Orv Park Decision Is Delayed

Spokane County commissioners have delayed until October a decision on whether to close an off-road vehicle park at Liberty Lake.

Responding to complaints about vandalism, erosion, litter and trespassing, commissioners in April banned four-wheel-drive vehicles from the park in the hills east of the lake.

Motorcyclists continue using the park. But that will end if they don’t begin policing themselves and write a management plan that solves the problems, commissioners said.

Commissioners gave motorcyclists until March 1998 to make the improvements, but said they wanted an update by Aug. 1. If little progress had been made, commissioners said, they would shut down the park then, rather than wait until next year.

The summer review was postponed until September because vacationing commissioners canceled three of the four August meetings.

On Tuesday, commissioners decided to postpone the review until Oct. 7 so they can hold a public hearing on the matter.

Park users say that since April they’ve repaired fences, removed trash and barricaded trails so large vehicles can’t enter. They want to bring four-wheel-drive rigs back into the park.

Some neighbors say the abuses continue, and want the park shut down.

With the help of the California-based American Motorcycle Association, local users conducted an informal survey of 70 park users.

It showed that a majority of the mostly male riders visit the park at least three times a year, drive 16 or more miles to get to the trails and would be willing to help solve problems at the park.

, DataTimes