Promoting quiet recreation in Wisconsin.
Opposing the coming attempts to sell off Wisconsin's natural heritage.
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Thursday, January 04, 2007

First impressions from the Special Committee on State Trails Policy

I just returned from this legislative committee meeting chaired by my Senator, Senator Breske. My comments are impressionistic at this point, and since reporter Joel Patenaude was there, he can give a reporter's accuracy to the meetings. But I took away the following impressions that relate more to the philosophy of the players than the specific draft recommendations.

-Senator Breske does not see why there can't be ATV trails all over the state, like snowmobile trails.
-The lack of a funding source from silent sports folks is hugely disempowering for us, and needs to be addressed. Representative Ott did propose a remedy for this (which I will discuss in a later post) that may be included in whatever happens next in the legislative process.
-Silent Sports opposition and concern about trails is seen as adversarial, but the imposition of ATV's on silent sports is quickly passed over. In fact, Senator Breske said that since bike trails are along roads, silent sports enthusiasts have no right to complain about ATV noise.
-Enforcement funding is not likely to go to the DNR but to local governmental bodies. (This thanks to Senator Schultz, who also said that most enforcement is actually done by ATVers themselves.)
-Senator Ott asked what was being done by manufacturers to mitigate problems. SOmeone suggested that manufacturers lower sound and make less damaging tires, but someone else stated that a number of ATV users would change the tires and buy off market exhausts anyway. Noone brought up the connection between this and enforcement. In other words, nothing will be done to hold manufacturers responsible, or to give the DNR the staff to enforce, ATV violations.

More to follow...

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