Minnesota Ups the Ante on Penalties

Last week the Minnesota Governor signed a state parks bill into law that also increased the fines for resource damage casued by ORVs.  The law makes reckless destruction of wetlands a gross misdemeanor, rather than just a misdemeanor.  This means that individuals convicted of wetland violations or illegal riding in rivers, lakes, state parks or state natural areas could face a penalty of up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $3,000.  They would also be banned from riding an ORV for a year.  If caught a second time, their machine could be immediately confiscated and forfeiture proceedings brought.  

The only catch, as the article here points out, is that you actually have to catch them to fine them, and with limited patrols and limited enforcement resources, there's only a small chance that violators will actually be caught. More often the damage will be discovered long after the perpetrator of the crime is gone.

We'll see if Minnesota sees a decrease in resource damage and illegal riding just because people fear reprisal, but I'm not holding my breath.