Open letter re ATV, four-wheeler regulations:
Recently a new organization has sprung up in the Yukon, the Trails Only Yukon Association.
About 150 people showed up at the inaugural meeting recently. With minimal exceptions, the majority of speakers were in favour of some kind of regulation to limit the damage done by ATVs throughout the Yukon.
The government of Yukon has passed the buck on this issue for more than 20 years. Had they been even slightly proactive years ago, we would be in much better shape with less permanent scarring (read tire tracks) in the alpine, subalpine, wetlands and everywhere in Whitehorse.
The city has certainly dropped the ball on this issue because they have had laws in place for years, but overlooked any consideration of enforcement and education.
Now, this morning on the radio news, John Edzerza, who is apparently committed to face whichever way the wind blows, commented that we don’t need regulations, they’d be too hard to enforce. What we need is education, he said.
Well, I suggest that education as a “stand-alone” approach to a situation is a classic time-wasting delay tactic. It allows some government mentalities to appear like they are doing something when, in fact, all they are doing is wasting time, and they know it.
Certainly enforcement would be difficult at this late date, but it is the government that created the situation.
This is a critical situation that will, over time, seriously scar the places in the Yukon that attract people from all over the world.
Those scars will never heal.
Stop hiding, open your eyes and get something done to deal with this terrible situation.
Larry Leigh
Whitehorse