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outlandish AWF Admin 
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For better or worse, all-terrain vehicles are quickly passing the snowmobile in popularity By LEE BERGQUIST lbergquist@journalsentinel.com Posted: June 25, 2005 Black River Falls - On a balmy afternoon, three mud-caked riders gun their engines across a parking lot before stopping suddenly to gas up. With all of their noise, grit and protective gear, the riders do little to dispel the notion that the drivers of all-terrain vehicles are hellbent on ripping up the land and having a good time.
Photos/Joe Koshollek ATV Statistics Graphic/Journal Sentinel ATV Use in Wisconsin But then comes a friendly wave, and when they pull off their helmets, Dan Myers, 38, of Fox Lake, Ill., and his wife, Carmen, 43, offer their hand; their son, Jose, 17, a respectful nod. "This is our favorite place to ride," said Dan Myers, turning his head toward the Jackson County Forest and its network of trails. "Out of all of the places we go, this is the most scenic. It's something we can do as a family." The Myerses aren't alone. For the first time, the number of ATV users in Wisconsin this year is expected to outpace those who ride the venerable snowmobile, according to estimates from the state Department of Natural Resources. Like never before, ATV enthusiasts are flocking to the state's 1,800 miles of trails that are open for spring, summer and fall riding. In the winter, the number of miles zooms to 4,000 when riders can piggyback on selected snowmobile trails. Fun? More and more folks think so. A boon to the state's tourist economy? You betcha. ATVs join high-powered fishing boats, personal watercraft and dirt bikes as part of a growing fascination with motor sports in the leafy corners of Wisconsin. Tepid winters have helped ATV growth in the state, and so has its location, as Wisconsin's trails have become magnets for enthusiasts from Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. Demographics play to the sport's favor as well. Advocates say the future of ATVs is in the hands of families, baby boomers and those who are older. The average ATV user in Wisconsin is male, 40 years old and married, state Department of Tourism figures show. But as their popularity grows, ATVs have become a symbol of conflict over the use of Wisconsin's public lands, where most of the machines are ridden. For all of the freewheeling fun they invoke, ATVs are polarizing motor sports advocates and those with environmental concerns or who prefer the quiet. "ATVs need space and distance, and it becomes a challenge with limited space and money," said Jeff Prey, a senior planner for the DNR's parks and trails system. Recent attempts to add trails in Wisconsin have been controversial. State, county and federal land managers are finding themselves in the middle of pitched battles over how best to include - or exclude - the machines from land because of the damage they cause. The problem is exacerbated by a patchwork of regulations that allows for virtually wide-open public access in some areas and strict limits in others. In southeastern Wisconsin, for example, the only public land on which to drive ATVs is seven miles of trails at the Richard Bong State Recreation Area in Kenosha County. Law enforcement personnel in some counties also complain that they are forever playing catch-up with what they view as a minority of riders who flout laws by speeding, ripping up wetlands and venturing onto restricted land. ATV trails in Jackson County Forest alone have sunk a foot or more since 1986, exposing them to erosion from the constant pounding of heavy traffic, forestry officials say. 'Someone who doesn't care' On a weekend in late May, just as the ATV season was beginning to rev up, a constant ebb and flow of four-wheelers moved between the trails and gas pumps at the intersection of Highway 54 and I-94. A campground and the parking lots of three hotels are filled with SUVs and trailers. Helmeted drivers, some in racing suits, stock up on everything from ice cream and candy to beer and pizza. As the freeway growls a few hundred yards away, this patch of Wisconsin has the noise and energy of a NASCAR weekend. A few days later while inspecting trails, Jon Schweitzer stops suddenly on his ATV. He has been bouncing down a dusty trail that reveals the fresh tracks of timber wolves and black bears. But now he sees that someone has illegally driven off the trail and plowed into a small marshy area. "This is a pretty good example of someone who doesn't care," said Schweitzer, assistant administrator of the Jackson County Forestry and Parks Department. "Our biggest issue here is sustainability." He doesn't know it yet, but less than a mile away, he will find an even larger wetland that has been turned into a muddy ATV playground. A sign says, "Stay On Trail