Sounding (the silent sports) Alarm [4.07]
Causes for concern & action
 

SAWYER CO. LIFTS SPRING TRAIL CLOSURE FOR ATVS

Just a month after agreeing that the sustainability of forest trails requires their closure through the spring thaw, the Sawyer County Forestry Committee reversed itself by granting an exception for the most damaging of users – ATV riders – on two specific trail systems.

The select ATV trails will remain open this spring while use of hiking and mountain biking trails will be prohibited in all county forests. The privilege for ATV'ers may be extended annually depending on if damage results.

Both the county forester and DNR liaison told the committee that the soil is vulnerable to the kind of ATV damage already seen to have resulted in "total degradation of the landscape."

Severe rutting of the Nine-Mile Loop by ATVs prompted its temporary closed last August. To repair the trail, the Sawyer County Snowmobile/ATV Alliance spent several thousand dollars and trucked in 500 to 600 yards of fill. All but 50 yards of the fill was used for off-trail remediation, according to the Sawyer County Record.

By jettisoning the April 1 to May 25 closure for ATVs on the Seeley Hills and Nine-Mile Loop south of Couderay, the committee is allowing the annual Good Friday Ride to proceed. This "non-event" attracts thousands of ATV riders to the trails. But because it is not officially organized or sponsored, no one is responsible for the damage that can and has occurred.

On February 5, the forestry committee voted 4-1 to keep all motorized and nonmotorized county trails closed from April 1 to the Friday before Memorial Day as part of a new 15-year, county-wide land use plan. On March 5, three newly elected county board members assigned to the committee voted as a block to lift the ban on spring ATV riding.

A petition is currently circulating that requests the committee "implement and enforce (the seasonal) trail and road closure policies" in the comprehensive land use plan. The forestry committee was set to meet again early this month.

Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival Director Gary Crandall has joined the call for the committee to reconsider. He said he and the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association have long discouraged trail riding during the spring thaw period. Also to spare the trails too much abuse, Crandall has since 1992 limited participation in the Fat Tire Fest to 2,500 riders even though it has meant turning away about 900 people every year. "We could have twice as many (Fat Tire Fest) riders, which would be fabulous from an economic standpoint. But for sustainability of the trails, it would be disastrous," Crandall said.

The following letter by Crandall originally appeared in the Sawyer County Record:

"While I am a quiet sports participant and trail advocate, I am not an anti-ATV person. As a recreational trail proponent, I believe in more trails for all types of users. To facilitate that position, I firmly endorse the concepts of sustainable design, construction and maintenance of trails, the essential element of responsible use, enforcement of sensible trail regulations and the implementation of proactive measures to accomplish all of these for the long-term health and well being of the forest resource.

"That being said, no matter what the group, if the goals of sustainable and responsible use can not be met, then the use of the trails should be regulated and/or restricted.

"The recent decision by the Sawyer County Forestry committee to reverse their earlier ruling to enforce seasonal closures was disappointing. By their earlier confirmation of seasonal closures, as outlined in the well thought out long-term forestry plan, the committee commendably established a proactive measure to help insure the sustainability of the county's multi-user trails. In their more recent meeting, by eliminating these seasonal closures during the more sensitive regeneration period, the forestry committee has unfortunately decided that a reactive approach will be the standard.

"The reactive approach authorizes the concept of: 'No matter what the conditions, let us use the trails. If there is damage, we will fix the damage.' A more responsible, sustainable and proactive approach would follow the logic of, 'Let's not use the trails in this environmentally sensitive time so we don't have damage that may or may not be able to be fixed.'

"The ironic part of this recent decision is that according to the Sawyer County Forestry plan, all other users with the exception of the ATVs, will have seasonal restrictions on forest trails. I am not clear on the motivation of the decision making that allows activity by the one group that has the largest potential to create the most damage while restricting access by other groups that, by their nature and land resource ethic, have much less impact.

"The popular and ever growing Good Friday Ride that occurs annually in the Seeley and Hayward block of the forest ... has since its inception taken place in the spring break-up period without consideration of trail sensitivity or weather conditions. ...

"Unlike other events that are planned in the forest (such as the Fat Tire Fest), this ride seeks no permission from municipal or county agencies for trail use, provides no liability insurance certificate, and has no organizational body that is responsible for day of ride logistics, safety or clean up.

"Add to that this admission by an ATV proponent quoted in the Sawyer County Record: 'The enforcement issues would be unbelievable. I don't believe there would be a lot of adherence to (a trail closure policy).' >From that statement alone, the issue of responsible use doesn't seem to be a serious directive of this user group.

"On a broader scope, from what I have read and heard, it appears that no group will take the responsibility for the large amount of off trail damage that is being done off in wetlands and on hillsides. To their credit, the ATV and snowmobile clubs offer maintenance assistance and take responsibility for on trail issues. But no one will step up to the long-term damage done off-trail. Granted, responsible use is ultimately the obligation of the individual user and not the local club. However, this growing motorized sport needs to be more proactive in solving the user problems that have resulted in the trail access difficulties they have experienced.

"It's a large forest with many wonderful routes and trails for all types of users to enjoy. For the long-term sustainability of those trails, all user groups and the county must be diligent in managing the resource.

"I hope the Sawyer County Forestry Committee will once again reconsider their recent actions and reinstate the seasonal closures on the multi-use trails if not for the current users then at least for our children's future use."

WIS. GOV. ADDS TO ATV TRAIL FUNDING PROPOSALS

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed state budget, released in mid-February, includes $184,000 for a "sustainable all-terrain vehicle trail system in northern state forests."

