Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 22:46:23 -0600
From: Elisabeth Quast
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To: Earl Orner <elorner@cheqnet.net>
Subject: Re: Tresspass on your field

More frustrations yesterday, Mr. Orner. Really, something must be done, and very soon. I think a rerouting is just around the corner, don't you? These invaders are now coming down my long driveway almost to my house doing wheelies in the drifts. After these antics they follow with their zoom rides all around my field, the field I own up on Hwy 2 & F, the field we unwisely gave permission to use a few years back, and which your crew failed to fence this year until it was too late. A neighbor has had them coming to her door, can you believe it, and asking for gas! And without a curfew of any kind, we are subject to the roars and revvings of the motors well into the night.

Stress? You're darn right we're under stress. I shall be writing to the Tourism Director and Gov. McCallum who are responsible, in part, for promoting this invasion to help out what they see as our "poor rural economy." Do they, or Judge Barbara Crabb, or any of those Madison people know what they are peddling, and of the gross distortions and misinformation on the real uses and abuses of these trails? Do they know anything about the numerous closings of the trails by those who refuse to put up with the trespassing, noise, pollution, and other disturbances in this pristine north woods? Do they know anything about the serious accidents that occur almost daily requiring last week a Mercy flight to Duluth, about the inability of law enforcement to effectively police the many violations, the cost in time and money for our police and ambulance services to rescue these out-of-control snowmobilers? And this doesn't even touch on the rampant destruction wrought by the ATVs soon to come!

I'm furious with what is being imposed on me by this tourism engine, and by the lack of awareness and concern about the negative effects on residents far and wide This is an issue arousing the public all around the country, that of the unchecked invasiveness of motorized recreationists. I had been hopeful for a meeting of minds on this issue, but I am losing faith in the ability , or even the will, of any of those supposedly in charge to address these extreme violations with any success. We are under siege, beleaguered, and getting more and more frustrated with each snowfall.

However, a shred of hope remains that at the "hearing" session scheduled for March 14, Thursday, at 6 pm in the County Board Room, that sincere attempts will be made to meaningfully respond to the many concerns.