This is an open letter to the parents and neighbors of the boys who ride their electric motorcycles — not bicycles — on and off trail in the northern Dry Canyon.

These machines are illegal in the park. That is not a debatable point and they are banned for good reasons, not whim.

They pose a physical hazard to walkers and other users in the park, because their speed and the simple fact that these are young boys without the common sense or caution to operate them safely.

In addition, all of the north canyon is a designated natural preserve. The use of motorized vehicles destroys the trails meant for walkers and mountain bikers, tearing up the soil with their excessive torque, leading to the destruction of desired plants and erosion, opening up opportunities for weeds and more invasive plants to increase their spread across the park landscape.

I have observed this going on myself. A rider was using an old irrigation ditch, long ago abandoned, as a ramp to do jumps, landing and squirreling back around to jump again. As I attempted to confront him, he fled, cutting across trails, sending up a rooster-tail spray of dirt behind him.

This use does damage. The trails and the landscapes are publicly owned assets, their destruction by ill-considered and illegal use detracts from the community’s experience, compromises the health of the landscape and ultimately results in increased costs to the community as park staff work to offset damage and maintain the status quo.

As their parent you should be held responsible for the damage. It is now illegal in the state of Oregon for anyone under 16 to ride an electric bike without a helmet. It is illegal for anyone unlicensed to ride a motorized vehicle on a public street. It is illegal for anyone to ride one in Dry Canyon. An electric motorcycle is a motorized vehicle.

The local police know about this. They are now watching for violations. They cannot be there all of the time.

If these are your children or your neighbors, stop them. We all want to do what we want, but when that comes at the expense of neighbors and the community, then maybe we should reconsider what we do and what we want.

Lance Wright

Redmond

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