Public meeting to determine interest in ATV/UTV trail system within Allamakee County well attended
Dennis Blocker of Waukon led a discussion about developing a trail system in Allamakee County for all-terrain and utility vehicles (ATVs and UTVs) at an organizational meeting for ATV/UTV riders Thursday, April 2 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. With the large turn-out for the meeting serving as a gauge of the level of interest, a smaller number of volunteers will be working on a proposal to present to the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors in the coming weeks to allow use of ATVs/UTVs on some County roads. Standard photo by Bob Beach.
An organizational meeting for area residents interested in developing trails for all-terrain and utility vehicles (ATVs and UTVs) was well attended at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon Thursday evening, April 2. Dennis Blocker of Waukon, who organized the meeting, said that Thursday's turn-out indicates a high level of interest in ATV/UTV trails in Allamakee County.
Dean Anderson of Harpers Ferry told the group that he and others had approached the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors about allowing ATV/UTV use on County roads and that the Board had suggested forming a group for ATV/UTV riders similar to the local snowmobile club, the Allamakee Snoblazers. That group could then present a specific proposal to the Board for consideration. He said that he has also been working with the Harpers Ferry Booster Club to organize an ATV/UTV ride across the county this fall.
Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour suggested that two or three organized rides would be a good first step towards determining how ATV/UTV use on County roads would work. If those rides go well, the next step would be to designate certain segments of County roads for ATV/UTV use and eventually expand to a trail system that utilizes both County roads and private property, assuming that property owners could be found who would donate land for such trail use.
Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick said that while allowing ATV/UTV use on County roads would create "a headache" for the Sheriff's Department, he does not oppose the idea. He suggested that safety should be the primary concern in developing an ordinance to allow ATVs/UTVs on County roads. He also suggested that a fee should be established to pay for the additional workload on the Sheriff's Department and the Secondary Roads Departments for enforcement and maintenance associated with the new trail system.
A smaller group of volunteers plans to meet Thursday, April 16 to begin work on possible trail routes and to come up with suggestions for the Board of Supervisors to consider when developing an ordinance to allow ATVs/UTVs on some County Roads. Blocker said that he also plans to meet with the Allamakee Snoblazers to determine if the snowmobile club would be willing to work with ATV/UTV riders to develop a trail system.
