County bans ATVs in Nemo ditches

By Scott Aust, Journal staff | Wednesday, March 07, 2007

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RAPID CITY - Six months after approving an ordinance designed to prohibit off-road vehicles from operating in ditches along county roads, the Pennington County Commission adopted a resolution Tuesday that implements the ban on two portions of Nemo Road northwest of Rapid City.

In September 2006, the county adopted an ordinance banning off-road vehicles in ditches along designated county roads but stopped short of implementing any restrictions. The ordinance gave the county the ability to later designate certain roads as off limits to off-road vehicles whenever complaints.

ATVs being used for legitimate agriculture purposes or service-type uses are exempt.

The goal is to keep off-road vehicles out of the ditches, where they sometimes cause problems with dust, erosion, noise and safety. Violators can be fined $200 for each violation and be jailed for up to 30 days.

On Tuesday, the county approved a resolution prohibiting vehicles from driving in the ditches along a half-mile stretch of Nemo just east of Pine Cone Avenue, and another stretch about two-thirds long three to four miles farther east near the Calvary Trails area.

Steve Hoier, who lives on Pine Drive near Nemo Road, passionately lamented the destruction and lack of respect people driving ATVs, motorcycles, and pickups have showed in tearing up ditches along the road.

"I was born and raised to respect the land. It makes me sick," he said. "It makes me sick to think what tourists must think about how we treat our land."

Hoier said people must take care of the Hills and that he wished more ditches could be closed.

"We're treating the Black Hills like a dump. I just don't get it," Hoier said. "If there's one place we ought to be protecting, it's the Black Hills. I don't care what they do out in the boondocks, I think it's terrible out there, too, but I want to see wildflowers, not garbage and ruts."

Commissioner Brenda Young said she travels Nemo Road frequently and agreed with Hoier's comments.

"It appears it's getting worse instead of status quo or improving," she said.

Commissioner Gale Holbrook urged rural county residents to form a neighborhood watch that would help the county identify people damaging ditches.

"They need to be aware that someone is watching," he said.

Bob Thompson, district ranger for the Mystic Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service, said the issue of off-highway vehicles is one of the biggest issues facing Black Hills National Forest.

"We're in the process of developing an environmental impact statement dealing with all motorized use in the Black Hills," he said. "This is a pretty major undertaking. We've been at it now for two or three years working with various sub-committees, working with the public in numerous public meetings."

Thompson said the issue is very emotional for people.

"I've yet to hear a more emotional topic in my 30 years of forest service than this whole issue of where people can drive, where they can't drive," he said. "The Black Hills, historically, has been an open forest, meaning people can drive anywhere except where you say they can't."

Hoier and others urged the county to go further with its ban. But the issue costs the county. State law requires signs to be placed at the starting and stopping points of designated off-limits roads, as well as at intersections and approaches.

"This is a starting point," Holbrook said. "I don't disagree with anyone who said this needs to be a countywide issue. But this is a starting point."

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com