Off-road enthusiasts charged over damage

[ptschram]

Uhhhh. Have you seen "reclaimed" lands in WV, PA, etc? It is that bad. Not to mention destroying water quality that extends far into larger watersheds.

Have you seen unreclaimed coal fields?

When I worked in the coal fields in KY in the early 80s, there was little to no concern for reclamation. Let's just say Environmental Engineers were not welcome in the coal fields.

When coal mines are reclaimed in Indiana, they become off-road parks!

 

[tightgroup]

Not to pick sides, but what damages are we talking about.

Deeper ruts !!!

A mud hole is a mud hole!! Its not damaged by slushing mud around..

I am not saying lets go and tear up the country side, but from the articles, its not clear what damage was done.


While most are responsible off roaders we do have some bad apples, but lets not all jump on the band wagon here.

It seems that if you off road your causing some sort of ecological disaster, which is the furthest thing form the truth!

The worse I believe is the oil being spillled onto the ground,

 

[KevinNY]

This is a good opportunity for some of you locals to pen a well written letter to the editor.

 

[DiscoJen]

Don't forget chick-fil-a and I am there!

But only if LRFlip runs around in his cow suit. I don't really want to know what kind of mascot a Taco Bell should have, scares me in fact just thinking about it.

Mud ruts are not just always mud ruts. You know full well the impact that the ever-growing-in-size mud ruts can have on or off trail.

 

[brianhoberg]

But only if LRFlip runs around in his cow suit. I don't really want to know what kind of mascot a Taco Bell should have, scares me in fact just thinking about it.

A human sized taco, that's pretty damn scary and rather "big". Maybe they could use Natalie Soulieman was a mascot for "oversized tacos".

 

[garrett]

Have you seen unreclaimed coal fields?

When I worked in the coal fields in KY in the early 80s, there was little to no concern for reclamation. Let's just say Environmental Engineers were not welcome in the coal fields.

When coal mines are reclaimed in Indiana, they become off-road parks!

I've seen lots of before AND after. Some with little to no oversight and others with far better.

The same happened to a few in PA. The spoil pits are heaven to rednecks in K5 Blazers.

I worked on a large project outside of Pittsburgh that involved reclaimation and waste material with US Steel. They actually did a great job compared to 99% of the other non-local companies that raped the land and got out of dodge as quick as possible. Some filing bankruptcy to avoid having to follow proper proceedures.

Canada has some heafty issues to deal with regarding their sand fields (Athabasca, etc) in the future. Talk about a bull in a china shop.

 

[apg]

For the most part its local yocal rednecks doing exactly as the article states tearing up perfectly good land. Pulling off the trail and just getting wasted and tearing up any flat spots they can get their trucks into.

This is how trails get closed - permanently. Shoe Creek came this close to closure following Camp Jeep's assault. Whenever the convoy stopped, a few miscreants would attempt hill climbs from wherever they were or churn up the creek.

The only way future trail damage is going to be prevented - other than by simply closing off great swaths of the national forests which, incidentally, has just happened this week in the Jefferson and GW - is through "re-education". By re-education, I mean, supervised physical labor. Sentence the offenders to work crews to repair their damage. Fines aren't gonna work, as they'll just get paid by mommy and daddy. But by filling ruts, re-grading trails and picking up litter and other detritus, the concept might just sink in. Accountability is a life lesson that is no longer taught these days. Let the fines - and I hope whatever judge hands out some sizeable ones for the worst, repeat offenders - be paid off at minimum wage.

 

[slangel]

But only if LRFlip runs around in his cow suit. I don't really want to know what kind of mascot a Taco Bell should have, scares me in fact just thinking about it.

He absolutely has to come with the cow suit! Hmmm....I am sure we could come up with an acceptable Taco Bell mascot!

Mud ruts are not just always mud ruts. You know full well the impact that the ever-growing-in-size mud ruts can have on or off trail.

x2!

 

[garrett]

Not to pick sides, but what damages are we talking about.

Deeper ruts !!!

A mud hole is a mud hole!! Its not damaged by slushing mud around..

I am not saying lets go and tear up the country side, but from the articles, its not clear what damage was done.


While most are responsible off roaders we do have some bad apples, but lets not all jump on the band wagon here.

It seems that if you off road your causing some sort of ecological disaster, which is the furthest thing form the truth!

The worse I believe is the oil being spillled onto the ground,

It's not just a FEW bad apples. There are lots of them. And to assume most people are "responsible" is pretty naive. What makes some responsible vs not? Excessive wheel spin, driving off trail, driving on illegal trails, cutting down trees, too many trucks for an area? Together all these people and their acts can make a pretty significant impact to an area. Is it a disaster? No, but it's not hard to see why state and federal lands are becoming less accessible to motorized vehicles.

