Some folks should never be allowed to operate a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Or perhaps any vehicle at all.
Several weeks ago, Valentine’s Day actually, we were patiently waiting for a Northern Harrier on the ground to take off at Farmington Bay WMA when something else caught our attention.
This Jeep was off-road where it was illegal for it to be and it was tearing up the wetlands. The entire area was soggy and wet from snowmelt and the jackass behind the wheel was driving like a maniac. The Jeep was fishtailing and mud was flying.
Here’s where they (I believe there were two of them in the Jeep) accessed the wetlands. It’s an OHV or “Off Highway Vehicle” trail where full sized street-legal vehicles are prohibited. They drove right by this sign to access the trail.
Notice that even OHV’s are required to stay within the boundaries of the posted trail.
A wider view of the same trail entrance shows the muddy conditions and the white posts marking the boundaries of the trail as it meanders through the wetlands. Those waterlogged ruts in the trail were most likely caused by the Jeep.
Even if the driver had stayed on the trail the Jeep would still have been operated illegally but as you can see from this photo it was being driven outside the white posts marking the boundaries of the trail. This guy was a real anal sphincter.
My intention was to get photos where the license plate could be read but most of the time they were moving laterally to me so I couldn’t see it, much less read it.
But eventually as he left the trail to get on the main road again at Goose Egg Hill (he was far away from me at this point so the image is of poor quality) I could read the license plate, but just barely. After this photo was taken the Jeep quickly left the refuge.
We immediately reported the incident to DNR staff. They had also seen the Jeep being driven in the restricted area but from far away and they didn’t have any photos so they were happy that we managed to get some.
Later that day after I’d arrived home I received a call from DNR Law Enforcement asking about what we’d seen and for a copy of a legible photo of the license plate which I sent to them. During that conversation she told me that “we know who the driver is and he will be cited.”
I take this kind of wanton destruction of the refuge personally. Farmington Bay WMA is a wetlands oasis in the middle of the exploding development of the heavily populated Wasatch Front so it deserves protection rather than abuse and disrespect. When things like this happen I can imagine how refuge manager Jason Jones and his staff feel when they’ve put their hearts and souls into managing and protecting the refuge.
Repairing the damage will eat up a portion of their extremely limited funds and that hurts.
Ron
Sadly the fines (heavy or not) will find their way into a General Fund and probably will not find their way back to Farmington Bay. A fine and restitution of the cost to repair the damages would be better. Maybe a lein on the Jeep until restitution was completed either in cash or labor…….
I had a related experience recently. I came across two guys shooting along a berm at one of our refuges. Since I didn’t know precisely what they were up to (skeet, hunting, etc.) I walked back to the place where their vehicle was parked, got their license plate, and later was able to give it to a couple of game wardens. Parts of the refuge are open to hunting during the season, but it wasn’t the season, they were in a non-hunting area, and guns of any sort aren’t allowed in the public parts of the refuge anyway.
That kind of blatant disregard for other people and the creatures who live in the refuge drives me crazy. At least they weren’t tearing things up as badly as the dudes in the jeep. Eventually I’ll write about another encounter at a different refuge with a different kind of jerk, but I’m going to have to calm down a little bit more. I still get enraged every time I think about it, especially since I confronted the guy and he obviously didn’t care. There are a lot of self-centered people around who just don’t care, it seems.
Way to go, Ron. Photojournalism at its best. I nominate you for the Goose Egg Hill Environmental Champion award. Yea, I made that up but you’re a great role model for all of us. If I may say so, you do honor to your cousin Ken’s memory by using your lens and skill for these purposes.
“I nominate you for the Goose Egg Hill Environmental Champion award”
Now that’s an award I’d accept, whether I deserved it or not, Lyle! Some folks call it Goose Egg Hill and others Goose Egg Island (there’s a story there) but either one would look good on the award. 🙂
I hope you know how much your last sentence means to me.
