ATV Florida Forum

For all you South Florida ATV riders – the very last place to legally ride in has just been SHUT DOWN! Effective July 1st of this year, ATV’s have been banned from the Holey Lands, Rotenberger, and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area’s of the Everglades. But here’s the kicker – Swamp Buggies and Airboats are still allowed to have fun out there!!! WE MUST TAKE A STANCE! In December of 2007 the commission tried to pass this rule and 31 people and 11 organizations said NO. Then, all of a sudden it was voted on again in February, only 2 months later, and it magically passes! There’s something shaddy going on here. AND THEY NEVER TOLD THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE MEETING! I’m urging you to please contact the FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commisioners) and express your concerns, frustrations, and how unfair it is to discriminate against ATV’s and not buggies/airboats! We ride the trails that they’ve already created and they say we’re the ones destroying the land!

Here’s the guy you’ll want to talk to: Chuck Collins, 561-625-5131.
Here’s the news release from the FWC: http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/08/south/News_08_S_ATVRules.htm

NPS – Big Cypress National Preserve ORV Advisory Committee

March 18, 2008, 3:00 pm
Everglades City Community Center, 205 Buckner Ave, Everglades City

The Committee will meet to discuss ORV management issues within the Preserve. The meeting’s agenda will be accessible by clicking here once it becomes available. Time for public comment will be allotted. For further information, please contact Karen Gustin, Superintendent, at 239-695-1103.

http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/oppose_nlcsa/e6i63n4p76k3k53?

http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/senate_naturalresources_ohvuse/e6i63n417x65bdi?

we are trying to get something going of a last group ride for the 7th or 14th of June trying to get media out there for some coverage even though we are gonna loss it to show how we need a place south of !-4 we need as many as possible even if you dont ride just for show I will post up some detail if it gets done

I want to point out we can still ride out there during hunting season, like we did for years before they opened it up all unrestricted.

the new rules unless changed says only to go from point a to b not riding around Unless I am wrong but I have the fwc 2008 manual and that is my understanding

you are going from one stand to another thats all u gotta say u think hey will follow you? if u cool with them  they are cool right back with u. that is a fact i have no lights brakes and drink all the time there never got tickect or warning yet

Why don't we try to get all of atvflorida or at least south Florida riders one day together and just show up as a protest cause Florida is the number 3 state with the most atvs and its going to cause a problem when little kids start leaking into the streets on their four wheelers. just a few days ago i saw 3 banshees on US27 or okechobee pass me doing at least 90 and they kept going when i pulled off at the Sunoco out there and they were behind me the whole way from the Hialeah area so just imagine.
I spoke to a FWC officer from dade county not even from broward cause hes a good friend of mine and he was telling me the only legal place to ride is down in homestead and its a little property and all he said that the whole closing holey lands thing sucks but we cant really do anything about it but wait and see if the may open

any way to bring it up at another meeting? if theres enough of us they'll have to open it back up. petition much?

We can all begin to write letters to the FWC in January of 2009 asking to put this issue back on the agenda to be voted on at a future commission meeting. It will be shut down for two years no matter what, but if we start to get it back on the voting ballot in the beginning of '09 there's a great chance we can get this ruling overturned for July of 2010. However, we will ALL need to be at the meeting when they vote.

It was not FWC that shut it down, it was the CRIMINALS OF SFWMD that shut it down, they own the property not FWC...........

You are wrong, the area is considered a WMA - Wildlife Management Area, set forth as such by the FWC. It was an FWC decision, they voted on in at their February 2008 meeting, which was held in North Florida by the way. The idea first came about on their December agenda, the language of the new rule though included shutting down the area to ALL recreational vehicles and since airboats and buggies have legitimate representation at the FWC meetings, the initial rule was turned down. Then, the changed the rule to only ban ATV's and it passed with flying colors.

I can give you a 1000%  assurance that it was SFWMD, trust me. I have a very good friend that is buddy-buddy with one of the FWC commissioners that sits on the board, and it was a requisition from SFWMD to kick us out, not FWC. You are free to believe what you wish.............

yo FYI we still have 8th street 4 my MIA ppl.

After seeing the people I saw this past weekend riding down 40 St and 162 Avenue I can almost certainly say this area will be shut down soon. Just another spot the sport bikes have ruined.

hey by any chance is it still legal to ride in krome? like around the tom thumb area on quail roost? i had sold my bike in 06 and last i heared it was ok to ride there?? can anyone update me?

Why would it be legal to ride on ANY street. ATV's are NOT street legal! That area is all streets, and if you arent on the street you are on peoples farm land.

buddy has nothing to do with just sporties I ride sport and 4x4 and 4x4 ride on road just as much trust me . And as a matter of fact 4x4 riders are just as bad as sportys, riding with no helmets, drinking beer sometimes while actually driving. This also is not just 4x4 either, I at least ride with helmet but sometimes on 4x4 I do not but that is when I am in deep on trails or fast 4x4 riding I do wear it

Its not about helmet wearing or not,.I have been out there numerous times and the ONLY bikes I see on the streets are the sport bikes. The cops care less whether you dont wear a helmet and kill yourself. They care about the dumbassess riding on the streets crashing and killing some innocent people driving by. Oh and not ONE person on any bike was wearing a helmet. Sport or 4x4. At least the 4x4's were playing in the water. R.I.P.

buy a dual sport bike and ride any were u want.