Jerry Woolpy
remarks to the Oneida
County Forestry, Land, & Outdoor Recreation Committee
October 1, 2008
As most people living in the Northwoods, and many who visit here know, we are routinely threatened by groups of ATVs enthusiasts who seek to increase the number of ATV trails in our forests, parks, and town roads. The latest one that I am aware of came Wednesday, October 1st at the Oneida Country Forestry, Land and Outdoor Recreation Committee Meeting where consideration was given to a motion to open all county forest trails to ATVs. Along with others, some favoring and some opposed to more ATV trails, I addressed the committee as follows:
For the Oneida Country Forestry, Land and Outdoor Recreation Committee Meeting, October 1, 2008:
As I was getting ready for this meeting I received a terrible announcement that a best friend of one of my close friends died suddenly on Thursday when the ATV she was riding on a trail in Wenatchee, Washington, rolled on top of her. She was 52 years old and in perfect health and with years of experience in the forest on ATVs. Apparently she took a curve too fast.
This came to me the day after I had lectured on bones to my Human Biology class at Nicolet. After class a student asked about a friend of her son’s who had just had a rod put in his leg with screws at both ends to stabilize a brake in his fibula and tibia that occurred last weekend while he was “four-wheeling.”
These two accidents sent me to the internet where I discovered that in 2006, 555 people including 100 children, died in all-terrain vehicle accidents and 146,600 more were treated for injuries. More than a quarter of these injuries were children. Meanwhile the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that this year there will be 800 more ATV deaths.
When I heard that this committee was considering letting ATVs on Oneida County forest trails I wrote you this note the gist of which is the following:
The Natural Resources Board of Wisconsin decided against ATV trails in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest because:
1. It was too costly to build and maintain trails.
2. ATVs are unruly because a small but dangerous minority of them ride off trail and abuse the forest.
3. ATVs are relatively incompatible with other recreational uses.
4. ATVs are noisy especially in the larger groups where their sound decibels are more than additive.
5. ATVs leave an odorous trail.
6. ATVs are prone to accidents especially when ridden by younger children.
7. ATVs destroy the habitat of local flora and fauna.
8. ATVs spread invasive species.
9. ATVs are used by a very small minority of the total recreational market.
10. ATV trails are already widely available in Wisconsin.
11. While ATV trails are favored by a small portion of Northwoods businesses, they are abhorred by a larger portion because of their negative impact.
12. Despite conscientious efforts by ATV riders and clubs to educate for safety and rule abiding they have had little or no impact on the abuse ATVs cause in Wisconsin, across our nation, and around the world.
For all these reasons I hope you will decide against opening our forests roads to ATVs.
Though I had to leave before the meeting it was over, I believe that the committee decided, at least for now, not to increase the number of ATV trails already available in the Oneida County forests. However, given the pressure brought by ATV recreational users it seems likely to be a recurrent demand, here and throughout the Northwoods. Not only is this a threat to the health and vigor of our forests, but as too few people are aware, it is also a threat to the safety of our people and especially our children.
Jerry Woolpy
Minocqua, Wisconsin
Links:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23169857/
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/02/more_than_500_people_died_in_a.html
http://www.atvsafety.gov/stats.html
http://www.atvsafety.gov/state/wisconsin.html
http://www.atvsafety.gov/state/minnesota.html
http://www.atvsafety.gov/state/michigan.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/02/cpsc_atvs.html