Survey: Wildlife managers call for ORV crackdown
Eighty-three percent of fish and wildlife managers in 27 states have seen “resource damage to wildlife habitat” caused by off-road vehicles (ORVs) following closely behind by 72 percent citing “disruption of hunters during hunting season” as another impact from ORVs.
The survey – conducted by the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) last July and August with the results released yesterday – involved contacting wildlife and fisheries managers in all 50 states. A total of 34 agencies, representing 27 different states, responded to the survey.
The survey clearly shows negative impacts on hunting and fishing from various types of ORVs. Furthermore, these agency managers strongly indicated that more enforcement of standards is needed to protect hunting and fishing from ORV impacts.
The survey is part of a broader IWLA report, “Collision Course? Off-Road Vehicle Impacts on Hunting and Fishing,” which was also released yesterday.
Read the IWLA’s press release and a short St. Paul Pioneer Press story about the survey here.
– Joel Patenaude