All-terrian vechicles (ATVs) are a very contentious issue in New York Politics. To some, they are viewed as noisy machines that unneccessarly chew up the forest floor, to the peril of nature and mankind alike. I tend to agree with the opposite group, noting that these problems in general are minor, and that a lack of sustainable plan has lead to the abuse of these machines in state forests all around.

Stuck in a Rut: A Minor Problem

ATVs pose a rather minor threat to the forests and fields that make up the state land. Rutts and puddles are their greatest legacy, as these machines with their stubby tires tend to leave a small footprint on the trail. On harder soils and bedrock, the impact is almost unnoticable, similiar to the old woods roads that ATVs most often ride on legally or not. In many cases, the damage a 4x4 pickup truck will do a rough and slippery trail is far greater.

Looking around state land, even that criss-crossed with 'illegal' ATV trails, it seems as though most of the forest is untouched. ATV riders stay mostly on easily passable routes, such as old woods roads or snowmobile trails. ATVs are fairly big, and to ride cross country in the woods is next to impossible unless a trail exists. Riders might want to go everywhere, but limits of the tress prevent them from doing such.

Some claim that ATV's chew up swampy areas, damaging wetlands and leaving giagantic puddles for one to cross when hiking. While the later has some creditablity, the prior two do not. ATV's are machines and like anything else, have limitations on how deep in the mud they can safely go. Many riders do not like to go into deep puddles in fear that they will either get stuck or too muddy. Not to mention, puddles are bumpy and require the operator to slow down before entering.

These rutts have been known to sustain life. In my times walking through the woods, I've seen snaping turtles baking in the sun outside of these muddy habitats, along with plenty of tadpoles and frogs swimming around. Environmentalists are quite right to note that these puddles are artifical habitat, and that other species have likely been disturbed in their wake, but then again the trails are such a minor part of the forest.

Hiking and Riding on ATV Trails

I have hiked along many ATV trails, and also ridden along some with my mountain bike. In general, they are enjoyable to walk or ride along, though some hikers claim differently. Some claim the errosion and puddles created by ATVs rapidly destory a trail, making it difficult to pass. I disagree with with that contention for a number of reasons. Hiking boots allow you to avoid getting wet feet with many puddles and in the mud that it sometimes churned up by these machines.

Trying to figure out which trails are appropiate for ATV use is difficult. There are many uses for trails, with all the users fighting over them. As Assemblymen Moreelle noted, horseback riders, snowmobilers, hikers, and bikers are all vying for those limited areas of lands. Moreover, much of the state's network of snowmobile trails are on private property, which in the summer is used as farm fields. Snowmobiles have no impact on empty fields in winter, but ATVs would make a real mess out of corn fields.

Overuse Created By Legalization

It seems one possiblity that having a substainal legal trail network for ATVs is that it will encourage more people to buy ATVs and use tyhem in the forest preserve. Right now, many people abstain from buying these machines as legal trails are rare, and there is a risk of getting procecuted for illegal use (abit a small risk).

Still, I think these risks are mitigated by a number of factors. First and foremost, most of the trails in the past where ATVs were legal or semi-legal were in exteremly rural areas, that without tourism do not have a substanial base of riders to do distructions. Legalization might encourage more tourism and make riding a more open sport, but it's unlike to increase it too much. Many really passoinate riders indeed ride clandensity and illegally.

Second there is the issue and cost of equipment and it's storage. Not every urbanite in New York has room to store an ATV, much less the truck or trailer to take it to the trail head. ATVing doesn't sound so much fun if you have no land in your backyard to test the equipment out.

ATVs' Air Pollution

The pollution claims above and beyond rutts require a more critical view. Rutts are largely an issue of aesetics and nusance, while air pollution is a substanative problem. The issue of snowmobiling in Wyomoning's Yellowstone Park probably has more merit then ATV or snowmobile pollution in upstate New York. The pollution issues in Yellowstone are largely caused by certain form of air current that forces and keeps pollution in the area, and blows pollutants on in from other areas. These same air currents do not exist in New York.

Nobody is arguing that ATVs or snowmobiles are particularly clean machines, particularly when out of tune and when the engines are operating at low RPMs. Aggravating the problem more the issue of 2-stroke engines that were used quite commonly in the past, as a cheap, affordable, and light-weight engines to power off-road equipment. Newer 2-stroke engines are cleaner, and the future looks as though lightweight 4-stroke and other technologies such as Chrysler's patented two-stroke prosposed-for-Neon valveless engine will take over.

The issue to remmber here is that ATVs are highly limited in number (compared to say cars), and where they are used in the forest preserve is not already high pollution areas. The level of tolerable pollution will be higher, and the nuisance of these stinky machines will rapidly disappear into open air. This is not a pro-pollution policy, as much as realization fof the forest as it currently exists, and the hope that with new technologies, a minor air pollution problem will further be abated.

Conclusions

Assemblymen Morrelle says what we need for ATV Riders is 'fundamental fairness' from the state, including reasonable rates for ATV registration. Riders who pay money into a trail fund, should expect something and get something in return. The environmental impacts of ATVs are fairly small, and when kept in perspective show that the danger posed by ATVs is significantly less then what those critical of these machines claim.