Police put brakes on off-road vehicles

Fred Contrada

NORTHAMPTON - Last summer it was not unusual for Ward 3 residents to see and hear 30 to 40 dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles tearing through the Meadows on a weekend. This year, over the July 4 weekend, there were none.

"I have to tell you, it's been wonderful," said Ward 3 City Councilor and Meadows resident Angela D. Plassmann.

The number of noisy machines in the Meadows had dropped precipitously since May, when the Massachusetts Environmental Police increased their presence in the area, with a special emphasis on illegal off-road vehicle use.

The extra attention was prompted by local property owners, who got together earlier this year to sign a blanket notice barring trespassing on their land.

The Meadows is an extensive, sparsely developed area of the city, most of which is bordered by the Connecticut River and lies in the river's flood plain. Plassmann said illegal all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes have been a nuisance for years, ruining crops and disturbing the peace in an otherwise quiet section.

One problem, Plassmann said, is that some operators are ignorant of the laws concerning their vehicles.

"People assume these are public roads (in the Meadows)," she said, "and some of them are not. They were created by farmers."

Moreover, according to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, it is illegal to operate a recreational vehicle on a public way, making virtually all of the Meadows off limits to such vehicles unless the operators have a landowner's permission to ride there.

The improvement has been dramatic, said William J. Karparis, a Deerfield resident and former Holyoke postmaster who farms about 11 acres in the Meadows. "Before, they would drive through the crops and there was a lot of upkeep" because of illegal dumping of construction debris.

In addition to patrolling the Northampton Meadows, the Environmental Police are increasing patrols in the Hatfield lowlands bordering the Connecticut River. Much of the land in both communities is part of the federally protected Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Plassmann said outsiders are generally oblivious to the rights of Meadows residents.

"The other night I had somebody come right through my back yard," she said.

Northampton Police Capt. Scott Savino said other nuisances such as parties are not uncommon along the river. Northampton police officer Victor Caputo has been serving as a liaison between the department and Meadows residents to crack down on illegal activity there.

Under state law, a person can be fined up to $100 and /or be sentenced to 30 days in jail for unlawful operation of a vehicle in a wildlife management area. Operating on private land without permission carries fines of up to $250. Children between the ages of 10 and 12 riding all-terrain vehicles must be directly supervised by an adult.

According to the environmental police, two people died in the state in off-road vehicle-related accidents last year, and three in 2008. Most fatal accidents were caused by excessive speed, failing to wear a helmet or failing to fasten helmets.

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Source: http://www.masslive.com/chicopeeholyoke/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1278746443311830.xml&coll=1

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