| Midwest trails face a serious threat from increased demand by off-road vehicle users
| ATV
ASSAULT | By Eric
Wuennenberg |
If you took a poll of readers of this magazine, you probably wouldn't find much support for the "sport" of all-terrain vehicle riding. If there is a single device that represents the antithesis of our "silent sports," it is the ATV.
First introduced in the 1970s as a three-wheeled, supposedly user-friendly alternative to the temperamental
moto-cross bike and seasonal snowmobile, the ATV took a while to develop a following. Some of the early motor-trikes proved as unstable and dangerous as the two-wheeled dirt riders they were meant to replace. A series of well-publicized fatalities, often involving juvenile riders with little training or protective equipment, made the three-wheeler virtually extinct.  In its place, the four-wheeler became the standard model, usually manufactured by the same companies that make snowmobiles and so-called "personal watercraft." Thanks to marketing imagery that promotes speed, power and easy access to uncharted places, sales of ATVs are booming. Equipment is becoming more reliable and prices are accessible, especially as
the economy adds discretionary income to the pockets of the young adult males who form the core user demographic.
The ATV explosion is also being fueled, in part, by the recent string of mild winters that have kept snowmobiles chained to their trailers. ATVs are reportedly outselling snowmobiles four-to-one, as motorized recreationalists switch to more versatile wheeled machines.
According to figures being used by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to develop the 2000-2005 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), an estimated 9.7percent of Wisconsin adults participated in ATV-riding in 1990. By 1997, that estimate was up to 12.6 percent. With the apparent sales increases, that percentage is inevitably higher now.
Of course, once you have your new ATV in the driveway, the challenge
is finding a place to use it. According to DNR figures, there are currently around 3,500 miles of ATV trails in Wisconsin. However, only about 950 miles are accessible during nonwinter months. The balance is snowmobile trails that now welcome ATV riders.
Opinion surveys cited in the SCORP show a comparatively high level of dissatisfaction among state ATV enthusiasts over what they see a shortage of opportunities to enjoy their sport. That dissatisfaction is also
helping fuel efforts to increase ATV trail mileage.
In the early years of ATVs, snowmobile clubs were not particularly hospitable to the wheeled machines. There was a feeling that the newcomers, who were putting their treads into the snowmobile routes, hadn't paid their dues to build the trails, either literally, as members of clubs, or figuratively, with sweat equity. At this point, however, the motorized groups have apparently found enough common ground to share both
trails and political agendas.
As the ATV sport has matured, educational and training programs have been established and law enforcement stepped up. Registration fees have been implemented that help fund programs and also provide funds for trail development and maintenance.
ATV trail builders have also been given access to state gas tax funds, based on the revenues supposedly
generated in fuel sales to ATV riders. This program is similar to one that funds snowmobile trails. According to Larry Freidig, who administers the DNR's Motorized Recreation Grant Program for ATVs, gas taxes and registration fees generate close to $1.5 million per year. Around $1 million a year is distributed in grants to projects sponsored by local and county governments. The balance goes into law enforcement, education programs and administration.
Although much of the money for ATV trails comes from state funds, there are relatively few miles of trails that actually cross state land. Most of this activity consists of winter use on rail-to-trail corridors. There are also some connecting links that cross state property and hook other trail systems together. The bulk of the state's ATV trails, some 3,000 miles, are located in county and local forests. Federal forests also contain
some ATV trails and more development could be forthcoming (See Ron Bergin's article in ATV use in the Chequamegon National Forest).
Wisconsin DNR officials don't seem to be in any hurry to add significant mileage; they are taking a rather cautious approach to trail development on state land. The policy presented in the SCORP 2000-2005 report released in January states the DNR's concerns about ATV riding quite succinctly. The section of the
report titled "Recreation Activities Meriting Special Attention" says:
"(Like personal watercraft), more people are riding all-terrain vehicles, in part due to lower cost and increased availability of the machines.
"Along with other off-road motor sports, such as motorcycling and off-road truck driving, ATVs have a significant potential to negatively affect established trails in Wisconsin.
"Motorized vehicles such as ATVs, travel at higher speeds and cause more erosion and more trail emissions than other trail activities. Using trails established for other recreation activities, such as hiking, ATVs create disproportionate impact on other resource users.
"Since there are a limited number of suitable places that can accommodate these activities without causing irreparable damage to natural resources, growth in these sports merits special attention among recreation
resource providers."
Some large state tracts, particularly the Northern Highland - American Legion - State Forest (NHAL), are being studied for possible expansion of ATV trails.
There are four different recreation management concepts being considered as part of the current master planning process for the NHAL. Two of those options include expansion of ATV use in the forest. After
additional opportunities for public comment, the ultimate decision on allowing more ATVs in the NHAL will be made by the Natural Resources Board in late summer of 2001.
The DNR has also opened a small, six-mile ATV loop at the Bong Recreation Area in Kenosha County.
While the DNR may be reluctant to commit to extensive ATV trail expansion on state land, the same can't be said for officials responsible for managing county and local forests.
"I haven't seen a move toward developing new, multi-length trails within state properties," said Peter Biermeier, the new DNR section chief within the Bureau of Parks and Recreation whose responsibilities include external relations, planning and trails. "What we're seeing instead are townships and counties embracing ATVs as a way to boost tourism and generate revenue."
County and local governments have emerged as the primary recipients of the nearly $1 million distributed
annually in state ATV trail grants. The funds can be used to cover maintenance, development, insurance and land acquisition costs for both new and existing trails. Up to $125 per mile can be awarded for trails open in spring, summer and fall; and up to $60 per mile for winter trails.
