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Making his case — Volusian Greg Gimbert asks the County Council March 21 to lend their support to a plea to allow off-roading in Tiger Bay State Forest. The council declined, with a 5-2 vote against supporting a request.
IMAGE COURTESY SPORTSVOLUSIA.COM
By Pat Andrews
posted Mar 18, 2013 - 11:45:34am
UPDATED FRIDAY, MARCH 22 — Volusia County Council members voted to stay out of it and let state forestry people handle requests for off-roading in Tiger Bay State Forest. The vote was 5-2 vote to deny a City of Daytona Beach request for support for allowing off-road vehicle use in the forest.
Off-roading proponents should take their quest directly to the state, County Council members Pat Northey, Joyce Cusack, Pat Patterson, Deb Denys and Doug Daniels agreed.
Council Member Josh Wagner and Chair Jason Davis voted to support the Daytona Beach request.
Greg Gimbert, an avid off-roader who lives in Daytona Beach, asked the City of Daytona Beach to support off-roading in Tiger Bay. The city did, and asked the county's support.
The County Council took at the city's request March 21.
The County Council listened to comments from almost 30 people on both sides of the issue before the members made their decision.
Read the whole story, in the March 28 Weekend edition of The Beacon. To subscribe to The Beacon online, click here. For a list of newsstand locations, click here. To have the print edition mailed to your home twice a week, send your address via email to circulation@beacononlinenews.com.
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED —During its Thursday, March 21, meeting, the Volusia County Council will decide whether to support a request to allow the use of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in Tiger Bay State Forest.
Tiger Bay State Forest, off U.S. Highway 92 between DeLand and Daytona Beach, offers "hiking, cycling, horseback riding, picnicking, boating, fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing," according to Volusia County's SportsVolusia.com website.
Use of off-road vehicles is not allowed, however, and a group of Volusians has been pushing for that use to be OK'd in a portion of the 27,000-acre forest.
So far, the Florida Forest Service's answer has been "no."
A March 15 letter to the County Council from Bunnell District Manager Anthony Petellat stated that the Forest Service's "first hand experience and knowledge of OHV programs" indicates that such trails are not a compatible use in this forest.
Off-highway vehicles are allowed in some other state forests, and the Florida Forest Service will work with riders in East Central Florida to find other suitable lands for the vehicles' use, Petellat said.
Greg Gimbert, an avid off-roader who lives in Daytona Beach, is asking Volusians to support off-roading in Tiger Bay.
"Many off road enthusiasts have been working for over 3 years to open Tiger Bay State Forest to off road uses and we need your help … I want my public land back and I want us to be able to use it our way with the same rights as those available in other state forests. Join our cause," Gimbert stated in an email to locals and The Beacon.
He's asking supporters to go online to www.sharetrails.org/issues/rapid-response-center/tiger-bay to sign a letter of support.
The City of Daytona Beach is supporting Gimbert with a resolution. Mayor Derrick Henry wrote to Volusia County Chair Jason Davis, asking the County Council to support the "dedication of 10 percent of Tiger Bay's land for the exclusive use of ATVs and motorcycles … "
Others want to put the brakes on off-highway vehicles in Tiger Bay, including the West Volusia Audubon Society, whose Vice President and Conservation Chair Stephen Kintner said he has concerns about their impact on other existing users of Tiger Bay State Forest. Kinter asked for a public forum to explore "finding appropriate places for off-road vehicles."
Former County Council Member Joie Alexander served on the Tiger Bay State Forest Resource Management Plan Advisory Group, which, after meetings in 2010, determined that "Tiger Bay State forest was inappropriate for ORV [off-road vehicle] use."
"I believe the process in 2010 met the test and should stand until the next review is scheduled in 2020," Alexander wrote.
She plans to attend the Thursday, March 21, meeting, "on the other side of the podium," she noted.
The County Council hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m., in the Frank T. Bruno County Council Chambers at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center, at 123 W. Indiana Ave. in DeLand.
