Monroe Residents Out To Squash ATV Park

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,967
8,711
It should be interesting to see how this works out.

Guy
 

onehand

Explorer
Apr 11, 2005
374
1
potter co. pa.
NJ is just too small an area with too many people and it is only getting worse

i don't even like to drive into the woods on the weekends cause they look like freeways now

IMO non road legal ATV's and MC's should be banned in this state, except on private property
 

mx174k

New Member
Aug 13, 2005
17
0
48
Tabernacle
Atv's are banned in this state.With the N.J.O.R.V.P. in Chatsworth closing we need a new place too ride.It seems Bradly Champbell's policy failed.What is wrong with the present location in Chatsworth?It is defintely not hurting the environment.The N.J.O.R.V.P transformed the land into a clean,safe,family friendly riding atmosphere.I am sure Teegate has some pics of what the property looked like in lets say 1985.There are no crybabies living close enough to complain about the noise. dust is not a problem because of a watering system,and the extra traffic is minimal compared to the amount of cut-through shore traffic.The park is open to the public you should take a look arround before labeling it like enviromental catastrophe.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,967
8,711
I don't have pics of the place then or now.....I have never been in there.

Even though I agree they should keep the place open for users, I think there is more to it than just leaving it open. Isn't it private property that the state leases?

Guy
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,348
336
Near Mt. Misery
I believe the NJCF owns that. They let the ORV park establish there in exchange for clean up and management of the property around it. That is my understanding. The situation worked out well. I used to ride there before the park was established (mid-90's) It was just an enormous wasteland/ sand pit. Big spot for party-ers. There used to be a spot on top of a hill in there were you could get a nice panoramic view looking east. I havn't been in there much since the park was established.

Jeff
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,058
3,328
Pestletown, N.J.
Even if Monroe became a reality, I am not the kind of person that would use that kind of facility. I don't think Largo is either.
The Chatsworth facility is a genuine success with the facilities that they provide and I have toured their facility but it is not for me.
The average Joe Schmoe and his kids who buys a quad in NJ will ride it anywhere they can get away with it but if given the chance to ride legally, they probably would.
A legal facility will help minimize the impact on the big woods by attracting the people that just want to go vroom.
The ideal situation would be to allow the ATV's with registration and insurance to operate on public lands, subject to heavy handed enforcement for damaging any natural resources.
However, since we seem to have a real hard time getting a State ranger down here to apprehend the infinite number of a-holes dumping everything from air conditioners, auto parts, concrete, railroad ties, siding, domestic bagged garbage and shingles, I don't think the heavy handed enforcement would ever be a reality.
Personally I would rather see a few ATV tire ruts than a bag of sh-t that some lazy bastard threw into the middle of the woods road that I walk on every day.
But without an increased enforcement presence, I will get to see both.

Scott
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,677
4,851
Pines; Bamber area
RednekF350 said:
Personally I would rather see a few ATV tire ruts than a bag of sh-t that some lazy bastard threw into the middle of the woods road that I walk on every day.Scott

I agree 100% Scott. The thing that really worries me is that the development will not stop until every available scrap of land surrounding the pines has a dwelling or a business on it. Who can doubt that? And when that day comes that we are all "built out", the yahoos who want to get away from it all will use the pines. And you can't blame them, and I really don't. But the wilderness experience we currently enjoy will be hard to find.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,677
4,851
Pines; Bamber area
This is key to the article:

But environmentalists are divided on the value of opening legal trails, with some arguing they will simply encourage more purchases that ultimately will result in illegal riding.

I agree with that statement. Every Dad, Mom, brother, and Sis in a 50 mile radius will take up the sport. You'll see them start (no, expanding) living out of their monster truck tailgates for several days on the sides of dirt roads for entire weekends.
 

