The NorthStar ATV Club

Minnesota ATV riders enjoy hundreds of miles of scenic trails, thanks to the hard work and dedication of a lot of enthusiasts. Among them are the members of the NorthStar ATV Club (www.NorthStarATVClub.com) in the Roseau and Thief River Falls area of northwestern Minnesota. To find out a little about the club, we talked with club President Keith Myers.

ATVAonline: What is the NorthStar ATV Club?
Keith Myers: The NorthStar ATV Club is an ATV club that rides and promotes the sport of ATVing. We primarily ride in Beltrami State Forest.

AO: How many members do you have?
KM: At the moment our club has about 50 members. Some of our members are very active at the state level when it comes to ATV concerns.

AO: What are some of the club's activities?
KM: The club also performs about five ATV safety training sessions per year, and many members are also volunteers in the Minnesota Trail Ambassador program that is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Seven members have been with the program since its inception. The trail ambassadors ride during peak trail usage times and monitor the trails for trail erosion, degradation, invasive species of plants, weeds, etc. The ambassadors also carry maps, regulations and first-aid kits should anybody need these items.

AO: What are some of the biggest issues facing club members?
KM: One of our biggest issues is the constant attack on our ability to ride on our trail systems responsibly. Some environmental groups would like nothing better than to see motorized recreation totally banned from our public lands. These groups like to attach measures to bills in the state capitol with little or no fanfare. That way it is out of sight and out of mind. Most ATVers don't know about proposed changes to the way they recreate until it's to late. Trying to get more involvement at the state level is very tough to do.

 AO: How can Minnesota ATV riders get more involved?
KM: Riders can get involved in a few ways. The best thing to do is start at the local level, by all means join or start an ATV club. That way you can learn from others who may also have an opinion on issue that may affect you, also don't be afraid to bring up your ideas and concerns.
Find out who your local officials or candidates are and find out how they stand on the issues that you believe affect the sport. This will also let them know that you are an ATV rider and that you are also a voter who will matter to them at election time.
Join the ATVAM (All Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota). Attend some of there rides and meet other ATVers from across the state. Another very good organization to join is the BlueRibbon Coalition. The BRC is a nationwide organization that gets involved in issues affecting recreationalists across the United States.
These are all very good ways to get involved, but please join or start a local ATV club at the minimum. These are the guys who are going to bat in your area and they need your help. By joining you will help to ensure that riding areas will still be there for you and your children and your grandchildren. There is nothing more enjoyable then riding in the same area that your grandfather and father have taken you, and then take your children and grandchildren to the same trail, stream, meadow, etc., and tell them the stories of the area and the rides of the past with friends and relatives that have been handed down generation to generation. Just the thought of this makes me want to go out and enjoy a nice trail ride with my father. I'll have to give him a call....