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Post by strosse on Aug 29, 2011 23:44:45 GMT -5
Hello everyone. It is now my senior year in photography and as such I have a senior project of course! I plan to show the economic benefits of off highway vehicle (atvs, dirt bikes, watercraft, etc) use by taking pictures of owners of businesses that benefit greatly from OHVs. I will also have an important quote from each person below the photograph. The purpose of my project is to shed some light on the positive side of OHV use that news networks and tree huggers tend to ignore.
So far I have come up with West Yellowstone benefiting from snowmobiles, and the small restaurant near Madison lake that benefits from the boats obviously. Is there any more mom-and-pop type places that you can think of that survive because of OHVs? I am trying to stay as close to Bozeman as possible. Perhaps I could talk to owners of motocross tracks as well. Ideas on questions to ask? Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
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Post by gdog on Aug 29, 2011 23:59:35 GMT -5
First suggestion. Dont use the word "tree hugger" anywhere in you thesis.  Pretty much any store next to a lake is dependant on summer recreation. Umm, the entire town of St. Anthony Idaho would take a serious blow to the wallet if it werent for the Sand Dune traffic. Hungry horse might be a really good one. Since the HCMA does not have a race the anymore, it would be intersting to see how much of an effect it has had on the small town like Hungry Horse. Do the hotels or gas pumps miss the riders? Have the even notice they left? That sort thing. Good luck with it. |
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Post by ryno23 on Aug 30, 2011 13:55:00 GMT -5
Ethan, I have plenty of things that the GVDR can add to your senior project about the benefits of the MX track to the community. We'll get together soon to talk.
Ryno
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Post by mx808 on Aug 30, 2011 16:33:02 GMT -5
Try any outdoor type store in Townsend. Also, go to the Silo's store. They are a very "mom and pop" type store that bennefits from summer and winter type activities (boating in summer and 4-wheelers in winter for ice fishing). Good luck Ethan!
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Post by 212masters22 on Aug 30, 2011 19:51:56 GMT -5
7 Gables at Georgetown Lake benefits from the snowmobile traffic in the winter. Also Discover Ski Hill uses snowmobiles to help get injured skiers off the hill, some search and rescue missions couldn't get done without ATVs and snowmobiles. An ATV is a surveyors best friend. I bet every surveyor in Bozeman has at least one quad in the garage.
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Post by strosse on Aug 31, 2011 2:37:05 GMT -5
Thank you everyone for your responses.
gdog: it's funny you say that about not putting tree huggers in there because in my pitch today my professor told me "Oh... I may be one of your extremist environmentalists." Me, "Ohh..... This'll be fun." Yes Saint Anthony is one I had in mind. I've been wanting to make another trip down there anyway haha. All great suggestions thank you.
ryan: sounds good. looking forward to what you've got.
Hey Jason thanks for the ideas I will look into them!
212masters22: Thanks for the information! Depending on how it works out I may expand my project for the rescue crews.
If anyone happens to have phone numbers for businesses that would help a ton so I could call before I drive to locations.
Thanks!
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tcja42
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by tcja42 on Aug 31, 2011 8:18:18 GMT -5
Ethan, its not so close to home but....life guards all over the world use PWC to save lives in high surf.
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Post by gdog on Aug 31, 2011 11:26:23 GMT -5
Ha! Yeah that should be fun for you. Speaking of environment, all the the people in charge in of protecting wildlife lands...habitat, and the environment overall....all have a fleet of quads and some motorcycles to get around even in the "protected areas" where you can't take motorized vehicles. I was a Wildlife Biologist for a couple years, and I use to tear up the hillside in the old Susuki posi-track Quad. THe BLM, Forest Service, FWP all use quads.
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Post by mxr on Sept 2, 2011 11:22:24 GMT -5
Not sure if this idea would fit in with your thesis but; In most states OHV users have to buy a yearly OHV sticker (Isnt MT a bit different Im not in MT anymore)and that money helps with enforcement, trail rebuilding, environmental affects research ect. Now think about how many more people and their animals are using non motorized trails free of charge. Nothing wrong with free but look at very popular (busy) hiking trails many of them are eroding from people short cutting switch backs, with so much foot traffic the trails get significantly wider and thus more damage to nature. Also people wander off trail then others following and now a new trail the leads 30 ft and stops. Lava Lake by Big Sky is a good example of a busy trail and damage IMO.
You could write a a letter to dirt rider magazine. The letter from the editor section often has a write up on the positive side of OHV or current environmentalist issues how our rights are being lost ect.
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