Dillon - Florence, Or

Save the Riders Dunes

There is a group forming called, Save the Riders Dunes, here in Florence and throughout Oregon. This group believes that we should be able to maintain our access to the dunes for enjoyment and pleasure as long as we are respectful of that right. There is consideration being given to restricting more areas to public access.

Years ago 90% of the Oregon Dunes was open to public access for off highway vehicles. This has been limited to 38% within the last 10-12 years. Further restrictions could cause us to be restricted from half of this. A major complaint that some people have about off road vehicles is that they are so loud. Our sand club is trying to get out information to riders asking them to keep the decibels down on their vehicles to keep the noise down. Another concern is injuries that occur on the dunes. Some laws have changed that require more education and also age requirements for riding to help with this. I think that it is a great idea to require training prior to riding and it will help with the safety concerns.

I hope that the people making this decision can see the value for families and the enjoyment that is found in the areas and seek to maintain that. It would be great if we could add back some more public access to the dunes and I really hope that we will not end up losing what we have.

Sincerely,
Dillon Payne - 7th Grader - SMS