanks for the input Michael. We hope others will take note.

posted August 24, 2003

QUESTION FROM DISABLED RIDER

I'm interested in forming an ATV club for riders w/disabilities, could you point me in the right direction? I use a wheel chair and use my ATV as an off pavement wheel chair. I have an disabled Idaho license plate on it. The sporty has opened up my life and I would like to share with others. Sincerely, Robert. Email: IDBEAR56@icehouse.net
posted Nov. 2, 2002 Click to reply

In response to our "Trash in the Dunes" comment...
Rich R. from Weare, NH writes....
We have a similar problem with trash on the trails and destruction of forest and riding terrain due to incorrect trail use and general abuse by those who don't or can't respect others here on the east coast as well. I encourage you to keep up the pressure and apply the guilt trip methodology to those who will *&%$) where they play!
Click to Reply

We wrote back to Rich, and asked where and how he played. His response:

The woods of New Hampshire and Maine are where we ride most often. We have a group of 6 people all co-workers that ride together. We all own Polaris 500 HO Sportsman or 700 Sportsman model four wheelers.

Our general terrain is old logging roads, backwoods trails, muddy sections of bogs left behind by logging activities and lots of technical rock climbing up and over granite boulders and other rocks placed here by the glaciers long ago. Very little sand dune type riding is available out here.

All the other riders aside from myself all use their four wheelers for hunting as well. Land use is very tightly controlled out here and locations for four wheeling, legally, are limited. Many plots of land are divided by or contain rock walls built 200 years ago and they cannot be torn down or destroyed as it is illegal to vandalize them. This limits some of the riding that is available. We do however have access to lots of snowmobile trails during certain seasons of the year. We are not allowed to use them once the snow melts and before the ground has dried and hardened (mud season). This typically limits us from the end of March to the end of May. Not all bad as the black flies and mosquitoes hatch during that time and make being in the woods very miserable if you are not moving. That's all from the North Woods. Rich R.

Thanks for taking the time to voice you concerns Rich!

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