Why The Tree Huggers Continue to Win
On a recent trip we came to a point in the trail where it was easy to tell ATV traffic used to be allowed but has since been prohibited. It was clear from the double track nature of the trail it had been created by four wheel drive traffic. The sign that used to indicate that ATV traffic was allowed had been altered with a diagonal red stripe. That diagonal red stripe stands as a tick mark in loss column for ATV riders – yes the environmentalists beat us again.
When they win – ATV riders lose – but so do the owners of the hotels, restaurants, ATV dealers, and stores in small towns throughout Utah. While the far majority of ATV owners live in the Wasatch Front Corridor from Ogden to Provo, most riding takes place in the counties beyond the corridor. In these counties, the owners of gas stations, hotels and many other small businesses survive from day to day on large part due to tourism. A healthy portion of that tourism comes from ATV riders who have invested a lot of money in equipment and spend more money every time they hit the trails. County governments have figured out that ATV riders bring great revenue to the towns in their counties and many have promoted ATV trails and use within their counties.
If the economic impact of closing trails is as wide spread as it is and if the ATV Riders out number the environmentalists, why do we continue to lose this battle? It is my opinion that it is our fault not theirs:
(a) – riders don’t stay on designated trails and pictures of the damage done are easily included in efforts to close trails.
(b) – riders don’t pick up after themselves. Its easy – if you pack it in, pack it out!
(c) – riders refuse to get involved in political activities. If you enjoy riding you should establish a budget of time for political activities. Write letters to your congressman, participate in rallies and pass on articles to your fellow riders that encourage them to do the same.
It’s up to us to keep our trails open. We encourage you to join one of the associations that are working to keep our trails open. Here are a few:
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