This alarms opponents of ATVs in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, particularly since the year-old NH-AL Sustainable ATV Trail Stakehold-ers Group has not yet made a recommendation to the Natural Resources Board.

The stakeholder's group is, nevertheless, expected to map some 60 miles of permanent ATV trails in the state forest – for more than the 8- to 12-mile "experimental" ATV trail loop the DNR proposed in 2005 but then shelved after a public backlash. The 17-member stakeholders group, with an overwhelmingly pro-ATV majority, took shape after the original trail plan was shot down.

Sixty miles ATV trail would displace other visitors to the 222,000-acre NH-AL State Forest. Since ATVs can be heard at least a mile away, that trail would disturb wildlife and other park users across 38,400 acres or more of the park.

The governor's proposal to fund new ATV trails through state forests follows a 7-5 decision by the Special Committee on State Trails Policy to increase the DNR's ATV fund from $5 million to more than $11 million annually – despite the fact that the fund left $1 million unspent in 2004-2005.

In June 2006, the Natural Resources Board gave the DNR permission to explore the possibility of establishing an ATV intensive use area of 2,000 to 7,000 acres at a cost of $10 million to buy the land and develop the site and $300,000 to operate annually.

"Why are the recreational demands of ATV (riders), a special interest group, being given so much credence by our state legislators at the expense of the majority of anglers, hunters, hikers, campers and other non-motorized users?" asked Sue Drum, spokesperson for Northwoods Citizens for Responsible Recreation. The DNR has documented 85 percent of public land users prefer nonmotorized activities.

Drum and others plan to voice their opposition to further ATV funding at a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Finance on April 11. The hearing is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Nicolet College Learning Resource Center.

GOV. SUPPORTS RENEWING STEWARDSHIP FUND

The Gathering Waters Conservancy applauds Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle for making reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund through 2020 one of his priorities this legislative session.

Doyle has called for increasing funding for the stewardship program from $60 million a year to $105 million in 2011 to keep up with rising land prices.

"This program is a critical tool for providing opportunities to live and work and play in our beautiful state," said Vicki Elkin, Gathering Waters Conservancy's Stewardship Campaign Director.

The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association support renewal of the stewardship fund so long as provisions are made to allow more hunting on the lands presevered. More than 92 percent of lands purchased with stewardship dollars are open to hunting and 96 percent are open to fishing and other forms of passive recreation. Those that are closed include scenic and conservation easements, bike trails, properties in urban areas and boat launches, as well as lands set aside for quiet enjoyment.

The Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Fund is a nationally recognized program that provides outdoor recreation opportunities and helps protect critical natural areas, wildlife habitat, and water quality in Wisconsin. Since 1989, stewardship funds have helped protect nearly 480,000 acres across the state.

BIKE SUMMIT LOBBIES CONGRESS

The Wisconsin delegation to the the National Bike Summit on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C on February 9 included several members of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin (BikeFed) and Wisconsin Off-Road Bicycle Association (WORBA).

State bicycling industry officials from Trek, Pacific, Planet Bike and Saris also took part in the Bike Summit, organized by the League of American Bicyclists, to lobby Congress for the following:

• The Bicycle Commuter Tax Benefit Act, which would extend transportation fringe benefits currently available to individuals who commute by mass transit, car pools and van pools to bicyclists. The legislation would provide a tax benefit to employers who offer cash reimbursements to employees who commute by bike.

• Request that Congress fund the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) at $12 million level, up from $8.2 million. The RTCA is a technical assistance program of the National Park Service that fosters partnerships between federal, state and local land managers. Several trails in Wisconsin were included on the RTCA list for 2006.

• Transportation Enhancements (TE), a primary source of federal highmay funding for biking facilities. In response to federal cuts, 24 states, including Wisconsin, gutted the Transportation Enhancements. Wisconsin rescinded more than $60 million in TE funding – almost 82 percent, the highest percentage of any state.

Bike Summit participants emphasized that outdoor recreation contributes $730 billion to the national economy. Bicycling generated 1.1 million jobs in the U.S., which contributes $17.7 billion in federal taxes. Bicycling has a a total economic impact estimated at $132.8 billion. As the home to Trek, Pacific, Planet Bike, Saris and Waterford, Wisconsin's economy is a major beneficiary of the bicycle industry.

DNR JUSTIFIES MULTI-USE TRAIL WITH REPORT

In late February, the Wisconsin DNR released its final environmental impact statement for the proposed Amery-Dresser State Trail in Polk County. The report reinforced the agency's earlier decision to see both motorized and nonmotorized trail users accomodated on the 13.48-mile extension of the existing Cattail State Trail. The new trail will utilize an abandoned railroad bed between Amery and Osceola ending about 1.5 miles southeast of Dresser.

Amery, Osceola and Garfield Township officials favored the development of a nonmotorized greenway, and Friends of the Lincoln-Osceola-Garfield Greenway (LOG) had to sue the DNR in April 2005 to get the environmental assessment done.

The DNR's 30-page environmental asseessment is supplemented by a 48-page summary of the more than 140 public comments the agency received by late March 2006 and the agency's responses.

Many area residents raised concerns that local law enforcement wouldn't be able to adequately police the new multi-use trail. Extensive damage and vandalism to the Cattail Trail by ATV riders was cited, as was off-trail trespass and wetland wreakage.

"Once open, we would expect there to be a greater enforcement presence," the DNR responded. "The number of enforcement hours available for motorized recreation has been increased and problem areas are being targeted."

The full report and summary of public comments can be found at www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/amd_ea/index.html.

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