Vermont

MONTPELIER — Over the objections of lawmakers, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has adopted a rule to allow all-terrain vehicles on state land.

The rule quietly put in place this week, less than a month after a legislative rules committee formally objected to it, allows the agency to approve up to three trails across state land to link existing trail networks on private land.

ATVs are not allowed on Vermont public lands. A proposed rule change to enable the designation of ATV routes on state forests, parks, wildlife management areas and other state lands was introduced by the state Agency of Natural Resources. This proposed change allows ATVs because it is difficult to control them. Citizens submitted about 2,000 comments, which ran four to one against this ruling. The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, a bipartisan committee, reviewed documents of the Agency of Natural Resources public comments and considered whether the ATV rule conformed to proper administrative procedures. In December, the committee ruled 7-0 against the agency.

John Dillon

(Host) Governor Jim Douglas says his administration will brush aside legislative opposition and allow all terrain vehicles to use state land.

The administration's plan could face a legal challenge.

VPR's John Dillon reports:

Dave Gram

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A Vermont legislative committee voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose rules drafted by the Douglas administration to allow limited use of all-terrain vehicles on state lands.

The committee vote was nonbinding and the state Agency of Natural Resources is expected to put the rule into effect anyway. But the decision will make it easier for opponents to challenge the rule in court.

Windsor -- Driving an ATV north on the railroad tracks in Windsor yesterday morning, Jonathan Balben avoided a traffic violation, but wound up being cited for trespassing -- and nearly got himself killed in a head-on crash with a southbound Amtrak train.

Police said Balben, an employee of Burlington-based Majestic Repossession & Transportation Corp., was driving the all-terrain vehicle that he had repossessed in Charlestown to a company truck in Windsor.

The issue of allowing ATVs access to state lands could face a crucial vote today.

The Douglas Administration has asked a legislative committee to support the move, which would allow use of state land to connect private trails.

Dave Gram

MONTPELIER -- The hotly-debated question of whether all-terrain vehicles should be allowed on Vermont state lands appears to be headed to the full Legislature, with a special rules committee poised to reject an ATV plan proposed by the state Agency of Natural Resources.

Five of eight members of the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules -- which resumes deliberation on the ATV question Tuesday -- said Friday they believe the question should go first to legislative committees that study environmental issues and then to the full House and Senate.

Alison Mutler

The Vermont National Guard wants hunters and other civilians to stay off its firing range.

The Ethan Allen Firing Range covers 11,000 acres in three towns: Bolton, Jericho, and Underhill. The federal property is used as a training site for soldier preparing for missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, but officials say they’ve been dealing with an increase in trespassers.

Vermont environmental officials are getting tough questions from lawmakers about rules allowing limited use of all-terrain vehicles on state land.

The Legislature's Administrative Rules Committee on Tuesday grilled Natural Resources Secretary Jonathan Wood about rules that critics say were rushed through without adequate review by legislative committees.