Nice work Ron in capturing a photo of the vehicle and license plate. Perhaps the DNR could send a copy of the comments in your blog to the prosecutor. The revulsion of the community should be felt during sentencing.
That’s an interesting thought, Steve. I’m sure DNR will do what they think best, however the case may already be resolved.
Well done Sir.
My heart would sink as well. The P brain probably didn’t consider, or maybe doesn’t care, that certain birds actually nest on the ground. He could have wiped out a few nests. I don’t think the birds are nesting yet. I hope not anyway. I’m glad you spoke up.
Good for you, Ron!
Jackasses! Glad you got their plate numbers….too bad superjerks like those morons even exist….
Yup…
Nice catch! Sadly often the punishment is not much compared to the damage.
That’s right.
Hiss and spit is the politest I can manage.
I am so grateful that your perserverance gave you the prize of his number plate.
And hope he pays. Rather a lot.
It was close, EC. Most of my shots weren’t sharp enough to read the plate. I think heat waves from the road distorted them.
Occasionally, some measure of justice occurs. I hope the fines are large and can help with restoration. An incident locally gave me some satisfaction many years ago. Fern Ridge Reservoir, a few miles west of town, is surrounded by extensive marshes. In the winter the reservoir is lowered creating mudflats and isolated ponds that are very attractive to waterfowl and wintering shorebirds. It is great for wildlife and birds at all times of year. One afternoon, I was with the local ranger in charge of the area. We watched as one idiot drove off the road and into the mudflats beyond us. Even with our binocs we couldn’t see anything to identify it. After several fast turns, the Jeep became firmly stuck in the mud and nothing the driver could do would help. He finally got out and, with great effort, slogged through the mud and over to us. He had the nerve to ask the ranger to call for help. The ranger asked for ID then calmly suggested to this jerk that he go back to his vehicle and roll up the windows because maybe it will float out of the mud when the reservoir is flooded next spring, or if we are lucky, it well stay stuck and get submerged out of sight. I thought it was a great answer. In reality, the Corps of Engineers (who manage this reservoir) later had it pulled out and confiscated. I’m sure the driver was charged for these expenses and fined as well. Once in a while, there is some justice.
Love the story and that ranger!
YES! Wonderful on the Ranger’s part and consequences “perfect”…… 😀
You are a very great citizen and thank you for your attitude. I hate the explosion of so many vehicles, OHV and others, produced just for this type of recreation. I am totally against opening national parks, etc. to motorized vehicles for this exact reason. Too many brainless and selfish people who have no idea of respect for the worlds. treasures.
Thanks for this post.
I agree with you about allowing OHV’s in parks of any kind, except possibly for those specifically meant for this kind of activity (much as I despise it).
Well, what started out as peaceful day of bird watching turns into a blood boiling incident.
Sometimes I shake my head so much at peoples crazy actions my neck hurts 🙁
Hit them in the wallet, community service and a a lesson of these wetlands importance’s.
Fingers crossed ❗️
Diana, I may never know how this turns out but I suspect (or at least hope) there’ll be hell to pay.
In Albany, New York the local police department impounded the vehicles and held them as evidence for trial. The abuse ended practically overnight and has not
reoccurred in over 40-years of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. We (US COAST GUARD) did the same thing with large ocean going merchant ships that pumped their bilge slop into the Hudson River Same results. Confiscate.
If it’s effective lets do it! Whatever it takes, within reason of course…
It’s hard to fix stupid.
If the driver can be identified, treat them like the mental child they are and impound their little toy (Jeep) for at least six months. Make them pay for some portion of the damages (according to their ability perhaps) and sentence them to spend weekends working at the refuge repairing their damage and picking up litter left by similar Morons.
Okay. Dream sequence over.
I’d vote for you as judge, Wally.
For many years I have gotten furious with people like these two, and I have reported to law enforcement, involved myself in public campaigns to change public perspective, asked government agencies for heftier fines, been in 3 government agencies empowered to cite and fine, etc. And yet, here we are. Certainly, we have made some improvements over the years. But.