Trailhead00

Explorer
Mar 9, 2005
375
1
48
Haddonfield, NJ
I guess us ATV riders have to chime in when we read articles like this. I'm not sure what hasn't been said yet on this subject but personally I'm just about fed up with this state. I think I have come to the conclusion that if you want to ride, go somewhere else, NJ isn't the place for you. I've riden in NJ since I was a kid in the late 1980's and I have found almost impossible to ride anymore. More and more of my time riding is spent in other states such as PA and even traveling to West Virginia. It seems like other states have figured out a way to let off-road riders and enviromentalists coexist, why can't NJ? Its not even the size, Connecticut just opened or is opening a 330,000 square foot indoor motocross track. I have friends in PA, NY, NH and MA that can legally register and insure their ATV or dirtbike and then ride in a designated state forest. Why can't that happen in NJ? I have riden at Chatsworth for a couple years now and greatly appreciate their efforts. I would like to see another off-road park open up, such as the one in Monroe but I do not think it will stop illegal riding. One reason people buy ATV's is for the assumed freedom it can bring by way of exploring and riding into the forest. Buying an ATV then telling people they restrained to 250 acres doesn't exactly remind me of freedom. Hey, if that is how NJ wants to do business, fine with them, more power to them. But on the other hand don't let motorcycle dealers sell ATV's as much as they want to. It's like selling cars and then telling people there are no roads to drive them on. Think about how many motorcycle dealerships there are in NJ, why do you think they exist? Because people want and purchase these vehicles and NJ sure as hell doesn't mind making the tax dollars off of each one sold. People complain about ATV noise, but my neighbor can crank up his Harley all day if he wants and that has a much higher decibal reading than my ATV does. Enviromentalists have complained that ATV's use older technology that pollutes the air, such as 2 stroke engines. That's funny b/c there are only a couple 2 stroke models sold. My ATV has is a 4 stroke, dual overhead cam, 5 valve cylinder head and probably runs cleaner than your car. Why don't they go after the boating industry? How many 2 stroke outboards do you see? A lot! What are jet ski motors? Answer is 2 stroke. How many problems do boats and jet ski's create for aquatic life such as fish, crabs and clams. Maybe my aunt in Waretown doesn't feel like hearing your dual 454 V8 engines blast past her house, but no one seems to care about that! They won't go after the boating industry b/c boats is "big business." Up north they have readily accepted snowmobiling, but a majority of snowmobiles are 2 strokes, I guess New Hampshire's atmosphere should collapse any minute now. Both sides have to and should be able to come to some understanding. I don't want to rip through the woods and destroy everything in sight, but I would like a place to ride and I'll even pay for it. I'm just happy states like PA accept my money so I can ride my ATV and that last I checked, their state forests haven't become a frozen tundra because of ATV use. I also don't think you can put an end to illegal ATV use b/c they are so hard to stop. When there are no places to ride, any riding you do would be considered illegal or outlaw. I used to work at Batsto and the rangers told me, don't ever stop if we see you on your ATV b/c "we can't catch you." My ATV does 75 MPH and is designed to traverse sand, mud, hills, u name it, it goes over it, under it or through it. How can you stop that? Just give us a place to ride, please. One other thing, why can't I ride an ATV and care about the environment at the same time? Sorry for the long post, I know most of you have fallen asleep. Thanks for listening. :)
 

Trailhead00

Explorer
Mar 9, 2005
375
1
48
Haddonfield, NJ
Food for thought:
2005 ATV sales in New Jersey: 9,175
In NJ, approximately 25 ATV's were sold each day last year.
NJ ranked 32nd in ATV sales in 2005.
A total of 813,893 ATV's were sold in the US in 2005.
In NJ, one new ATV sold per every 948 residents.
According to Dirt Wheels Magazine there are usually 4 existing ATV's for each new one sold.
 

Trailhead00

Explorer
Mar 9, 2005
375
1
48
Haddonfield, NJ
Sorry to add on again but the above sales figures only accounts for ATV's, it DOES NOT include off-road motorcycles. So you can imagine how many off-road type vehicles are sold in NJ.
 
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