Memo of Opposition, UTV legislation

Memo of Opposition, UTV legislation

Senate 7298/A. 7439

This legislation to expand the all-terrain vehicle legal registration limit from 1000 pounds to 2000 pounds and up to 80 inches in width is intended to authorize, for the first time, widespread use of utility task vehicles (UTV) and Side by Sides. The stated purpose is to expand recreational tourism use of trails. Instead, this bill would dangerously expand current, perennial negative impacts of ATV riding on human health, public lands, and the outdoor environment, including:

• Due to the heavier, unstable weights, widths, and power of UTVs, the bill would significantly increase hundreds of thousands of ATV-related emergency department-treated injuries across the country reported by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including increase in injuries to young people 16 years of old or younger. ATVs/UTVs are especially prone to accidents. According to NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in a 17-year period New York State recorded 137 ATV-related fatalities, and New York has been ranked third highest in the nation for ATV-related deaths;
• The bill would increase environmental impacts by expanding ATV and UTV/Side by Side riding include soil erosion, displacement and compaction, damage to streams and wetlands from ATV crossings, including increased siltation and turbidity, noise, disturbance to wildlife and their habitats, damage to vegetation, and air pollution;
• The bill would Increase current illegal use of ATVs on State Forests and Forest Preserve in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, and on the Long Island Pine Barrens.

Before the Legislature considers expanding the size and weight of allowable ATVs, an ATV reform program is needed to address chronic concerns held by NYS DEC personnel, doctors, parents, and environmental and consumer advocates.  Reform legislation needs to strengthen education and training at and after point of sale, prohibit ATV-riding on New York’s Forest Preserve and on other public lands, minimize well documented public health threats posed by heavier, wider ATVs, and reduce conflicts with other recreational users. Thank you for considering our concerns and recommendations.

Contact: David Gibson, Managing Partner
Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve
518-469-4081; [email protected]