by Kirk Deeter

All too often I read about ATVs in the context of the evil threat to fishing and hunting habitat. It's not the ATVs that are the threat. It's the people driving who decide what habitat gets ruined or not.

I get angry when both sides of the argument try to polarize the debate. It's up to ATV riders who use their machines for sporting purposes and have a legitimate, vested concern in hunting and fishing habitat to voice their interests, as the vast majority in the middle of the bell curve.

If you hate ATVs and think they should be banned, get your head out of the sand. ATVs are not going away, and they've opened outdoor recreation for many. Conversely, if you like to tear around in circles, and don't give a rip about what you ruin in the process, get your head out of your exhaust pipe. It's not a God-given right to ruin public land and ruin hunting and fishing for everyone else.