The State Off-Road Vehicle Council is the primary advisory voice to the DNR on ATV issues, including decisions on who received trail grants. Mike Sohasky of Antigo, who is the forest administrator for
Langlade County, has been chair of the council since 1987. Sohasky manages 125,000 acres of county forest, which include 56 miles of ATV trails and a new 12-mile mountain bike trail.
"The council represents a variety of ATV interests and works to voice grass roots concerns at the state level," Sohasky explained.
"We have been working on two fronts in the past five years," he continued. "Our top priority has been
improving ATV safety and enforcement by beefing up education programs and backing funding increases for law enforcement.
"Most of the ATV damage you see is caused either by local kids riding without supervision, especially on and beside county roads. We also have some bow and bear hunters riding into closed areas," he said. "They're the ones giving all of us the black eye.
"The only way to get them there is with county law enforcement or DNR wardens working to specifically
enforce ATV regulations," he added. "County officials can apply for special state funding to help pay for special law enforcement."
Sohasky said he is proud of the work the council has done to create responsible regulations and controls.
The other priority area for the council has been the expansion of fair-weather trail systems.
"We're in pretty good shape in the winter, with shared trails and funding with snowmobile clubs," he said.
"What we're looking for are more opportunities for good rides in the summer. We're finding most ATV riders in the warm months prefer smaller, self-contained loops that offer 20 to 30 miles of quality riding."
Sohasky said he wanted to dispel some myths about ATV riders that he felt created an inaccurate impression of his sport.
"The first myth is that everyone on an ATV is looking to go through mud and degrade the environment," he
explained. "Most of the riders we see are middle-aged parents with kids looking for a scenic experience. They're not looking for mud."
Sohasky said the second myth was that ATVs and other activities couldn't coexist.
"Mountain bikes love our ATV trails," Sohasky said. "Mountain bikers tell me they prefer riding on the dirt surface and like the hills and scenery of our ATV trails. We also have horses and hikers on our ATV trails
and haven't had any problems. The mountain bikers even asked if some ATV's could ride through our new mountain bike trail to knock down the weeds."
Not everyone is as convinced of the potential for trail harmony between ATV users and those prefer human-powered recreation. William Johnson IV, a county supervisor in Polk County and avid supporter of the 48-mile Gandy Dancer Trail, is fighting attempts to open that trail up to more ATV use.
The Gandy Dancer, a 48-mile rail-to-trail conversion in Polk and Burnett Counties in northwest Wisconsin, became part of the state park trail system in 1995. Funded primarily with Federal grants, the Gandy Dancer was intended to be a hiking and biking trail in the summer and a motorized trail in winter.
"Everything was fine until this spring, when a new ATV club was formed," Johnson said. "Part of their
mission statement demanded the opening of the Gandy Dancer to year-round ATV use. To do that, we'd have to pay back hundreds of thousands of federal and county grants that was used to build a bike trail.
"There are already other two other railroad bed ATV trails and two loop systems, making 76 miles of dedicated ATV trails in Polk County. There're also miles of riding nearby in the Chequamegon National Forest. My big question to all these guys is, 'Why do you want it all?'"
In the Cable and Hayward area, Ron Bergin, an official with the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) also sees a push for longer, point-to-point ATV trails.
"Ideally, I think they (ATV advocates) would like to superimpose the snowmobile experience into ATVs," he said. "They'd like a situation where you could get right on a trail at the resort, and be able to make pit stops at bars and gas stations, just like in snowmobiling.
"Right now, there's a lack of trail easements and access bans in wetlands, so ATV supporters are trying to get approval to ride on town roads (see accompanying story),"Bergin continued.
"ATV riders have never been too keen about driving trailers to parking lots at trailheads, where they could easily get onto many parts of the CAMBA system. But we're seeing a big push for allowing ATVs to use town roads as connectors, which would open up those trails," he added.
There are many in the state's tourism and resort industry that would like to see a major expansion of ATV trails. The personal motorcraft manufacturers, along with local small-engine dealers, tavern owners and service stations, all have a potential economic stake in the issue.
There are also reports of logging industry interests teaming up with motorized recreation advocates to fight
President Clinton's initiatives to slow the pace of road building in national forests. The claim that limiting future road building in areas that are still currently undeveloped, as the president suggests, will hurt the growth of off-road motor sports by limiting new areas for trails.
The personal motorcraft industry also has to worry about federal plans to close national parks, like Yellowstone, to snowmobiling, because of irrefutable evidence of environmental damage.
The impending passage of the state mourning dove hunt shows that the power of symbolism can work both ways. Energy used to protect silent sports icons like the CAMBA trails would be effort diverted from preserving other important and beautiful, if less well-known, tracts of silence.
ATVs are useful tools and, under the right conditions, can be lots of fun to ride. But they can also have a
devastating impact on the environment and the peaceful experience that many Americans seek in the woods.
So it's legitimate to ask why, just because a product like the all-terrain vehicle is being made and sold, is it mandatory that public resources be devoted to promoting and supporting that product?
What are the obligations of the industry to educate the ATV users to ride responsibly, and who should bear
the financial burden for ensuring the sustainability of areas where ATV access is granted? Government officials, caught between competing interests, do their best to talk about finding balance and reaching accommodation. Perhaps, as Mike Sohasky insists, there is more room for positive interaction than many of us might believe. Perhaps, under the right conditions, motorized and aerobic activity can successfully share
the same space. So how much energy do we want to devote to finding out if he's right, or do we prepare to draw the line here and now.
As Ron Bergin put it, "What they really seem to be saying is, 'ATVs are here and we have to do something.' Why not just say, 'No we don't.' "
How we ask and answer those questions in the next few months, with our written and spoken comments, along with our votes, will determine the shape and sounds of the public forests for years to come.
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