Sunday, February 15, 2004

Kerry? Dean? Edwards? How about ATVs? Most of Wisconsin is focused on the statewide Presidential primary part of the election this Tuesday, February 17. There is, however, a big debate raging in a corner of the North Country that has caught the interest of those who care about land-use issues, wilderness and such. Vilas County voters will decide whether to allow ATVs on county forest land. ATVs are currently banned from that public land (and from state lands, too, by the way, except on designated trails). John Bates, a writer and naturalist who lives on the Manitowish River in southern Iron County (just across the Vilas County line), published a column recently in the Lakeland Times that is the most passionate, reasoned and convincing argument I have seen for keeping ATVs out of this one corner of the North Country. His piece is not on the Lakeland Times website, but you can find it on a site maintained by the Northwoods Citizens for Responsible Stewardship. You'll also find a ton of other articles on that site, most of them dealing with the abuses some (but by no means all) ATV owners have heaped on the land and other citizens. Take a look, and let your friends in Vilas County know how you feel, regardless of which side of the trail ruts you fall on this one... Later... 9:55:35 AM    comment []