I love the stillness of a forest. The quiet respite of the aspens quaking in the wind. A rustle of hooves of deer, elk, or moose on the forest's floor. As well as the almost-unnoticeable crack of a twig when a mountain lion is around. So I get why folks have strong opinions on off-road vehicles operating in those confines.
It makes sense that they'd want that quiet, too. But as a lover of both off-roading, whether it's through ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, or snowmobiles, I want to remind everyone that not only do these machines allow more people access to the outdoors, some of which couldn't without, and they help support local economies in real, tangible ways.
I know that's a sticking point to some, but these local cities often derive a great benefit from off-road activities. Case in point, Minnesota recently released a study of just three of its northern counties, showcasing that off-roading, ATVs in particular, helped drive a whopping $36 million to those locales. Again, that's just three counties in all of Minnesota.
Wild.
According to a study put together by the University of Minnesota Extension and the Northeastern Minnesota ATV Joint Powers Board, which looked at the economic impact of ATV riders operating in St. Louis, Lake, and Koochiching counties, the total economic effect was to the tune of $36 million in 2023.
