Do you want Tires or Turtles in Orono wetlands, woods and streams?

Turtles or Tires?

Let’s look at a new perspective. If 20 - 40 mountain bikes came through your habitat several times a week, would you stay? Most likely not if you were a turtle. Our wooded areas where there are streams and wetlands are possibly home to up to eight different species of turtles. Why would we degrade their habitat for a sport that can take place on already diminished land?

This is the question we’ve asked School Districts 277/278 and their Community Education Mountain Bike Teams. Why haven’t the citizens of Orono and the neighbors been asked about allowing bike riding in our Parks or neighborhood DNR wooded areas? A special resolution had to be rushed through by this council without a proper public hearing to allow mountain bikes to degrade Bederwood Park.

Ask City Administrator Adam Edwards and DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen to stop degrading Orono habitats. We need our wildlife corridors now more than ever. Rural areas and wildlife are top reasons why residents live in Orono.

aedwards@ci.orono.mn.us commissioner.dnr@state.mn.us