Contact Minnesota legislators (below) now and say
"No to gas-tax funding of ATV scramble areas and connecting routes". Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resource Finance Committee is considering a bill that would divert $1 million in gas-tax revenue for an ATV, dirt-bike motorcycle and four-wheel drive truck route connecting Gilbert and Virginia DNR scramble areas. Oppose House File 4108.
What is a scramble area? The original template for the DNR's statewide ATV plan, the 1997 Northeast Recommendations for Off-Highway Vehicle System Plan, first referenced the development of scramble areas - areas for random scramble within a statewide web of connecting routes for ATVs, dirt-bike motorcycle and four-wheel drive trucks. Over ten "scramble areas" where proposed for NE Minnesota alone. The so-called Gilbert and Virginia Off-Highway Vehicle Parks, AKA scramble areas, would not be considered parks at all (see photos below) by most Minnesotans.
Four Reasons to oppose $1 million diversion of gas-tax funds to connect the Gilbert and Virginia ATV, dirt-bike motorcycle and four-wheel drive truck scramble areas.
1. There is no data that indicates a public investment in scramble areas decreases ATV scrambling outside scramble area boundaries
2. There is compelling data that scramble areas increase off-trail travel and damage outside scramble area boundaries. See below photos (from MRR's website) of extensive damage along existing 1.5 mile ATV route connecting the City of Gilbert Campground and the Gilbert DNR scramble area. Damage, trespass and vandalism is extensive the entire route and spills over onto the Mesabi Trail bikeway, our nation's longest bikeway, soon to go from Grand Rapids to Ely. Over 100,000 people from around the nation and world visit the Mesabi Trail to find peace and quiet and fresh air.
2004 ---- Gas-tax Funded Gilbert Off-Highway Vehicle Scramble Area - A Failed Experiment at Containment: Attached find photos of damage in City of Gilbert and along “designated” ATV and dirt-bike motorcycle track that connects the City of Gilbert campground and the Gilbert Scramble Area. Note that operators have denuded land, damaged wetlands, vandalized barrier posts and trespassed on private land the entire length of this “designated route”.
Some would expect such a documented increase in off-trail travel and damage resulting from scramble areas. These gas-tax funded areas provide a training ground for unethical behavior. Scramble areas encourage high-impact use of the land when the rest of America is working at reducing our footprint.
3. Extraordinary enforcement including helicopters and additional county sheriff time had, in 2004, not had any effect in preventing the pervasive damage along the connector route. Below linked MRR Environmental Assessment Worksheet (bottom of page 4) has short discussion on enforcement. Needed is an update from the St. Louis and Lake Counties Regional Rail Authority, that manages the Mesabi Trail, regarding conditions along bikeway and existing 1.5 mile ATV connector between Gilbert Campground and Gilbert scramble area.
2004 ----- Gas-tax Funded Dirt-bike Motorcycle Track Proposed and illegal construction begun 20” from Mesabi Bikeway. MRR intervened with a petition for environmental review to successfully stop the project. The Mesabi Trail bikeway is the nation’s longest bikeway for which over $7 million has been invested. 150,000 visitors seeking peace and quiet and fresh air enjoyed the trail in 2203. Public funding for additional ATV and dirt-bike motorcycle use next to the Mesabi Trail in other locations continues to threaten the integrity of the trail.
4. Most important of all, gas-tax funds should not be diverted to motorized recreation. It is unconstitutional. It is simply wrong when Minnesota's bridges are failing and our state has a $1 billion deficit. The necessary financial burden borne by all Minnesotans with recent enactment of needed gas-tax increases, should not be used to promote a high-impact use of our state's fiscal, land, water and air resources. Read the constitution and MRR legislation to repeal gas-tax diversions to motorized recreation.
Contact Environment and Natural Resource Committee Chair Jean Wagenius
and Committee Members and share the above points with them. (we have copied them in this Action Alert):
rep.jean.wagenius@house.mn
rep.al.doty@house.mn
rep.dennis.ozment@house.mn
rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn
rep.karen.clark@house.mn
rep.david.dill@house.mn
rep.kent.eken@house.mn
rep.paul.gardner@house.mn
rep.bob.gunther@house.mn
rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn
rep.rick.hansen@house.mn
rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn
rep.kate.knuth@house.mn
rep.doug.magnus@house.mn
rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn
rep.frank.moe@house.mn
rep.aaron.peterson@house.mn
rep.bev.scalze@house.mn
rep.kathy.tingelstad@house.mn
rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn
rep.loren.solberg@house.mn
Read more Case Studies for Reforming or Abolishing Gas-Tax Funding of Motorized Recreation , learn How Minnesota's Gas-Tax Funds Motorized Recreation and get more resources in MRR's Toolkit:
Reforming Gas-tax Funding of Motorized Recreation: Toolkit for the Quiet Majority 3/21/08
