Post by cdaxena on Oct 6, 2005 22:12:23 GMT -5
The Olympian
Olympia, Washington
FRONTPAGE : » News : October 06, 2005
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ORV question: How much noise is too much noise?
State task force meets at soon-to-be reopened site
BY KARI NEUMEYER
THE OLYMPIAN
Off-road vehicle enthusiasts and opponents met Wednesday to work on a compromise that would allow users statewide to enjoy the sport without disturbing the neighbors.
Few solutions were offered.
The ORV Noise Management Task Force was set up by legislation signed by the governor in April. The group gathered Wednesday for a meeting about the availability of public lands for off-road use.
Members of the task force include state legislators, county commissioners, representatives from state and federal agencies, and concerned citizens.
They plan to meet again Nov. 9 to draft a proposed bill to recommend to the Legislature.
Mason County resident Bill Willis attended the morning meeting, but was not optimistic that lawmakers could abate the noise from the newly renamed Straddleline ORV Park, scheduled to reopen Saturday after a three-year dormancy.
Thurston County commissioners closed the park, which straddles the border with Grays Harbor County, in 2002 after a couple of deaths and 33 serious accidents within two years. Last month, Grays Harbor commissioners took over ownership of the park.
"The park is in the wrong place," said Willis, who lives across state Route 8 from the park.
The topography of the hills beside a narrow valley creates an echo chamber, he said.
During ORV events, neighbors are forced to leave their homes because of the disturbance, he said.
A couple of park proponents argued that fast-moving highway traffic is more of a disturbance than the revving of off-road engines.
"In my opinion, Highway 8 is much louder and much closer," said John Eaton of Dirt Cheap Cycle.
Poplars to be added
Still, poplars will be planted around the park to dampen the sound, he added.
"We are doing everything we can to contain noise," said Eaton, who is working on the project with Grays Harbor commissioners.
The Tacoma Motorcycle Club is host for a motocross practice this weekend, the first ORV event at the park since 2002.
In preparation, volunteers have had work parties the past few weekends, Eaton said.
Sherri Steiner of the Panhandle Trail Riders Association suggested to the task force that more user groups be enlisted to maintain ORV parks and trails. It's an "untapped resource," she said.
She brought her two young sons to the meeting Wednesday. They're also enthusiasts who volunteer with her at ORV parks in Eastern Washington.
"Many organizations put in many manpower hours," she said.
On the west side of the mountain, however, the population is denser, noted Barb Anderson of Olympia.
"We are faced with more challenges," she said. "Life is full of compromises."
Anderson endorsed closed, regulated ORV courses to control noise and inappropriate uses of motorized vehicles.
"We are very aware in the ORV community that this is a problem that needs to be addressed," she said. "Just because there is a problem doesn't mean the ORV community needs to go away."
The challenge, people on both sides said Wednesday, is enforcing ORV regulations.
Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service has land that's open to ORV use, agency representative Karl Denison said. Some of its roads used to be considered extensions of state highways, but local sheriffs were unwilling to assist with ORV enforcement, he said.
The Forest Service has "very limited law enforcement capability," he added.
"We need the state up there to help us," Denison said. "I would like to work with the Senate and House next year to see if we can get that loophole closed."
Recreational users tend to comply with state regulations, said Michael Welter of Thurston County Parks. Sometimes competitive users push the boundaries of noise restrictions because they want more horsepower.
"It seems to go faster when it's louder," Welter said.
A solution might be to start with manufacturers, to get the industry to comply with stricter regulations, he added.
Even ORV users object to excessive noise from the vehicles in residential neighborhoods, where there's an expectation of peace and quiet.
Andrea Fontenot and her husband were involved with the legislation that led to the formation of the noise task force. She called the police to her Mason County neighborhood last weekend because of excessive noise from a vehicle using an after-market muffler, she told other members of the task force.
"Noise problems are bad for the sport," she said. "We support appropriate places to ride. We're users, too."
What's next
The ORV Noise Management Task Force plans to draft a proposal for the Legislature when it meets at 9 a.m. Nov. 9 in the John L. O'Brien Building on the Capitol Campus. The deadline for the group's proposal is Dec. 1.
Related Articles:
Taxpayers may continue to pay ORV Park costs (10/1/05) www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051001/NEWS01/510010346/1020
Web Links:
June 21: County ordinance tells ORV riders to keep it under 55 decibels: www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050621/NEWS/506210304
How to get there and information on facilities at the Grays Harbor ORV park: www.nmaoffroad.org/orvguide/orv10.html
Join the Reader Network
Do you want The Olympian to keep you in mind when we canvass the community for opinions?
Click here and sign up with our Reader Network to offer your view: www.theolympian.com/readernet/
Washington State Public Affairs Network
Task Force Off-Road Vehicle Noise Mgmt.
www.tvw.org/MediaPlayer/Archived/WME.cfm?EVNum=2005100053&TYPE=A
Olympia, Washington
FRONTPAGE : » News : October 06, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORV question: How much noise is too much noise?
