Most beautiful place in michigan is now useless

[Ottobon]

Basically the one place i really loved in Michigan is now going on a campaign to stop the thing that took it from a huge sandbox to paradise. Apparently its because some conservationist organization filed suit against the park or something. This literally killing one of my biggest childhood dreams.

http://www.leelanaunews.com/blog/2008/06/02/park-to-target-illegal-orv-use/

not me^^

Seriously though, any way i can legally fight this? I don't even live their but its been probably my biggest dream since I was 4 years old to go their and at least have some fun on a dirt-bike. I cannot tell you how broken up inside i am feeling.

I have found memories of going there (i think in the spring) when their was very little vegitation, parts of it honestly looked like Saudi Arabia, but without all the 120 degree weather.

 

[bartboy9891]

The park itself is staying open, they're just cracking down on people driving off road there.

The groups alleged that the National Park Service wasn?t doing enough to enforce laws prohibiting the public from driving vehicles off-road in national parks.

Part of the settlement agreement requires the National Park Service to provide a pilot program in 10 national parks ? including the Sleeping Bear Dunes ? that will educate visitors and increase law enforcement efforts against illegal off-road vehicle use.

It sounds like it was already illegal, but now it's actually going to be enforced.

 

[nist7]

From the article it looks like it's already illegal to use offroad vehicles in that park. The environmentals are simply looking for attention as they remind the National Park Service to toughen their enforcement of that law. Criminals will have no regard to any laws anyway so you're always bound to have a few that'll escape through the cracks.

The problem with allowing offroading in a park is that after that happens the hikers/campers/swimmers/etc. will all have to find some place else to enjoy this beautiful scenery. The safety of people who simply want to stroll about cannot be guaranteed with offroading vehicles romaing all over the place.

And I don't think banning offroad vehicles in a national park makes the park useless.

 

[Ottobon]

And I don't think banning offroad vehicles in a national park makes the park useless.

Easy for you to say, you haven't dreamed about it all your life.

So far as the legality, I don't think it was legal, but it had to have been enforced with the same leisure as Italian speed limits, because it seemed like everybody i knew had a story about off-roading on the dunes. Maybe i just had bad info from friends who were too used to breaking laws. I don't know, but it is heartbreaking. I know personally everytime i ran somewhere as a child it was because i wished i had a motor-vehicle, and i did a lot of running.


I'd be less pissed if i could figure out where it is that the picture in the backround of this is from

http://www.michigan.org/Things-to-Do/Outdoors/Off-Road-Vehicle/Default.aspx?city=G3073

 

[Zuhaib]

Well you can fight it, I know the AMA from time to time would take up issues with the government limiting offroad use of motorcycles and ATV. I am a former AMA member and in the Mag they would always talk about issues like that. So maybe check with the AMA and they might be already fighting this, or, they might have info on a local AMA Chapter or group that could be taking up the issue.

Now as for the idea of using Off Road vehicle, i am a bit mix. While I dislike the idea of eco-nuts and government over restricting things and making it eventually no public land where you can go off roading, but I think there is some places that need to be protect. Having a vechical of any kind tearing thru the land is going to mess it up. Your going to be tearing up a lot of land, adding the the noise of the area and so on. So there has to be a balance of sorts.

From the photos you provide, the place as SO much natural beauty that I for one think there should be no off roading. To me off roading is not about looking at the scenery, its about trashing around and having fun, and you can have that in a mud pit in the middle of nowhere. Yeah you can maybe use your ATV on trails to see and maybe they should make areas for trail riding and so forth, but you can do the same by foot or horse back. Maybe they can limit the off roading to a part of the park while securing the other.
That is my own personal option, if you still want to fight it like I said contract the AMA or local off roading group they might already be fighting this.

 

[Viper007Bond]

Come to Oregon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Dunes_National_Recreation_Area

40 miles of sand, although not all of it is open to ORV's I think. Quite a bit of it is though.

 

[jetsetter]

Quite a bit of sand out here in California you can drive on. I went to Pismo and rode quads on the dunes, quite fun.

 

[Momentum57]

why do you want to have loud things around that beautiful scenic surrounding.

 

[TC]

You'd be amazed at some of the amazing places you could go, but unless you enjoy 3 day hikes, you'll never see them. Lots of off-roaders believe in a thing called Treading Lightly when off-roading. You'll always have people who abuse and vandalize areas, but the vast majority just want to see and enjoy the various awesome areas in this country without causing any harm or damage to them in the process. It's unfortunate that so many areas are being closed to off road vehicles, because it just means so many more people are never going to get to see those areas, and enjoy them.

 

[Momentum57]

that's the reason why I like hiking for a week you get to see what few have.

ADK 46er try to do that on your chainsaws with seats

 

[Viper007Bond]

Sand is sand -- it's hard to screw it up and leave tire tracks or ruts.

 

[Momentum57]

dunes are unique ecosystems plus I would not want some oily skinned kid driving up on his honda to see me making love in the dunes listening to escape.

 

[chaos386]

Sand is sand -- it's hard to screw it up and leave tire tracks or ruts.

The people who come to enjoy some peace and quiet while hiking in a national park might not appreciate someone nearly running them over in their complete-with-removed-muffler ATV, though.

Besides, I see quite a few trees and grassy spots in those pics.

 

[argatoga]

I'm sorry but when I think of people driving through a national park to see the scenery I think of this:

Buy some good boots, get a backpack, and hike. It will make the scenery more rewarding, and be good for your body.

 

[swek]

How is that ruined by any means?

I would go further and argue that by actually enforcing the parks existing laws against illegal offroading it just got a lot better.

I'd say this was caused by ignorance on the offroaders parts. The thing about dunes is that they don't grow back easily. If you rip chunks out of it it's prone to further erosion. So by driving over them you can easily kill a part of that ecosystem. It's not just sand.

 

[Gatecrasher]

I think I'd much rather go hiking in a place like that. Being behind the wheel of a car tends to make me focus on driving and not the nice scenery.

 

[Twerp128]

Silver Lake my friend, it's Michigan's ORV playground. Us backpackers, mountain bikers, hikers, and paddlers thank you for preserving the tranquility and peacefulness of parks.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPFUc8bc350[/YOUTUBE]