The photos on this site represent a few of the areas in Northern Luce County that have, from September 2006 through the 2007 season, suffered environmental damage resulting from Off Road Vehicle use. The vehicles that seem to have the greatest destructive impact are the quads, commonly called four wheelers. With the introduction of four wheelers years ago, damage (on a small scale prior to 2006) began to occur. Residents and law enforcement alike mostly overlooked it since the damage was minimal and the offenders were a very small number of local property owners and/or their guests. People found it difficult to turn in their neighbors, therefore the minor damage and trespass was tolerated.

 

In September of 2006 the situation changed dramatically when the Luce County Board of Commissioners, under the influence of a special interest group, Sportsmen’s Off Road Vehicle Association ( S O R V A ), opened all Luce County roads to ORV traffic. Due to the difficulty of enforcing such a large area and the resulting damage that would occur, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources was not in favor of bringing additional ORV traffic to this remote location. The Luce County Road Commission was also concerned, citing safety issues as well as the resulting damage to the road shoulders and the cost of repairing that damage. Their input was ignored, the roads were opened and the problems did indeed begin.

 

With all county roads open, ORV riders have the means (previously not available to them) to reach every fire lane, two-track and logging road in the county. This affords them access to lakes, streams, rivers, marshes, Lake Superior beaches and many areas, which, by law, ORVs are not allowed to travel through. Many two-tracks lead to or across private property resulting in a large increase of trespass issues involving ORVs. Escalating environmental damage is the direct result of the influx of riders drawn from downstate and bordering states through website advertising. Not all riders are irresponsible in their riding habits; many are and therein lies the problem.

 

The Luce County Sheriff's Department, DNR Conservation Officers and the Michigan State Police will be targeting these sensitive areas in a more aggressive manor in the 2008 season.

  

If you believe the state should require ORVs to be registered just as snowmobiles and boats are, PLEASE contact your representatives in Lansing. Until these machines display identifying numbers, there is no way for the public to notify authorities of illegal or destructive behavior on the part of irresponsible riders.