 

[SGaynor]

But only if LRFlip runs around in his cow suit. I don't really want to know what kind of mascot a Taco Bell should have, scares me in fact just thinking about it.

?Yo quiero Taco Bell!

 

[flyfisher11]

....... Excessive wheel spin, .......

Garrett that is why you need a DII with fully functioning TC

 

[flyfisher11]

Uhhhh. Have you seen "reclaimed" lands in WV, PA, etc? It is that bad. Not to mention destroying water quality that extends far into larger watersheds.

Yeah when you can light your water coming out of the sink on fire there is some serious trouble!

 

[DiscoJen]

?Yo quiero Taco Bell!

A giant bobble-head waa-waa duh!!! They need to bring the dog back.

I also agree with Sandy that probably the best punishment for these kinds of dopeheads is to have to get out there and do the repair work. They'll soon see that tearing shit up isn't fun when there are repercussions.

And it's not just the redneck big truck dudes doing it either. I've been on trail with Rovers where I was appalled at what was happening. Broken parts being thrown into the swamp, gear oil being dumped onto protected wetlands, barrelling through palmetto scrubs instead of keeping on trail.

Idiots come in all flavors, even green.

 

[garrett]

Garrett that is why you need a DII with fully functioning TC

Well that's what sucks about TC and viscous systems. The tires must spin before they work. Not to mention Detroit lockers when you are making a turn. That inside rear wheel spins regardless and now you've broken traction.

Don't even get me started on talking about why not having the CDL engaged off road is a good thing. haha That's another full page of information.

 

[Leslie]

A) Coal companies aren't on public lands, they're on private lands that they either own, or have leased, or perhaps own the mineral rights to; they own the coal, and have a legal right to it, but they have to extract it in accordance with the regs;

B) The federal reclamation laws didn't exist prior to '77, and yeah, after that it took a decade or so to reign in a lot of wildcatters, but today, reclamation plans are required beforehand;

C) companies are required to post bond that they lose if they don't successfully reclaim it;

D) Yes, the quality of reclamation varies from state to state.... WV and KY and PA each have their own regulations and standards; VA's regulations are essentially a copy of the federal regs (w/ some changes/improvements);

E) Yes, the quality of the work varies from company to company.... some have to be threatened with being placed on the Applicant Violator System to get them to do the job (meaning they can't get another permit), whereas the next company might go above and beyond the regs in order to have a better relationship with the neighbors.

 

[Agent]

Uhhhh. Have you seen "reclaimed" lands in WV, PA, etc? It is that bad. Not to mention destroying water quality that extends far into larger watersheds.

I was born and raised in the southern WV coal fields. I do a lot of shooting and wheeling on reclaimed land. The reclamation work being done now is top notch. Things are definitely changing for the better in that regard. Mountain top removal if it does notihng else, provides flat land for development. Currently in my county, there an airport, 4 lane highway and highschool being built on reclaimed mine sites.

One thing I think many people don't understand is that the mountains here aren't like out west, nor are they like the Blue Ridge or honestly any others. There are lots of places here where the width of the valley floor can be measured with a tape measure. Its just wide enough for a creek, one lane road and a house. Useable land has to be created, either carved out of a mountain side, or the top of the mountain can be blasted off and pushed off into a valley. There is honestly no substantial flat land here.

I'm not a big fan of mountain top removal. I've seen some good hiking, hunting and wheeling lost to mining, but at this point, its a necessary evil.

 

[rovercanus]

But coal companies go back and "repair" the land, filling in the huge hole they dug. Reclaimed land ain't all that bad, either.

I just wonder how they found 39 people? Guess the police got the kids in the interrogation room and they started talking.

As you wander the Appalachians, wander up to NE Pa and take a look at some of the wonderfully reclaimed land the coal companies have done up there.

 

[Skaramunga]

they are all pissed about 6.5 miles!!!! with the deforestation that goes on EVERYWHERE are they that hypocritically retarded....guess they have to make an example, right?

now this sounds some serious fun:

"Other charges include drunken driving and underage possession of alcohol."

 

[flyfisher11]

Well that's what sucks about TC and viscous systems. The tires must spin before they work. Not to mention Detroit lockers when you are making a turn. That inside rear wheel spins regardless and now you've broken traction.

Don't even get me started on talking about why not having the CDL engaged off road is a good thing. haha That's another full page of information.

I knew I could get you preaching! I don't know who you wheel with, oh yeah I do, but anyway a good DII turns up much much less dirt than any DI, RRC, Defender that I have ever been out with. Let go the hate buddy, just let it go. Have some bacon or go to Sheetz and grease it up good. It'll all be alright. there there now....

 

[flyfisher11]

.....
"Other charges include drunken driving and underage possession of alcohol."

What no refer!?