This is your chance to express your opinion in a way that actually matters, rather than simply vent your frustrations on DRN. Please keep your post brief and courteous.
In case you haven't heard yet, the MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation recently came out with a set of guidelines for evaluating suitability of state forests for ORV use. These guidelines are so broad, that they could be used to shut down all remaining public riding areas in MA. DCR will make an announcement before riding season opens on May 1 regarding the possible closure of existing riding areas. So please act now!
This is bad news - Rooster and I have already registered all of our bikes for riding in Mass for this coming season. I'll post on the website in support of using the forests for ORV Use.
The two areas near you are Freetown (Fall River) and Wrentham/Franklin/Foxboro. There are 2 active clubs in your area: Pilgrim Sands Trail Riders (http://www.pstr.org) which maintain Freetown state forest, and King Phillip Trail Riders (http://www.kptr.org) which maintain Wrentham.
Unless you already have a street plate on your bike, you must have an ORV plate to ride in any MA state forest. It costs $20/year so there is no excuse not to have one. You can do the entire registration process by mail if you don't feel like going to the Environmental Police office in person. It takes about 2-3 weeks, just in time for the May 1 season opener: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dle/instructionspage.htm#ATV
I suggest you join New England Dirt Bikes web forum (http://www.nedirtbikes.com) which has lots of local riding info, and a great way to meet riding buddies in your area.
Is it too late for me to express my support for orv use to Deval Patrick? Im graduating tonight and he is the speaker. Maybe I'll have a quick word with him about it.
It's never too late. People are continuously adding their feedback. Just follow the link in my first post.
If you do get a chance to speak to Gov. Patrick in person, please please please above all be polite and professional. Even if your motivation is good, but your demeanor is abrasive, it will leave an overall bad impression and do much more harm to our cause.
This is getting ridiculous. A few friends and I used to ride the Georgetown-Rowley trails at least 3 times a week, now that they closed we went to a friends house in boxford and made a track around the property. Well that only lasted 3 weeks before the police pulled some out some half-assed laws and now we pretty muck modify the bike to the point where they might as well be street legal and register to ride on private property!
Im getting a little fed up with this crap.
What they dont see is the good values in this sport, if a kid rides all the time there less likely to get into drugs and other crap like that. Or am i the only one who gets high off the sound of a 2-stroke.
We got to fight this...... Riot in the streets or somethin because in ten years dirbikes will be extinct. And dont forget to remind the people who say its polluting the atmosphere or waisting gas to think twice about themselves while they fill up the tank in there Ford Excursion or even there 45 foot speed boat going out for a sunday cruise, and remind them that the Flowmasters on there new Corvette are louder than any bike ive ever ridden.