Hmm, interesting... I'm generally of the opinion that offroad vehicles are a completely bad idea, since they damage ecosystems and such. I guess some people are careful enough to cause minimal damage, though... and, of course, some others aren't careful about it at all. :P
Yeah, it's like every group out there.. there are a few jerks and a lot of nice folks. The jerks and assholes will always rise to the top because those sort of people draw attention while the good folks don't. Every subculture has them... the difference, when the sad-fannish, slob, stereotype furs go home you don't notice the destruction they left behind like you can when some ass in a 4x4 decides to act the fool. Everytime I go off roading I try to tread as lightly as possible (http://www.treadlightly.org/) but being raised in the outdoors kinda makes that go without saying. I guess living in the same woods you go off roading in helps, because if you -do- end up nicking a tree you get to see it daily... where as those that go home and never see it again aren't so bothered when they forget their recovery straps and don't strap trees before winching... among other things.
More than just a few, unfortunately. The machismo image of offroad driving is inevitably going to attract the sort of people that don't care too much about looking after the environment.
Yep, same with boating in FL.. thanks rednecks for speeding and not having propguards and chopping up the manatees... Pretty much wherever folks go they fuck shit up. Look at our national parks for instance... more than a few reports on how tourists from local big cities go out, trash the place then go home. (apart from the general overcrowding).. But I digress (also this rant in part due to a related talk about folks flocking to see endangered animals and destroying critical ecosystems that said animals rely on).. yeah.. lots of idiots out there who don't know how to tread lightly, vehicularly or on foot even. Stay on footpaths? What's that? O.o
Basically what I see needed is areas being closed to public use without a permit. I mean, sitting through a one day class about treading lightly and taking a test wouldn't kill anyone and might save some. Also more oversight about trails and related areas, if the trails are marked and people report those that break the rules, then it might help... perhaps. (they'll fuck that up too I'm sure)
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Everytime I go off roading I try to tread as lightly as possible (http://www.treadlightly.org/) but being raised in the outdoors kinda makes that go without saying. I guess living in the same woods you go off roading in helps, because if you -do- end up nicking a tree you get to see it daily... where as those that go home and never see it again aren't so bothered when they forget their recovery straps and don't strap trees before winching... among other things.
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Pretty much wherever folks go they fuck shit up. Look at our national parks for instance... more than a few reports on how tourists from local big cities go out, trash the place then go home. (apart from the general overcrowding)..
But I digress (also this rant in part due to a related talk about folks flocking to see endangered animals and destroying critical ecosystems that said animals rely on).. yeah.. lots of idiots out there who don't know how to tread lightly, vehicularly or on foot even. Stay on footpaths? What's that? O.o
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Also more oversight about trails and related areas, if the trails are marked and people report those that break the rules, then it might help... perhaps. (they'll fuck that up too I'm sure)
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