Motorized Mayhem / Sun Article

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dirtyboy
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Motorized Mayhem / Sun Article

Post by dirtyboy »

May 29, 2006 paper

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/ ... 02949.html

Motorized mayhem
Province is determined to stall Waiparous off-road free-for-all
By Bill Kaufmann

From the timbered Waiparous Valley rose a racket like a jagged symphony of buzzsaws.

Emerging from the bush were four-by- fours clotted with mud worn proudly like a badge in honour of the motorized mayhem left behind.

Along the gravel and shallows of Waiparous Creek where children frolic, ambled a dirt bike and quad in violation of new rules set out by the province limiting the vehicles' access.

Inviting erosion, tire ruts scar hillsides sloping to a gravel pit littered with spent shell casings.

Everywhere, what would be a picturesque landscape is marred -- dissected by rampaging recreational vehicles.

It's become ingrained in the local psyche that such a reality is ordained, that a Crown land wilderness belonging to all Albertans is fated to be mauled for the enjoyment of a few.

Lately, that assumption has been challenged, much to the chagrin of some in the off-roading community.

With abrupt timing -- on the eve of the summer's first long weekend -- that raised both hackles and awareness, the province dramatically limited the trails legally available to off-roaders in the Ghost-Waiparous.

What's long been a free-for-all has now been confined to 600 km of trails, though the marauding continues.

The notion of limiting the carnage dates back 20 years when provincial officials and other stakeholders raised the alarm and crafted recommendations to preserve the area.

So what's taken so long to actually move on them?

"The political side did not want us to move forward," says Roger Meyer, a land-use management officer with the province who oversees the battered but still beautiful area.

The backlash against change was decisive, particularly among a population most likely to mark their votes Tory.

The encroachment continued unchecked, often on trails or roads carved for industrial uses.

There's been a steady proliferation in the use of recreational vehicles that once took their owners on birdwatching, sightseeing or fishing sorties, says Meyer.

"Now the vehicles themselves are the activity," he says.

Provincial cutbacks in the 1990s also gutted enforcement and education efforts.

Six so-called guardians tasked to enforce access rules, along with a handful of other provincial officers, cover a 1,500-sq.-km tract three times the size of Calgary's landmass.

"It's just a spit in the bucket with so few people," says area rancher Darryl Copithorne, who also advises off-road users and supports the new regulations. "If they had the type of budget they had 15 years ago, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Even so, Meyer says a turning point came about five years ago with outrage voiced by then-environment minister Gary Mar, sparked largely by the raucous partying and boozy lawlessness synonymous with Waiparous weekends.

Off-roaders who insist they responsibly use trails say they've been lumped in with the malt-liquor anarchists.

Provincial officials even confirm some of these same buffs have been model citizens in picking up after the drunken louts, organizing cleanup squads of up to 500 people.

That's all very good, but the fact remains too many of their compatriots are churning up hillsides and damaging rivers.

The enthusiasts also claim to have been snubbed in the consultation process and that, if true, should be addressed as the management process evolves as the province vows it will.

Meyer says the wilful vandals are in a distinct minority but their habits have given his side little choice but to act.

That trophy mud blanketing those four by-fours? It's a dead giveaway the vehicles have been wallowing where they've no business doing so, says Meyer.

And they're not a rarity.

Riverbank rehabilitation done by energy companies was being shredded for fun, silt driven into the water and the streams' natural protection gutted.

It's possible the Waiparous crackdown could divert indignant off-roaders to other areas and some insist it already has.

"Some say they'll go to McLean Creek but there are already regulations there," says Meyer.

Joe Obad of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society wonders if the province is prepared for the toothpaste tube effect.

"They deserve to be commended for putting water ahead of access in Waiparous but the question is, will they be courageous down the line?" he asks.

It still remains to be seen if they can take back Waiparous.

The worst of the off-roaders aren't about to purchase their own plot of land to desecrate.

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crazy2wheeler
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Post by crazy2wheeler »

Well, that article certainly has been "coloured" by a particular viewpoint.

Thanks for bringing that to our attention Dave.
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Post by WR_Dave »

I'm betting Darryl was very misquoted !! Bill Kaufman should stick to writing brunch reviews where he can "gut and desecrate" a restauarant and maybe cause a loss of income for it's owner!! DICK!! I guess large tracts of land run through with a bulldozer and a delimber are much better to look at because you can drive up to them on the road that was plowed. My digusted .02---WR Dave.
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Post by crazy2wheeler »

PS .. I have lots of pics of dirtbikers and jeep guys picking up garbage on Saturday.

Also from Saturday, I have lots of pics of dirtbikers, concerned about people staying on the trails and clearing downed trees by hand so that the trails remain usable!

