ATVAM News - December 12, 2018 Newsletter of the ATV Association of Minnesota (Est. 1983) "Your Voice for ATV Recreation In Minnesota"

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1 ATVAM News - December 12, 2018 Newsletter of the ATV Association of Minnesota (Est. 1983) "Your Voice for ATV Recreation In Minnesota" -SHARE YOUR CLUB'S NEWS AND RIDE/EVENT SCHEDULE! -Send your comments, club news, photos and article ideas to: dvhalsey@gmail.com. -Forward this to club partners and business sponsors if they aren't ATVAM members already. -ATVAM members should be receiving this newsletter and MN OffRoad magazine. Let us know if you're not. -Please note: Send member renewals to new mailing address: ATVAM, PO Box 300, Stacy, MN E-newsletters are now archived on atvam.org to refer back to on topics. In This e-newsletter: -ATV Minnesota Is Still In High Gear -Meet Your ATVAM Regional Directors -COs Are Writing Tickets For Not Using Low-Pressure Tires

2 -Your Input Needed On Camping With ATVs -News On A Great New Connecting Trail -New! Now You Can Order ATVAM Gear On-Line -Save The Dates For These Future Events -Invite Friends & Family To Join ATVAM ATV MINNESOTA IS STILL IN HIGH GEAR The temperature outside may be dropping, but the action of ATVAM, its executive board and member clubs is heating up. L to R: Nick Wognum, secretary; Mandie McGinnis, 2nd VP; Erv Kleinschmidt, treasurer; Ron Potter, president; Perry May, 1st VP; George Radke, director at large. Check out the new group photo of the ATVAM executive board, taken at the annual ATVAM Legislative Summit, held on December 8th in Virginia. Attending this year were 56 ATVAM members, ATVAM lobbyists and staff members of DNR Parks & Trails and DNR Enforcement.

3 The 4-hour meeting was energetic, and covered many resolutions submitted by ATVAM clubs. Presentation of each was followed by discussion and revision. They were prioritized and voted on by those in attendance. A dozen resolutions were given to ATVAM lobbyists Ray Bohn and Tom Hackbarth, to move forward in the next Legislative Session. They include: Funding for a variety of new ATV trails, creation of a training program for 6-9 year olds, creating a "Len Hardy Memorial Trail" and more. Many of last year's Summit resolutions were carried over and re-prioritized; they made it into bills at the last Session, but didn't make it past Governor Dayton. Said Ray Bohn: "On paper, it was one of the best Sessions ever for ATVAM, but they didn't get by the governor's pen." We'll keep trying! Remember the 3 P's of trail building: Patience, Positivity...and Perseverance. ATVAM Regional Directors: Putting Names To Faces We are adding photos of all our Regional Directors to the ATVAM website. Check them out at atvam.org, under "officers." Shown here are some of the Regional Directors who attended the Legislative Summit. Find the Directors for your Region, and reach out to them to help your ATVAM club build membership and trails.

4 Did You Know? If You Swap Stock Tires For Light-Truck Tires, Your ATV Is No Longer An "ATV". (And tickets are being written) More and more riders are replacing the stock tires on their ATVs and Sideby-Sides with "light truck" or "light truck-inspired" tires. Reviews by ATV magazines, websites and forums recommend them, especially for use on SxSs. But in Minnesota, if you put them on your vehicle, it is, by definition, no longer considered an ATV, but an ORV. And some riders driving on them have been ticketed by DNR Conservation Officers (COs). The Pro Armor Crawler XG tire, stock on at least one SxS, has a recommended tire pressure of 25 psi. Is that "low pressure"? It's a complicated issue. At the crux of the matter is that, in Minnesota, ATVs must have "low-pressure" tires. The official definition of an ATV in the DNR reg book reads: "All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) have at least three, but not more than six low-pressure or non-pneumatic tires (not filled with or containing compressed air), with a total dry weight of less than 2,000 lbs. and a total width from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim that is 65 inches or less." The problem is, the DNR regulations do not specify what exactly is considered "lowpressure." What is the cutoff? One popular SxS has stock tires with a recommended PSI of 25. Is that low-pressure? ATVAM discussed this issue with a member of DNR Enforcement at the ATVAM Legislative Summit. ATVAM is digging into it, and will be working with the DNR and manufacturers on it. In the meantime, if the tires on your ATV or SxS have a "P" or "LT" in front of the tire size, you may be driving an ORV, not an ATV. And you may be ticketed by a CO. Heading for Wisconsin to ride? Their ATV definition also includes the term "lowpressure." Watch for developments in this newsletter and in MN OffRoad magazine.

