This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I take offense at Brooke Jennings' attempt to categorize all off-highway vehicle users as scofflaws whose sole mission is to tear up our public land ("OHV Scofflaws," Public Forum, Jan. 27). To insinuate so is no different than if I accused her and every other environmentalist of being a cohort in crime with Earth First! eco-terrorists.
As a dirt biker, I served four years on the Utah State Parks OHV Council, where I helped dole out hundreds of thousands of dollars of OHV tax money for trails and facilities that are used by hikers and cross-country skiers, as well as OHV users. I supported TreeUtah's efforts to plant thousands of trees in an OHV area. I supported education efforts to teach the small number of OHV rednecks to stay on designated trails.
Yet people like Jennings seem hell-bent on labeling every OHV user as a criminal.
The environmental community ought to admit that its smear campaign is nothing more than an attempt to discriminate against a group of people who do not share their views or their eco-religion.
Kelly Skeen
Sandy
