OHVs

August 18, 2021

ATVs transforming Minnesota outdoors

Earlier this year, the Star Tribune reported on the rise in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and other off-high- way vehicles (OHV) use in Minnesota. According to the article, "Minnesota ATV registrations grew to 323,956 machines last year, a 36% increase from 15 years ago."
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October 29, 2020

Portion of Lake Vermilion State Park opens to OHVs

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) advocates have been pushing to open up state parks to ATVs for years, and in 2020 their focus was on Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park in northeast Minnesota.
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Entrance sign to park
June 5, 2019

Hayes Lake State Park saved from an OHV campground

After a lengthy public-input and planning process that was designed to weigh the best location for an off-highway vehicle (OHV) campground in Northwestern Minnesota, the MnDNR is recommending the best location as Beltrami Island State Forest rather than Hayes Lake State Park.
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June 4, 2019

Legislators’ attempt to open State Parks to off-highway vehicles kept at bay in 2019

During the 2019 Legislative Session, a handful of legislators* tried to advance a bill (HF 48/SF 1568) that would mandate a pilot project at Hayes Lake and Lake Vermilion State Parks to allow all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to use the campground and access routes within these state parks.
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February 28, 2019

Update on DNR’s planning process for OHV campground in NW MN

The DNR expects to release its final location recommendation for building an off-highway vehicle campground (OHVs, see definition) in northwestern Minnesota in late March. This extends the original anticipated timeline from February. The DNR received nearly 1,400 comments during the public-input period of Nov. 26 …

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Hayes Lake on sunny fall day
December 3, 2018

Let the DNR know that you oppose allowing ATVs in all state parks, including Hayes Lake State Park

On Nov. 26, 2018 the DNR announced a 30-day public comment period to provide feedback on their efforts to build an OHV campground near or within Hayes Lake State Park.

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Hayes Lake on sunny fall day
May 31, 2018

2018 Legislative Recap

The 2018 legislative session closed with a flurry of activity over its final weekend, and a host of bills were passed in the final hours of session that impact Minnesota’s parks and trails. Now that the legislature is adjourned until next year and all the …

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May 18, 2018

Legislative Briefing for May 14-18

Last week we issued yet another call-to-action for our supporters to tell lawmakers that all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) don’t belong in Minnesota State Parks. Your voices were heard! On Monday of this week, the conference committee tasked with reconciling the Omnibus Supplemental Budget Bill (HF 4099 / SF 3656) decided against a controversial provision that would have allowed ATVs to use the campground and access routes at Hayes Lake State Park.

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MN Capitol dome
April 23, 2018

Legislative Briefing

The 2018 legislative session continues to creep towards its conclusion. Last week marked the third and final committee deadline, and all the major policy and finance committees have now released, amended and passed their omnibus bills. Those bills now have only one or two more stops …

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Minnesota State Capitol
March 27, 2018

ATV bill has new number and moved to new committee

In an uncommon move, the bill that would allow all-terrain vehicles into two state parks, which we have strongly opposed, has been replaced with a new bill number. The language remains the same, but it is now bill HF4211. We continue to be opposed to …

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March 21, 2018

Action Alert: Stop bill that would open state parks to all-terrain vehicle (ATVs)

Stop this bill from redefining state parks A bill (HF3142 / SF3063) is making its way through the legislative process this session that would erode the definition of Minnesota State Parks. This bill allows all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to be ridden within two state parks–something that …

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March 7, 2018

Testifying against new bill that opens state parks to ATVs

A bill (HF 3142) has been introduced this session at the State Capitol that would open up two state parks to motorized all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). On Tuesday, Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota testified against the bill during the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and …

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Woman pointing to "No ATVs Permitted" sign along Taconite State Trail
October 23, 2017

New Taconite State Trail plan approved, our voices were heard

This past July, the Minnesota DNR approved a new master plan for the Taconite State Trail. It was a plan we anxiously anticipated because of the implications it could have on introducing off-highway vehicles (OHVs) such as ATVs, into state parks. We are happy to …

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Cover of the Taconite State Trail Master Plan
May 11, 2017

Noise pollution invading protected areas, new report shows

The great outdoors is becoming a lot less peaceful. Noise pollution from humans has doubled sound levels in more than half of all protected areas in the United States—from local nature reserves to national parks—and it has made some places 10 times louder, according to a new study. And the cacophony isn’t just bad for animals using natural sounds to hunt and forage—it could also be detrimental to human health.
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February 9, 2017

Keeping OHVs out of state parks

Efforts to add off-highway vehicles into Minnesota State Parks are popping up in unexpected places like the Taconite State Trail Plan and Lake Vermilion State Park Plan.
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Lake with evergreens in foreground
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