I think we should consider using some of these images in any message we release relating to "off-road users" use of the land.
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Post by markvfr »

Among other retarded statements this one is a beauty...

"That trophy mud blanketing those four by-fours? It's a dead giveaway the vehicles have been wallowing where they've no business doing so, says Meyer. "

Has the dipsh*t ever been on a cutline???? Nowhere near a river/river bank/protected zone etc... Of course there are the ones that do "wallow where they've no business doing so" but what a bunch of narrowminded biased bullsh*t writing...

:soapbox:

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Post by Spinalguy »

markvfr wrote:Among other retarded statements this one is a beauty...

"That trophy mud blanketing those four by-fours? It's a dead giveaway the vehicles have been wallowing where they've no business doing so, says Meyer. "

Has the dipsh*t ever been on a cutline???? Nowhere near a river/river bank/protected zone etc... Of course there are the ones that do "wallow where they've no business doing so" but what a bunch of narrowminded biased bullsh*t writing...

:soapbox:
i wonder if he has ever driven the 940 in the rain??? i know my jeep would be covered in muck! i also know that we took a Chrysler dealership on a hardpacked trail run and at the end of the day all jeeps were covered in mud...guess what? We did no mud!!!!
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Post by MtnBlue »

bill.kaufmann@calgarysun.com if anybody wants to fire off an email regarding irresponsible journalism. What a moron :buttkick:
996

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Post by thumper-darryl »

Call is into GOOF at Sun for a retraction.
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Post by DYsLeXIC »

I will be writing the editor about this one - I cannot believe the one sided opinions written in most newspapers I read! I can understand why Mr. Harper has not allowed the press gallery to access him for questioning - many papers are very biased in their writing and try to sway people with so called "facts", yet they are really on a soapbox expressing their own personal agendas and trying to smear everyone with the same ugly brush.

"The notion of limiting the carnage dates back 20 years when provincial officials and other stakeholders raised the alarm and crafted recommendations to preserve the area. " LOVE THAT WORD CARNAGE...OMG, VIETNAM AND NAPALM ARE CARNAGE....VERY STRONG NEGATIVES WHEN TALKING ABOUT USERS OF THE AREA......

"Everywhere, what would be a picturesque landscape is marred -- dissected by rampaging recreational vehicles.".....LOVE THE WORD EVERYWHERE....WOW, IF I COULD CHECK OUT EVERYWHERE SO I COULD WRITE AN ARTICLE THAT AFTERNOON, MR KAUFMANN MUST BE AN AMAZING GUY - - HMM, did he walk everywhere to check that out?? THEN WE HAVE DISSECTED AND RAMPAGING RECREATIONAL VEHICLES.....ABSOLUTE TRASH REPORTING.

Then again, it is the Calgary Sun - known for it's grade 2 writing and reporting. What else can we do?

I will throw money at this if we need to put something together...legal letter? Hell, something of substance!

Sheldon

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Post by thumper-darryl »

Our friends at SRD and AWA always take media to the bog, or the mini bog and say that this is what the WHOLE area is like, so I want to do an article about the poverty in Calgary, take a reporter to a slummy back ally , and say the entire city is exactly like this. Same thing.
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Post by rooster »

So then what should we do Darryl- We are not slum dwellers that don"t know any better or give a hoot for that matter-Would some positive press not help in some small way?
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY HOURS YOU PUT IN. IT MATTERS WHAT YOU PUT IN THE HOURS!!!

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Post by Novo »

As unreasonable and skewed as this style of journalism is, some general realities to keep in mind;

"you cannot fight with a group that buys ink by the barrel"

The following quote does not refer to any individual in any way;

"Never fight with a pig.
You can't win.
You both get dirty.
The pig loves it."
- Pasquale Capozzi
Last edited by Novo on Thu Jun 08, 2006 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Brent »

A good news paper that is interesting to read, blows things way out of proportion...in otherwords, focuses on the one sided story. Paint a graphic picture and the reading was worth your time. A diplomatic person that analysis both sides of an issue would be one, long and boring write up.

Reality of the issue....we are dirt bike ground chewers, that are loud and smelly, even when we try to be quite....so people have many issues to pin us with. we are easy targets...this will never change. I accept that I will be hated, so I just try to minimize my presence. Arrive to riding area in van, unload quick and get the heck outa their. oh yeah, go in smaller groups.
I still need to trade off my truck for a van...Chev makes a diesel!!
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Post by thumper-darryl »

And now for some positive media. I contacted Cory from the Cochrane Times last week about the RMDRA clean-up, gave him Brents contact info, and guess what? A positive article in todays paper.
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Article in Cochrane Times...

Post by BradC »

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.cochranetimes.com/story.php?id=234997

Best Regards. :applause:

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