LAKE COUNTY ? Area motorsports dealers received copies of an anonymous letter earlier this month claiming that people riding motorcycles and driving off-road vehicles (OHVs) illegally on private property should beware, Capt. James Bauman from the Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO) reported Wednesday.
“The letters are clearly an expression of discontent relating to fairly regular reports of recreational motorcycle and ATV (all-terrain vehicle) operators using private, undeveloped lands with little or no regard for the property rights of the property owner, or any damage resulting from such use,” Bauman said.
According to Bauman, copies of the “brief, yet concerning” letter went to Hillside Honda of Lakeport, Nor Cal Moto and Speed of Upper Lake and Flagship Marine of Clearlake Oaks. It stated that illegal, off-road trails in the hills above Nice and Lucerne were “booby-trapped,” and urged the proprietors to warn customers who ride illegally there.
“This is destroying private property and a valuable water shed (sic) not to mention the ugly scars upon the hills. This is nothing more than eco-terrorism (sic),” the anonymous letter-writer wrote. Bauman said there was no return address or signature.
Bauman said the LCSO periodically hears complaints from the public about motorsport enthusiasts trespassing on private property, particularly in the areas northwest of Pyle Road in Nice. Small, undevelopable parcels dubbed “paper subdivisions” in the foothills above Nice and Lucerne are also frequently targeted, according to Lake County Community Development Director Rick Coel.
“There are literally thousands of these lots that were created in the ”20s, and they are owned by people from all over the country, so they don”t always have the ability to protect their property,” Coel said.
In many cases, Coel said the owners are difficult to identify.
Bauman said there were more recent reports of the problem in the Robin Hill area, north of Lakeport.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance in August 2006 that prohibits operating motorcycles and OHVs on private or public property without the written permission of the owner. The written document must be carried on the rider”s person and include the property owner”s name and phone number, as well as the legal address of the property.
Bauman said a violation is punishable as an infraction or as a misdemeanor. First-time violators can be fined up to $100; a second offense is subject to a $200 fine. A third offense and any subsequent violations are punishable as misdemeanors and fines up to $1,000 or six months in jail, or both.
Bauman said the letter offered no leads to investigate or verify the existence of maliciously placed hazards to illegal riders. He advised riders to follow the law and avoid any hazards by using designated OHV riding areas, such as the Cow Mountain Recreational area and areas in the Mendocino National Forest.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