Also on the Thursday, March 21, agenda are hearings for land-use amendments to facilitate the Farmton Local Plan, adopt a conservation-management plan, and transfer the Deep Creek conservation area into county management. These hearings are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
Reader Comments
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Having Bikeweek just ended, ask those residents of their main objection and you'll hear a common relpy; Noise. Yet allowable to allow dollars to flow into the County. Prob no permanent to the air, ears, streets, or ocean.
I too own an ORV , and confine it to private property, still garnering complaints. Perhaps Wilber and Orville experienced similar obsticles in their time.
At the council meeting, Wagner actually talked about ATV riding giving you the "sense that you're in the woods." So, tearing along with a big noisy engine between your legs lets you experience the solitude of the forest. . .
And one poor soul kept a straight face while he told about all the manufacturing jobs that ATV riders in a state forest would bring to Volusia.
It was quite a laugh riot on Thursday!
Deaths by ATVs and Motorcycles are proof that Darwin was right.
Besides people already have feet,,,why don't they just walk?
First, calm down Myron, go back on your meds and lie back down until your blood pressures drops.
Second, if you can't come up with a better anme than that maybe you need you mommy to teach you manners.
Third, use an electric golf cart.
Fourth, if all you want to do is ride around on your big boy toy, go somewhere else.
You are free to enjoy Tiger Bay without your substitute ----- or you are free to enjoy your substitute ----- on an approved course.
Fifth, you might want to get an education so you talk intelligently. As it is your post makes you look like a fool.
Reported deaths from ATVs (Source ATVSafety.gov)
2011 - 327
2010 - 590
2009 - 684
2008 - 741
2007 - 822
2006 - 833
2005 - 799
2004 - 754
2003 - 653
2002 - 550
Total deaths - 6,753
Total deaths on 9/11 - 2977 (I don't count the scumbag hi-jackers)
Ban these killers now! Declare war on ATVs and save American lives!
Ban ATVs NOW! Save the children, where is your compassion!
According to the ATVSafety.gov website, in 2010 there were 590 reported deaths (726 estimnated, 136 not reported as ATV related) and an estimated 115,000 emergency room treated injuries. 2011 deaths and injuries were down but deaths were still over 300 and injuries still over 100,000.
Now in 2012 we had less than 100 mass shooting deaths (88) and the uproar is to ban assualt weapons. With 6.7 times the number of deaths due to ATVs than mass shootings (with or without assault weapons), we should be looking at banning the vehicles, not expanding their ability to be used.
Like herpes.
What are you, in the 9th grade. Grow up and join the rest of the civilized adults and learn how to talk wiithout using foul language.
But I have to wonder why someone who is planning to leave even bothers to post about something they don't care about.
Unless you are that narcissistic. (I know, big word, I'm sorry. Maybe where you are supposedly going to live they communicate more on your level and use single syllable words....)
I love having fun. One of the ways I love having fun and enjoying my freedom is to go hiking through Tiger Bay, enjoying the quiet solitude.
By allowing these ORVs to run through Tiger Bay it restricts MY freedom to enjoy that forest land.
You are obviously one of the irresponsible ones Realist speaks of, one of the ones that don't care about others just about what you can get/have for yourself. THAT is a liberal mindset.
In answer to DeLand Resident - the only aim of getting a vote in favor of ATV use at Tiger Bay from our council is political pressure. It's the same tactic used with the city of Daytona Beach, except they fell for it, without researching or learning about the total picture.
As someone who LIVES in Tiger Bay Forest, we don't want to hear all the noise that these machines create.
There are way to many irresponsible riders, far outweighing the responsible ones.
If this is allowed, fires are soon to follow.
Gimbert " wants his public land back"......it is not just his land but belongs to all of us.
What is the actual point of riding a motorized vehicle in a forest ?
Tiger Bay is a beautiful place, off-road vehicles will destroy it.
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