Steve Belcher of Cortland and his sons use the Bayview Off-Road Vehicle Area off state Route 846 in South Pymatuning Township often and don't want to see it shut down.

That's why they were out at the area, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on Saturday helping to clear brush and to paint boundary signs that show all-terrain vehicle and dirt-bike operators where they can ride.

But Belcher was disappointed more ATV riders didn't come out to help. Most of the 20 volunteers at the first Bayview ORV Workdays were Shenango River Lake campground volunteers.

"I think ATVers should get their butts out here," he said. "It's wonderful that the campers are out here ... the ATVers need to get out here."

On a busy day, as many as 100 people at a time come to Bayview to ride their off-road vehicles.

"Just imagine, if we had 100 people here, what we could do," Belcher said.

Earlier in the month, the Corps of Engineers asked for volunteers to come out this weekend to pick up litter, clear and widen trails, paint and post boundary signs and cut trees to block trails leading to the lake shoreline, said Park Ranger Susan Dudjak, who coordinated the project.

Shenango River Lake Resource Manager Pete O'Connell said although the turnout for the clean-up was "fairly decent," he, too, was disappointed more off-road vehicle riders didn't volunteer.

"We do have some families out there with their children," O'Connell said.

The volunteers, who were joined by about 10 Corps of Engineers and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission staff, earned a free night of camping as well as a picnic on Saturday. D'Onofrio Food Center in Hermitage and Sheetz and Sparkle supermarket in Pymatuning Township donated the food and drinks, Ms. Dudjak said.

Campground hosts Denny and Shirley Baker of Hubbard were among the campers who spent their Saturday working at Bayview. Mrs. Baker said she enjoyed herself.

"I'm really glad I'm doing this," she said.

Randy Turk of Washington, Pa., has been camping and boating at Shenango River Lake for 20 years. He also helped with the clean-up.

"This is the first time I've been over here," he said. "I always come for clean-ups, but I didn't know this was over here. I'm a camper and a boater. I don't ride."

About 26,000 riders each year use the Bayview ORV Area, which opened in 1995. Previously a sand and gravel pit, it was a place where park rangers would send off-road vehicle riders who were endangering nature, O'Connell said.

"We would send them here where they couldn't cause much damage," said O'Connell, who worked as a park ranger at Shenango Lake from 1979 to 1984.

After an environmental assessment showed that continued off-road vehicle use would not endanger the environment, the Corps of Engineers officially established Bayview as an off-road vehicle area.

However, riders are supposed to stay inside the posted boundaries to avoid damaging nature. O'Connell said there have been problems lately with people taking their vehicles outside the boundaries.

"The idea is to keep them in the boundaries to keep them out of environmentally sensitive areas and off the shoreline," O'Connell said. "We're having a problem with people leaving the defined off-road vehicle area and going into sensitive areas. It's important to maintain the boundaries."

The state Fish and Boat Commission helps the Corps of Engineers police the area by issuing citations to violators.

O'Connell said the Corps of Engineers want to have a working relationship with off-road vehicle riders who use the area, which is why they coordinated the clean-up day.

Unfortunately, the few who violate the rules can ruin it for the majority of riders who stay in the boundaries.

"The sad part is, there are only a few people who don't follow rules and regulations. Most riders stay within the boundaries," O'Connell said.

But it only takes a few to break the rules before more serious action is taken.

"We may have no choice but to close the area down," O'Connell said. "But if we can work with (off-road vehicle riders) to maintain it, to clean it, closing it won't be necessary."

O'Connell said he hopes there will be another clean-up in the spring, making it a bi-annual event. Belcher agreed.

"People should come out three times. In the spring, in the middle of summer and the fall," he said.