or Stay Home." In Douglas County, in northwestern Wisconsin, "it seems like every year there are more and more complaints," said Steve Olson, a deputy sheriff and the county's recreation-enforcement officer. The biggest problem: riders who drive off marked trails, occasionally onto state roadways. Already this year, Olson reported that a woman who left the trail was thrown off her ATV and had to be flown by helicopter to Duluth, Minn. Another rider illegally tried crossing Highway 53 - a four-lane divided highway - and was hit by a car. Both people survived, he said. Scofflaws can be ticketed for $181, but he says the fines have had only a limited effect. "I have had comments from people who say they come up here to ride and that paying tickets is just part of the cost of doing business," Olson said. Last year, the number of fatalities from ATVs dropped to 17 from 19 in 2003, DNR statistics show. But seven of those killed were minors. The youngest was 11, a boy, who was killed on private property in Barron County. Stories like these prompt officials to ask how they can meet the needs of a sport that is growing by leaps and bounds, while trying to rein in bad drivers and control environmental damage. ATV registrations have grown by 90% since 2000, according to DNR records. There were 215,417 registered ATV users in Wisconsin last year. Another 4,528 trail passes were purchased by out-of-state riders. Snowmobile registrations dipped in the same period by 1%, totaling 221,419 last year. Private group is unprecedented While the DNR and ATV advocates watched the sport grow, the Legislature earmarked funds from the sale of ATV registrations and the gas tax for an outside group to help spruce up the sport. Since 2001, about $1 million has been paid in state contracts to the National Off-Highway Vehicle Insurance & Services Group Inc. to promote safety and ethical riding. The group, which has an insurance consulting arm as well, is a non-profit organization aligned with the Wisconsin ATV Association. Both are based in Sheboygan. The two groups are headed by Randy Harden, a missionary of sorts, who put 40,000 miles on his car last year to promote the sport and champion ATV safety. "I want to change the industry," Harden said. "We have made some gains, but the infrastructure has got to be there." The national group recruits and trains safety instructors and so-called trail ambassadors with the aid of public dollars. The ambassadors are volunteers who have attended safety training instruction and are willing to stand guard on trails to warn riders of illegal riding or report transgressions to authorities. About 600 ambassadors have been trained, but only about 10% to 15% actively work the trails at busy times such as weekends, Harden said. Harden and his wife, Ann, split one job for the national group and share a $68,688 annual salary. Their son Adam and another employee split another job and are paid $73,308 a year, according to DNR records. Five regional coordinators are paid $1,000 to $2,200 per month, plus travel expenses. The payments to the national group are unprecedented - there is no similar program for snowmobiles, mountain bikes or personal watercraft. Harden acknowledged he gets complaints from some ATV riders who don't like the meddling, and from advocates of quiet sports who question the propriety of doling out money to a single user group. But the on-the-ground officials such as Jackson County's Schweitzer like the extra help. "We need more eyes and ears," he said. The DNR bids out the contract annually and gets an accounting of how the money is spent. With budget cuts, the agency can do only so much, and because of the national group, safety and ethics are getting more attention, said Karl Brooks, deputy chief warden with the agency. Harden believes most riders are conscientious, but he said the ATV industry is shooting itself in the foot when manufacturers exploit an outdoorsman's yearning for freedom by advertising that their machines can go anywhere. "It's a secret handshake," Harden said. "National advertising implies that you can go everywhere, and that's not the case." ATV dealer Eric Wedward believes there must be more areas cordoned off for the more adventurous riders. "I think that would make a big difference if they just had a few secluded play areas," said Wedward, co-owner of Black River Power Sports in Black River Falls. "Most people want to ride on the trails, but some of the guys want to go out and play a little bit, in the sand or the mud." As they wait for their parents to catch up to them, Tom Lloyd, 16, and Zach Harris, 15, of Cedarville, Ill., bask in the sun. Mud splatters their faces like brown badges of courage. They have spent the morning "muddin,' " a test that pits man and machine against swaths of mocha-colored sludge that can run for 100 yards or more. They are courteous, smile easily, and