Environment: Invaders on The Black River

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Such tales finally forced the Missouri legislature to take this spring's action. But the onslaught of ATVs continues to worry local officials in Reynolds County, where the population of 7,500 increases as much as fivefold on holiday weekends. Even with the new law, says County Sheriff Gary Barton, he and his two deputies can hardly make a dent in the rampant ATV challenge. On Memorial Day weekend they wrote scores of tickets to ATV riders who trespassed on private property or were intoxicated. "Sometimes," says Barton, "it gets pretty hairy. You'll get there, and there will be 20 to 30 people all potted up. My nearest help is 45 minutes away."

The sheriff, who owns three ATVs himself, takes no chances. "I don't equip my patrol car with a regular rifle," he says. "I have an M-16. I leave it in the patrol car where you can see it. You have to make a show of force." Although the state conservation commission sent five agents into Reynolds County to help Barton out, it was not enough of a show to make much difference. "The ATVs still go anywhere they want," says Carolyn Hewitt, owner of the Twin Rivers Landing in Lesterville. "Until they bring in the state troopers or the National Guard, it won't do any good."

Rivers are not the only ecosystems involved in the no-holds-barred battle between ATV users and environmentalists. In California some 500,000 acres of public land are open to use by the increasingly popular off-road vehicles. The Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area east of San Diego, for example, draws tens of thousands of visitors. Environmentalists are enraged. Says Bob Hattoy, Southern California director of the Sierra Club: "They have ample room to play, but they feel they have the cowboy's right to ride the range wherever they want, whenever they want and how far they want."

California environmentalists are marshaling their forces against the ATVs. In May the state parks and recreation commission renewed a ban on off-road vehicles in California state parks, except for those areas specifically designated for their use. And California conservationists are continuing to push for an even bigger crackdown. Desert legislation proposed by Senator Alan Cranston would create 3 million acres of new national parks, where access would be limited to existing roads, and 4.5 million acres of protected wilderness that would be closed to all motorized vehicles.

In addition, about 28 other states, including Maine and Wisconsin, have laws regulating the vehicles. Several bills now pending in Congress would restrict the sale of ATVs or provide refunds to customers who have purchased the three- wheel versions. Hundreds of product-liability cases and class actions have been brought against manufacturers. James Lacy, general counsel of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, says there have been 998 ATV-related deaths since the beginning of 1982.

The stakes in the battle are high. Sierra Club Director Hattoy charges that the ATVs permanently scar the land, kill wildlife and destroy vegetation, as well as cause noise, safety and pollution problems. Says he: "We recognize their right to use public lands, but no one has the right to chase jackrabbits until their hearts explode, or roar over desert turtles." ATV Enthusiast Buddy Bray sees it differently. "I don't believe riding ATVs destroys the desert," he says. "All you kill is the bushes."