5 Please Give Your Input On Expanding ATV Camping In Northwest Minnesota From Joe Unger, OHV Planner, Minnesota DNR Parks & Trails: Greetings, The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources-Parks and Trails Division is beginning to look at expanding camping opportunities for campers with off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in northwestern Minnesota, specifically the Beltrami Island State Forest and Hayes Lake State Park area. The goal of this project is to understand the desire for expanded amenities, such as electric campsites and shower facilities. Potential sites include sites within Beltrami Island State Forest and sites within Hayes Lake State Park, although other sites may be identified during the public comment period. Because some sites are located in Hayes Lake State Park, we are also interested to learn about the public perception of permitting limited OHV access to portions of the Park. If, through this public review process, it is determined that permitting OHV use within Hayes Lake State Park is the most viable option to provide OHV camping, a master plan amendment would be required for the Park, as well as some legislation to amend the designation status. The master plan amendment process would need to be completed prior to any designation change to the Park allowing OHV access. Parks and Trails will be holding two public meetings to discuss the potential areas and gather input from members of the public. The meeting locations are: December 10, 2018 December 13, 2018 Warroad DNR Forestry Office DNR St. Paul Headquarters lobby 803 Cherne Lane NW 500 Lafayette Rd Warroad, MN St. Paul, MN Both meetings will cover the same information and will run from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. In addition to accepting comments at the meeting, you may submit comments using the online questionnaire, joe.unger@state.mn.us or mail Joe Unger, Parks and Trails, 500 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN We ask comments be submitted by 4:30 PM December 27, For more information,

6 please view the project's website or contact me. A statewide news release will be going out this morning. Thank you, Joe Unger OHV Planner Parks and Trails Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Phone: Fax: joe.unger@state.mn.us Great News On A Big, Loop-Creating Connecting Trail From Perry May, ATVAM 1st VP, and President of the Over The Hills Gang ATV Club: EXCITING NEWS! Wade Miller, Brainerd Area Supervisor, MN DNR Parks & Trails, and Tom Strack, Crow Wing County, Environmental Services Specialist, have informed the Over the Hills Gang ATV Club that our Grant-In-Aid Trail application to construct the 16-mile Emily to Blind Lake ATV Trail was informally approved at the MN DNR Central Office in St. Paul. The formal funding grant is not valid until all signatures from DNR and Crow Wing County, our trail sponsor, are on the grant application. This trail development process started in 2012, and the OTHG ATV Club jumped onboard after an ATVAM Region 3 meeting in March of We have received great support from our trail sponsor Crow Wing County, our soon-to-be alliance partner Aitkin County, and DNR Parks & Trails, with connecting the Emily /Outing ATV Trail to the Blind Lake ATV Connector Trail. Thank you to the numerous hours club, county, and state people have put into attending township, city, county, and DOT meetings to inform stakeholders of this proposed trail. When complete, an ATV rider will be able to travel a loop connecting the Aitkin/Itasca Northwoods Regional Trail System, Soo Line North Corridor, Blind Lake Connector and Trail, Crow Wing County Emily/Blind Lake, Emily State Forest, City of

7 Emily, Cass County, Emily Outing, Land O' Lakes State Forest and Moose River ATV Trails. Upon the formal execution of the grant between sponsor and state, we can transition from GIA process step 5 into step 6, which is project permitting and construction. Exciting times and thankful for all parties connected to this OHV trail development process. Look for further announcements as we get the formal grant agreement in hand. NEW! Now You Can Order ATVAM Gear Online (They make great Christmas presents, and thank-you gifts to club leaders, volunteers, trail landowners...) All the great ATVAM gear introduced earlier this year is now available online. Hats, hoodies, short- and long-sleeve shirts, all featuring the new ATV Minnesota logo, with orange or pink highlights. Order some today for yourself and your ATV-riding friends and family. You'll find a link to the new ATVAM Store at atvam.org. Save The Dates!

8 March 30-31, ATVAM Vision Meeting, Location TBD

9 April ATVAM Region 3 Meeting, Ironton Legion May nd Annual ATVAM Ride & Roast, McQuaid's, Isle

10 ATV MINNESOTA: Building Fun & Sustainable ATV Trails For The Riding Public. Invite friends and family to join today! See the mailing label on MN OffRoad magazine for the renewal date of your ATVAM membership. Be sure to include your address on the renewal form, to receive ATVAM e- newsletters. And send renewals to ATVAM's new mailing address: PO Box 300, Stacy, MN Belonging to ATVAM, you join thousands of riders throughout the state, have fun, and help ensure the future of ATV riding in Minnesota. As a family or individual member for just $20 you receive: -A subscription to Minnesota OffRoad magazine (6 issues per year) -Twice monthly newsletter by with the latest news and information -Membership card and bumper sticker

11 -Invitation to events, including our Legislative Summit and Vision Meeting in the spring, and the ATVAM Fall Ride & Rally, as well as general membership meetings -Discounts with many of our business members -A full-time lobbyist at the State Capitol, helping create pro-atv legislation, and moving forward important bills that help provide funding for new trail systems As a business member for $75 you receive: All of the above, plus: -Your business name, address, phone number, and website listed in each issue of the MN OffRoad magazine and on our website -Discounts on advertising in MN OffRoad magazine -An official ATVAM membership certificate for display in your business To join, contact ATVAM or call (800) ATVAM Follow us for all the latest news! ATVAM, PO Box 300, Stacy, MN SafeUnsubscribe ervin@kleinschmidts.com Forward this Update Profile About our service provider Sent by atvamoffice@atvam.org in collaboration with Try it free today