&uot;Officer,&uot; a Bill Cosby standup routine transcribed by numerous sources, goes, &uot;I was just driving along when a tree came out of the forest and bit my car.&uot;

Change the mode of transport to an all-terrain vehicle and that’s pretty much the official explanation for Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s mishap, when he wrecked a machine while riding with the ATV Association of Minnesota in Grand Rapids. After hitting a tree stump in a &uot;very narrow passage,&uot; his aides assert, the governor’s vehicle swerved into a tree, resulting in a $2,500 smashup of the $7,000 Polaris ATV.

Ouch!

Thankfully, Pawlenty wasn’t hurt, but the image of ATVs as safe, fun-for-the-whole-family vehicles ridden by enthusiasts with respect for the environment did receive a blow, not because of the governor but due to the antics of riders who tore up the trails sometime after he left.

Several dozen of the 500 attendees took to a trail along the Mississippi River near Jacobson, sloshing through wetlands and standing water on a trail far more suited for snowmobiles, according to Department of Natural Resources regional supervisor Lt. Ken Soring. &uot;It’s fine for snowmobiles when everything is frozen. But for ATVs, it really shouldn’t be where it is,&uot; Soring said.

Soring’s colleague, DNR trails and waterways supervisor Les Ollila, said he expects ATV Association of Minnesota members to help restore the trail.

They absolutely should. But more important than the immediate patch-up is the message the escapade sends about just how little care the 10,000-member group took in assuring its riders wouldn’t rip up the environment. That’s important because it’s the same group that proposed legislation that would require mandatory training for young riders or those of any age who receive citations for violating existing laws.

While that sounds tough, it wouldn’t mean a thing for those who ripped through, because they were riding on an official trail (just one not suited for ATVs) and weren’t cited with anything. And let’s be clear &045; this was not done by some rogue riders in the middle of the night, but as part of a sanctioned statewide meet with the governor in attendance. How much higher-profile can you get?

To his credit, Pawlenty condemned the riders, and his aides said that he’s asking the DNR to investigate. And while he came through unscathed, his own little less-than-excellent adventure suggests the vehicles can get out of hand even for experienced riders &045; which Pawlenty’s aides say he is &045; meaning legislators might consider stronger measures than those put forth by the ATV association.

Either that or bring in all the trees for questioning.

&045; Duluth News Tribune