Promoting quiet recreation in Wisconsin.
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Monday, June 06, 2005

From Sue Drum

TEN GOOD REASONS NOT TO ALLOW AN ATV EXPERIMENTAL LOOP TRAIL IN THE NORTHERN HIGHLAND-AMERICAN LEGION STATE FOREST


1. Opening the door to ATV trails in the NH-AL State Forest is an important Wisconsin statewide issue because the majority of residents and tourists who use these public lands come to relax and enjoy a wilderness experience and introducing ATVs will diminish this wilderness.
In just under 2 weeks Northwoods Citizens for Responsible Stewardship was able to gather over 800 signatures, statewide, and inspire 150 people to attend the Boulder Junction DNR public hearing.


2. The NH-AL forest is a one-of-a-kind resource! Like the Grand Canyon, this forest attracts visitors from throughout the U.S. and from foreign countries. Surely no thoughtful person can believe that the DNR’s primary mission, “to protect and enhance this unique resource” can be upheld by opening the boundaries to ATV trails.

3. The 3,325-acre section proposed for the ATV trail contains several wild lakes. The U.W.-Trout Lake Limnology Laboratory is currently conducting important research on two lakes in this area and a portion of the forest floor. One project involves an on-going 18 year study of Mercury levels in our lakes. ATV traffic threatens these studies.

4. ATV riders carry a 20-year history of destruction and fragmentation of public lands, even with attempts at enforcement and monitoring by their own trail ambassadors. What in the world are we doing sanctioning an activity that requires such constant enforcement, and where all attempts at enforcement have been unable to keep riders on designated trails? No one user group should have the right to misuse and abuse this fragile, wild environment.

5. ATV users diminish the outdoor experience for all other users through their explosive generation of noise and energy. On the other hand ATV users are not affected by the silent sport users. A minority use group should not consistently be allowed to displace the majority of low impact users who have demonstrated good stewardship over time. (Only 13% of state forest users are ATV operators.)

6. Rather than more ATV trails, the greater need of people, plants and animals is large areas of unspoiled land where the sounds, smells and sights of nature are uninterrupted by persistent engine noise. Such areas are rare and priceless.

7. The growing number of registered ATVs in Wisconsin (over 200,000 in 2004) can not be used as a valid reason to build more trails. 2/3rds of ATVs are registered for utility use on private land. Utility use is the most rapid growing sector, not trail use.

8. The present 5,000 miles of ATV trails and routes in Wisconsin connect most northern counties (not Vilas) to the U.P. where 100’s of miles connect the Wisconsin border to the Keewenaw Peninsula. This trail system is still uncrowded and there is no real need for more trails. ( For comparison, this 5000 mile trail system is 21/2 times the distance from Wisconsin to California.)

9. Presently Vilas County ranks 3rd and Door County ranks 1st in tourist spending. Neither county allows ATV trails. 63% of Vilas County residents voted in the February 2004 presidential election to continue to grow their economy by attracting people who care about the land. Voters realized that their healthy forest and lake ecosystem contributes to personal as well as economic prosperity. If we continue to promote nature study and silent sports, Vilas will standout as a refuge for the majority of public land users.

10. As people become more urbanized and alienated from the natural world, doesn’t it become more urgent to teach our youth a “land ethic”? Could we at least show our children that we are willing to save one forest for posterity? Could we acknowledge that in this unspoiled habitat of trees and lakes there is no room for ATVs. Such action would provide a clear example of what a “land ethic” means.

Information in this paper comes from Wisconsin Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), 2000-2005. Public land users: 13 % ATVs, 75% non-motorized
ATV trail miles come from Wisconsin Department of Tourism, March 2004 “Economic Demographics Profile of Wisconsin ATV users.

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