both have taken Wisconsin's ATV safety education course, which is now required of anyone born after Jan. 1, 1988, who rides on public land. Harris has been riding since he was 5. He and Lloyd drive the faster and lighter sport models, and they are drawn to the challenge of moving through mud without four-wheel drive. "It's fun, fast, and the scenery is pretty cool up here," Harris said. "And it's safe, if you watch what you are doing." Does he? "Most of the time," he said with a grin. "The mud likes us." As trails experience more use, Wisconsin has raised registration fees and earmarked more money for maintenance. A new law increased the price of an annual ATV registration sticker from $12 to $30 in 2004. The biggest chunk of those fees, $2.7 million, went to repair and upgrade trails - a 55% increase over 2003, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. "This is the model of the future," said Brigit Brown, the DNR's state trails coordinator. "If people want places to recreate, you need to put your money where your mouth is." Boost in tourism Despite their controversy, ATVs are the engine for the state's tourism industry. The average user spends $523 per trip, according to a 2004 survey by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the state's ATV association. The economic impact of the sport is estimated at $295 million a year in the state. The ATV question has frayed tensions in parts of the north where development is pitting pro-growth and property-rights advocates against others who would like to slow things down. In a February 2004 advisory referendum, Vilas County voters rejected a proposal by local ATV clubs to build a trail system that would link it and other counties to trails in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. More recently, ATVs have been at the center of controversy over a new, 15-year master plan for the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, which attracts 2 million visitors a year and covers a large part of Vilas County. The DNR is proposing an eight- to 10-mile loop. The trail would accommodate a burgeoning sport in a part of the state where there are no public trails. Jim Knuth of Presque Isle, a self-described Republican who owns a snowmobile, is active among a group of residents who oppose ATVs in the state forest because they believe it will mean more noise and destruction of the land. More significantly, "it's the toe in the door they want so badly," Knuth said of ATV proponents. "They want Vilas County, period." On the other side of the argument is Mike Musiedlak of St. Germain, a mechanic who repairs boats, snowmobiles and ATVs. He believes opponents ignore the importance that power sports play in northern Wisconsin's economy. The horror stories about freewheeling riders are overblown. "We're not going to be running everywhere," he said. "They make it sound like there isn't going to be any peace and quiet left. That's not so. Everything has its place." As he bounces along a logging road in his pickup truck, Northern Highland forest superintendent Dennis A. Leith points out features of the forest where he has worked for 26 years. His job is to balance competing needs, and it's not always easy. Before heading into the woods that morning, Leith got an e-mail about ATVs that began, "How could you be so stupid?" He knows that a rogue driver or two could cause years of damage to the forest. "I love this forest," he said. "But let's try doing this. Let's give them a chance." Last edited on Mon Jun 27th, 2005 02:36 am by outlandish ____________________ coming soon....the new Aurora Decal site |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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Very good info here..........Hey Minnesota, Look Here ---->The economic impact of the sport is estimated at $295 million a year in the state<----- We could have that kind of revenue if we had some trails :mad:
____________________ coming soon....the new Aurora Decal site |
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WheelinForLife Not Registered
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look out snowmobiles!
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turboman Member 
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BAN SNOWMOBILES. THEY MAKE THE SNOW DIRTY.
____________________ 800 MaxXT,25"XTR's.RAM GPS,Twin-Air, Ricochet,ELKA fronts,EBC pads,Kevlar cable,PIAA bulbs,grip-reinf's,Leeds hitch,Precision damper,1" Rr spacers,Iridium plugs,Rene'wgts,OEM w/shield,OURY grips,WestCo coated muffler,Saeng mirrors,flares,AGM bat |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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BAN SNOWMOBILES. THEY MAKE THE SNOW DIRTY.  Turbo relax........
____________________ coming soon....the new Aurora Decal site |
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ATVs Increase in Popularity
