Dealing with Noise Issues
By
Don Amador
August 11, 2005 – Conflicts in Riverside County, California, associated with noise generated by unnecessarily loud off-highway vehicles have been a good case study and have reinforced two axioms.
First, on a national basis, excessive OHV noise continues to be the No. 1 reason private and public lands are closed to motorized recreation.
And second, solutions can be found when both sides in the debate are willing to compromise with dignity and respect for each other.
OHVs are not going away; so OHV management is needed. OHV registrations have grown by more than 75 percent in the past 20 years.
Furthermore, OHV use is getting more concentrated. In that same time period, the number of acres on public lands available for trail or dune riding has been reduced by more than 7 million acres as the result of various land closures and wilderness designations.
California's population continues to grow and will approach 40 million people in the near future. Much of that growth has been occurring in the rural parts of Riverside County.
Many off-roaders have bought private property in the area to ride and have fun with family and friends. However, some residents who seek solitude and privacy have bought property as well. Equestrians are also a factor in the debate.
The issue of noise, or sound, is the basis for most of the debate. In 2003, a statewide OHV "sound" law for public lands was passed with the support of many off-road groups and environmental organizations. This was the result of a collaborative effort by those groups working with other land interests through the state of California's OHV Stakeholders Group.
It was that sort of active "we-can-do-it" attitude that I wanted to see OHV users and neighbors replicate in Riverside county. Many months ago, I noticed a lot of finger-pointing coming from both sides of the issue.
Often this is the result of miscommunication or an unwillingness to seek win-win compromise solutions like those fostered by groups like the BlueRibbon Coalition, a national trail-based recreation group.
The BlueRibbon Coalition has long championed the rights of both motorized and non-motorized sports enthusiasts to use private and public lands in a responsible manner. However, we also recognize that recreationists have a duty to respect the environment and property rights of adjacent landowners and other affected parties.
It was mutual respect that was largely on display at the Riverside County Planning Commission meeting later.
Although representatives on both sides of the fence strongly advocated their positions at the hearing, much of the finger-pointing was replaced with a sincere desire to find common ground. That change in tone was also noted by the commission chairman.
Another positive development at the hearing was that county officials decided to do more to help locate and facilitate new OHV parks to meet the demand for that type of recreational activity. Several off-road leaders suggested that motorized users start a county-based coalition or association comprised of OHV businesses, motocross track owners and trail enthusiasts to address issues such as illegal trespassing, community outreach, rider education and support for OHV-related law enforcement.
The county must enact a reasonable yet substantive decibel limit or noise standard for OHVs. It should be the result of a collaborative effort.
Mutual respect for one another's rights is a two-way street. And it's a road worth traveling.
Don Amador is western representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, which is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of public and private lands, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,100 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreational land users nationwide. (800) 258-3742; www.sharetrails.org.