Re: Fwd: The Curtailment of "Mudboging"...

[Bob Hoffmann <escape@alt-escape.com>]

At 04:02 PM 6/17/2002 -0700, sean wrote:
>This is not simply an issue from some far-off API story.  There is a 
>vigorous body of recreators in the Palouse who seek to use their motorized 
>vehicles.  They, like others in this billion dollar market, deserve well 
>thought out and equitable recreation areas (remember equity?).  There are 
>no such locations in within a reasonable drive.  The same can hardly be 
>said for other outdoor recreation.

I occasionally walk the Sand Mountain ORV trail.  It is a trail on public 
land maintained by an ORV club.  Riders on the trail are always courteous 
and sensible.  There was one time on the other side of Sand Mountain that a 
rider drove on a closed road, which was extremely aggravating to me because 
I was trying to sneak up on some vocal elk in that area.  That blew my best 
chance at a bull last hunting season.

Any way, the courteous, sensible ORV drivers were certainly not the ones 
that Bill London was talking about.  There are genuine slob ORV drivers, 
and they deserve condemnation from all, the ORV community and non-ORV users 
alike.  If there is no place to drive an ORV within 30 miles, 60 miles, or 
600 miles, then the rule is simple--you don't drive your ORV!  Buying the 
machine doesn't give you the right to make a mountain meadow your personal 
roadway just because "there's no where to drive."  I don't target practice 
with my rifle at the nearest field outside Moscow on the premise that 
"well, there's no public range in Latah County!"

We all are obligated to recreate within the bounds of the law, common 
sense, and common courtesy.  I praise the ORV drivers who do so.  I condemn 
those who do not.

Bob Hoffmann
846 Mabelle St.
Moscow, ID  83843

Tel: 208 883-0642