First year review of county ATV ordinance is positive

Allowing All Terrain Vehicles on county gravel roads this past year has been a success. According to Sheriff Mark Falk and County Attorney Tim Scannell, any violations that took place, were not as a result of the year-old ordinance.

 

The U.S. Forest Service is close to announcing its revised plan for ATVs on Forest roads. Gunflint District Ranger Dennis Neitzke said he was at Tuesday’s county board meeting to listen and get a feel for how the ordinance was working. Legal challenges to the Superior National Forest ATV plan have delayed implementation, Neitzke said, but the issue is back on the table. An Environmental Impact Study on possible air pollution in the BWCAW as a result of ATV traffic near the wilderness has proved negligible, he said.

 

A public hearing will be set for 9am at the county board meeting of May 25. At that time commissioners will consider making the ordinance permanent, look at allowing ATVs on county roads within the city of Grand Marais, and extending shoulder riding to paved county roads.