In any event, it’s good that you photographed them and turned them in and that they are known and will be cited. I don’t know what anyone else thinks – my current view is to make friends with the rangers and office staff of the areas where I photograph, and become a known and trustworthy member of the community. That way, when I present a photo, in camera, fresh, of an idiot flicking a lit cigarette into the dry grass out his car window, with license plate showing, a ranger can get right on it. I don’t know whose children these people are. I guess it’s a losing battle.
I have a similar strategy, Martha. Become known and trusted to the folks in charge and it can make a difference. Doing so is easy for me because the management and staff at the refuge and the Wildlife Center are nice people and they appreciate all the help they can get with a difficult job..
Hope they fine them enough to pay for the damages,
Me too, plus a little more…
A Snickers bar in the gas tank for this kind of “anal sphincter”–I think
that’s the only kind of reproof jerks like these would pay attention to…..
Works for me, Kris.
You are a good citizen Ron and of course good with a camera and that makes you doubly dangerous to AH’s like those two guys. Lots of fun for them translates into a severely damaged trail for everyone else for a long time before it can be restored. Really ticks you off to see idiots like these out in nature and having zero respect for it. Every once-in-awhile I will see a jeep that is completely mud covered like this and now I know how it became that way. Good job Ron. Let’s hope they are heavily fined.
“Every once-in-awhile I will see a jeep that is completely mud covered like this and now I know how it became that way”
Exactly, Everett. And this type thinks all that mud is some kind of badge of honor so they often drive around with muddy vehicles for days. It isn’t always Jeeps but far too often it is…
The dickwad needs to cough up the funds for the repairs to the refuge — you break it; you fix it!!! This just PISSES ME OFF!
I’m now going to go cuss a blue streak and try to meditate away my desire that this person gets several very large, infected boils in some highly innervated places…or worse! 😡
That’s pretty much my reaction too, Marty.
I was really steamed when this happened but then almost forgot about it for a while. But last night while I was culling images I found these photos again and just got pissed off all over again – thus this post.
Good job, Ron !
Thanks, Alan. I’m sure if other folks had seen this happening they’d have reported it too. But that morning there were few others at the refuge and none of them were nearby at the time (which is probably why these jerks took the chance that they did.)
Hope those “fine specimens” get a hefty fine tho know often it isn’t THAT steep. Should lose their vehicles also – HA! 🙁 Many years ago some neighbors allowed hill climbs over Labor Day weekend that crossed the creek before the climb not to mention parked vehicles blocking our lane and drunks running around down our way 🙁 Scars and erosion was there for many years – haven’t looked lately.
“Scars and erosion was there for many years”
I’m sure that will also be the case here, Judy. Makes me spittin’ mad.
I am spitting (venomously) with you.
Good job Ron. However, I’m wondering how serious a penalty will come with the citation. As you know, penalties for poaching vary from state to state, but, as well as loss of hunting privileges, can include confiscation of weapons and vehicles. I wonder if confiscation of vehicles, or even just impoundment for say 12 months, would send the needed message to such people.
You make a good point, Patrick. All too often penalties for things like this are much too lenient.
I know exactly what you mean. One of the marshes I frequent has(had) a very good gravel road through it (which unfortunately is a connecting county road). Why can’t a logical speed be driven though beats me…the biggest of the biggest trucks with the biggest of the biggest massive tires have to race and spin causing deep ruts, holes, etc.. There is no understanding the workings of some people’s actions. I too have sent plate photos in but don’t know if it does any good.
Kathy, all we can do is try. Sometimes it makes a difference.
thank goodness for people like you who take the high road
Kathy, thankfully idiots like these guys make up a small percentage of folks who visit the refuge but the damage they cause can be extreme. And long-lasting.
I am glad that you got the license plate of those idiots. Similar problem happened at the Race Track, Death Valley, too.
There’s some of that kind of lowbrow everywhere, Larry and that’s too bad.