Compromise Found on Riverside OHV Noise Issue - News - Dirt Rider Magazine

Compromise Found on Riverside OHV Noise IssueA national trail recreation group joined with local members of the off-road community, government officials, and inholders to discuss solutions to unnecessarily loud off-highway vehicles (OHVs) being operated on private property. The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) testified before the Riverside County Planning Commission on a proposed ordinance that would set standards for OHV usage within the unincorporated area of the County.For many months, the noise from some OHVs operating on private property has irritated a growing number of adjacent land owners who have mounted a political campaign to deal with the issue. Faced with the possibility of a hastily-written anti-OHV ordinance that could have functionally banned trail riding on your own private property, riders became proactive and have been working with the BRC and other interests to find an answer.In early November, the FMF/BRC Sound Testing Program for OHVs with logistical support from the Off-Road Business Association performed 20-inch J-1287 OHV sound tests on a variety of dirt-bikes and muffler systems on private property. The sound crew also measured dBA levels at the property line. Information from that event was submitted to county staff.Don Amador, western representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, said, "I was greatly impressed by the change in tone between the affected parties. It appears that a lot of the finger pointing has stopped and folks are genuinely interested in finding a balanced solution. I think credit should be given to the Planning Commission for taking a step back and slowing the ordinance process down to allow local riders and property owners to present a quality product. The Commission also voiced support for finding new OHV parks.""Representatives from Malcolm Smith Motorsports and local M/X tracks attended the meeting to support the concept of riding quieter bikes that won't unreasonably annoy adjacent land owners. It may be important for riders in Riverside to form a county-wide OHV association comprised of M/Xers, off-road business leaders, and trail-users to develop a long-term strategy that will address excessively loud OHVs, the need for new riding areas or parks, illegal trespass, and other issues," Amador stated."I also appreciated the testimony of Jack McGrath—father of M/X star, Jeremy McGrath—when he talked about finding common ground so that family oriented riding on private property can be preserved for future generations. I look forward to working with the Commission's advisory committee assigned to this issue over the next couple of months so that riding opportunities can be protected while respecting the property rights of our neighbors," Amador concluded.