ORV Rally
A Strong Message Gets Delivered To Olympia
March 25, 2005, was a day few will forget in
Olympia. Hundreds of off-road vehicle enthusiasts convened on the state capitol
to send a message to legislators that our ORV parks and right to ride off-road
in the state isnt something were going to watch slip away.
It began several years ago when a vote of 2-to-1 shut down
the Thurston County ORV Park. With only three people involved in the vote,
off-road riders lost one of only two active ORV parks in the state with a full
track setup.
Next up, Senator Karen Fraser decided she wanted to close
the park permanently and use NOVA funds to do it. NOVA funds are a tiny part of
the gas tax utilized to maintain ORV areas in the state NOT CLOSE THEM DOWN.
 ORV
users are not about to let another park close without a fight, and they surely
didnt want to see it closed with NOVA funds!! This activity sparked an
organized rally in Olympia with the support of hundreds of ORV users on hand.
The rally, one of the most organized and well-run to ever
happen in Olympia, was put together by the Northwest Outdoor Coalition and mc'd by Tory Briggs of the Northwest Motorcycle
Association. Briggs spoke of his dream to re-open closed roads, add more dirt
tracks to the state, create a bouldering park for four wheelers and essentially
bring our state up to the level of other states like Oregon and California.
Without these things, private families attempt to create them on private
property which creates more noise in private neighborhoods than most noise
ordinances will tolerate. Briggs also made light of the fact that ORV users have
always paid their way and not put a burden on the state to ever maintain trails
and roads alone. He noted the thousands of hours that ORV users volunteer each
year to maintain trails and roads in Washington.
 Jim
Boltz (right) of Cycle Barn spoke, reeling out numbers that brought to light how
diverse the demographic of ORV users actually is. They are people from all
walks of life who contribute to local area economies where ORV areas are in the
state. ORV usage brings families together and creates recreational options that,
if lost, can mean fewer opportunities for those families to play together. Boltz
also noted in a somewhat comical, but almost true sense "every time they close a
road I lose another hair in my head" proceeding to remove his cap and bare his
scalp.
Monte McGrath, a 15 year old rider, delivered a 700 word
speech pointing out how important off-roading is to his development as a person,
having learned much discipline by having to keep his gear and bike in top shape.
He also noted it was a critical part of the fabric that keeps his family together
and he would rather spend a weekend off-road than in the city getting into
trouble.
"This is where the hard work of trail maintenance,
cleaning your equipment, physical fitness and even learning physics
become incredibly fun! This is a world where the skills of learning and
self-improvement become a way of life and competition is icing on the
cake
In the
few short years Ive been riding, numerous areas in our state have been
closed to off-road vehicles. While the sport has grown incredibly
popular, more and more users are squeezed into fewer and smaller areas.
Senator Karen Fraser has proposed taking 1.6 million dollars from our
ORV fund to permanently close the last remaining ORV Sports Park in
Western Washington."
 One
of the most fluid speakers of the day was House Representative Cary Condotta
(left), who represents the Wenatchee area. Condotta pledged his support of
keeping ORV parks, trails and roads open and reopening many of the areas
that have been shut down over the last few decades. Condotta was joined by
three other house members including Senator Tim Sheldon who apologized publicly
for formerly supporting language restricting ORV usage within 600 feet of any
property line. That language has since been removed from the bill it was originally
introduced into.
It was noted several times that the closure at Thurston
County has put a huge burden on the nearby Tahuya area, which was recently host
to 900 off-road users in one weekend. That creates a burden on the land and
unsafe riding conditions.
At Sound RIDER! we support the re-opening of closed ORV
parks, trails and roads to create open spaces where riders
can enjoy their off-road vehicles whether they're on two wheels or four, and this
goes for mountain bikers and horse riders as well.
If you want to become more involved with the fight to keep
these areas open and re-open closed areas, join one of the groups that work
together with government in a positive way for your rights.
TM/Spring 05
Photos from the event are
available upon request. Call our offices at 206-329-7808 for details.
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