The Methow Valley Citizens Council and Conservation Northwest filed a motion for summary judgement in Okanogan County Superior Court Tuesday, (Jan. 14) in a lawsuit seeking to overturn two county ordinances allowing all terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles in Okanogan County.

The plaintiffs argue that when the county commissioners passed two ordinances in July 2013, they violated the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) by failing to conduct any analysis of the likely effects of their actions on the environment or public safety.

They also contend that the commissioners “blatantly disregarded a new state law limiting roads that can remain open to ATVs to those with a speed limit of 35 miles per hours or less, and they illegally attempted to ‘grandfather’ in roads with speed limits above 35 miles per hour.”

Because of the county’s failure to comply with SEPA and because the ordinances do not conform to state laws regarding ATV and off-road vehicle use, “there are no material facts in dispute” and the ordinances should be declared null and void by the court, the plaintiffs argue in their filing.