In December, 2019, much of The Highlands Voice was devoted to preparation for the 2020 session of the West Virginia Legislature.

Among the stories was one by Beth Little.  It listed some statements by public officials and other indications that there might be a proposal to allow all terrain vehicles (ATVs) on public lands.  The same story also explained why allowing ATVs on public lands in West Virginia would be a bad idea.

Now the Legislature has come and gone and nothing happened.  There was a bill that looked as if it could have either authorized ATVs on public lands or been amended in order to do that.  As it went through the process, the parts about public lands disappeared and left only some innocuous provisions about what someone would have to do to make an ATV “street legal” (lights, muffler, etc.)

So, at least for now, our public lands are safe.  It’s not world peace or a corona virus vaccine but it’s not nothing either.