We Need Your Help! Please assist us with fighting legislation attacking all forms of off-highway vehicle and dirt bike riding.

Please assist us with fighting legislation attacking all forms of off-highway vehicle and dirt bike riding.  Send an email or note to your legislators, specifically your Senator, but adding your Representative and the Governor’s Office will also help, opposing SF 1324.  Please add information about you such as that you ride with your family or friends, it keeps kids off of computers and recreating with their family, that you care about the environment, etc.  Be sure to add your address and phone number so that the legislators know that you are their constituents.

To find who represents you go to: https://www.gis.lcc.mn.gov/iMaps/districts/.  Type in your full address to find your legislators and how to contact them.

Background:

The anti-access/anti off-highway vehicle (OHV) crowd are back in force this year.  The chair of the Senate Committee on Environment, Climate, and Legacy (Senator John Marty) was one of the driving forces behind the attacks on OHVs in the early 2000s.  He is joined by many colleagues from the past attacks and newer anti-access colleagues such as Sen Kelly Morrison who has introduced a bill that could be devastating to OHV recreation, including all forms of dirt biking, in the State regardless of whether riding on public or private lands.

Off-highway vehicles are ATVs, dirt bikes, and trucks with a registration allowing them to travel on OHV designated routes.

The Bill is Senate File (SF) 1324.  Some of the highlights of this bill include:

• OHVs are not allowed on a State Forest Road or Trail, National Forest Road or Trails, Township road or trail, County road or trail, or other roads or trails that:

• Is unpaved and crosses over waters designated as outstanding resources value waters (including crossing with a culvert or bridge).

• Is unpaved and within 300 feet from a public water that supports aquatic life.

• Is unpaved and within 150 feet from a public water that does not support aquatic life.

• On land designated as containing prohibited noxious weeds.

• Removes the ability have managed State Forests north of Highway 2.  It moves all currently managed forests (routes are open unless posted closed) to limited forests (routes are closed unless posted open).

• Gives the DNR Commissioner that ability to not allow OHVs anywhere if it is determined to be for a “good cause”.

• Requires that any new trails, routes, or recreational areas in the State for use of OHVs must have a mandatory Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) unless it is for a re-route of less than 1 mile.

• Requires new signs to be installed at all trails and that the funds for the signs be taken from the OHV accounts.

Here are some of the letters and materials which support these restrictions:

• Audubon Letter of Support for OHV bill (PDF)

• SF 1324 - RETIRED DNR WILDLIFE MANGAGER-2023 OHV Testimony- Gretchen Mehmel (PDF)

• SF 1324- Retired DNR Conservation Officer 2023 OHV Testimony- Jeff Birchem (PDF)

• SF 1324- Photos- Beltrami Forest OHV Damage- Closed Signs Removed (PDF)

• SF 1324- MN- Izaak Walton League- support letter (PDF)

• SF 1324- Backcountry Hunters and Anglers- Bill Support (PDF)

• SF 1324- MN Chapter- The Wildlife Society- Bill support (PDF)

• SF 1342- Sierra Club Letter of Support (PDF)

• SF 1324 MCEA Testimony OHV ATV.docx (1) (PDF)

• SF 1324 - LWVMN Motorized Rec. Support Letter (PDF)

• SF 1324- Handout Overview- Minnesota Public Lands Coalition (PDF)

• SF 1324 MN PLC letter of support (PDF)

• SF 1324-Rationale for Required Signage for Trail Access (PDF)

• SF 1324-Rationale for Water protection & Buffer Zones (PDF)

• SF 1324- PHOTOS Minimal Buffer Zones Designated Highway Licensed OHV Border to Border Touring Route in Lake County (PDF)

• SF 1324-Rationale for Invasive Species Measure re-Designated OHV trails on unpaved routes (PDF)

• SF 1324 Rationale for Mandatory EAWs for OHV routes- other than minor re-routes (PDF)

• SF 1324 Rationale for Local Approval for trails (PDF)

• SF 1324 - Pollinator Friendly Alliance - Bill support (PDF)

• SF 1324 DFL Environmental Caucus Support Letter (PDF)

• ohv_regs (PDF)

The main causes for the legislation is that the OHV organizations have all been working to create master plans to be able to strategically plan OHV routes, the border to border route which designates highway licensed vehicles on public roads, and the Houston project which opponents state the City never wanted even though the City created Resolutions supporting the project between 2008 and 2020.

Here is a flyer the anti-access people are sending.