State task force meets at soon-to-be reopened site
BY KARI NEUMEYER
THE OLYMPIAN
Off-road vehicle enthusiasts and opponents met Wednesday to work on a compromise that would allow users statewide to enjoy the sport without disturbing the neighbors.
Few solutions were offered.
The ORV Noise Management Task Force was set up by legislation signed by the governor in April. The group gathered Wednesday for a meeting about the availability of public lands for off-road use.
Members of the task force include state legislators, county commissioners, representatives from state and federal agencies, and concerned citizens.
They plan to meet again Nov. 9 to draft a proposed bill to recommend to the Legislature.
Mason County resident Bill Willis attended the morning meeting, but was not optimistic that lawmakers could abate the noise from the newly renamed Straddleline ORV Park, scheduled to reopen Saturday after a three-year dormancy.
Thurston County commissioners closed the park, which straddles the border with Grays Harbor County, in 2002 after a couple of deaths and 33 serious accidents within two years. Last month, Grays Harbor commissioners took over ownership of the park.
"The park is in the wrong place," said Willis, who lives across state Route 8 from the park.
The topography of the hills beside a narrow valley creates an echo chamber, he said.
During ORV events, neighbors are forced to leave their homes because of the disturbance, he said.
A couple of park proponents argued that fast-moving highway traffic is more of a disturbance than the revving of off-road engines.
"In my opinion, Highway 8 is much louder and much closer," said John Eaton of Dirt Cheap Cycle.
Poplars to be added
Still, poplars will be planted around the park to dampen the sound, he added.
"We are doing everything we can to contain noise," said Eaton, who is working on the project with Grays Harbor commissioners.
The Tacoma Motorcycle Club is host for a motocross practice this weekend, the first ORV event at the park since 2002.
In preparation, volunteers have had work parties the past few weekends, Eaton said.
Sherri Steiner of the Panhandle Trail Riders Association suggested to the task force that more user groups be enlisted to maintain ORV parks and trails. It's an "untapped resource," she said.
She brought her two young sons to the meeting Wednesday. They're also enthusiasts who volunteer with her at ORV parks in Eastern Washington.
"Many organizations put in many manpower hours," she said.
On the west side of the mountain, however, the population is denser, noted Barb Anderson of Olympia.
"We are faced with more challenges," she said. "Life is full of compromises."
Anderson endorsed closed, regulated ORV courses to control noise and inappropriate uses of motorized vehicles.
"We are very aware in the ORV community that this is a problem that needs to be addressed," she said. "Just because there is a problem doesn't mean the ORV community needs to go away."
The challenge, people on both sides said Wednesday, is enforcing ORV regulations.
Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service has land that's open to ORV use, agency representative Karl Denison said. Some of its roads used to be considered extensions of state highways, but local sheriffs were unwilling to assist with ORV enforcement, he said.
The Forest Service has "very limited law enforcement capability," he added.
"We need the state up there to help us," Denison said. "I would like to work with the Senate and House next year to see if we can get that loophole closed."
Recreational users tend to comply with state regulations, said Michael Welter of Thurston County Parks. Sometimes competitive users push the boundaries of noise restrictions because they want more horsepower.
"It seems to go faster when it's louder," Welter said.
A solution might be to start with manufacturers, to get the industry to comply with stricter regulations, he added.
Even ORV users object to excessive noise from the vehicles in residential neighborhoods, where there's an expectation of peace and quiet.
Andrea Fontenot and her husband were involved with the legislation that led to the formation of the noise task force. She called the police to her Mason County neighborhood last weekend because of excessive noise from a vehicle using an after-market muffler, she told other members of the task force.
"Noise problems are bad for the sport," she said. "We support appropriate places to ride. We're users, too."
What's next
The ORV Noise Management Task Force plans to draft a proposal for the Legislature when it meets at 9 a.m. Nov. 9 in the John L. O'Brien Building on the Capitol Campus. The deadline for the group's proposal is Dec. 1.
Related Articles:
Taxpayers may continue to pay ORV Park costs (10/1/05) www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051001/NEWS01/510010346/1020
Web Links:
June 21: County ordinance tells ORV riders to keep it under 55 decibels: www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050621/NEWS/506210304
How to get there and information on facilities at the Grays Harbor ORV park: www.nmaoffroad.org/orvguide/orv10.html
Join the Reader Network
Do you want The Olympian to keep you in mind when we canvass the community for opinions?
Click here and sign up with our Reader Network to offer your view: www.theolympian.com/readernet/
Washington State Public Affairs Network
Task Force Off-Road Vehicle Noise Mgmt.
www.tvw.org/MediaPlayer/Archived/WME.cfm?EVNum=2005100053&TYPE=A