Vermont

MONTPELIER - State officials tonight will take testimony in a hearing that could help decide whether Vermont opens up state-owned lands for all-terrain vehicle use.

The controversial issue has galvanized both ATV enthusiasts seeking to broaden their network of trails and environmental organizations concerned about the potential impacts. The long-debated topic resurfaced in recent weeks after the Agency of Natural Resources proposed a rule change that would lift the existing ATV prohibition and allow limited off-road use on short stretches of state land.

George Wuerthner

The Douglas administration has proposed a rule change that would permit All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to travel on state lands — parks, forests, and wildlife management areas. These lands are now closed to ATVs, as are federal lands in Vermont like the Green Mountain National Forest.

Ironically this proposal to open state lands to expanded ATV abuse comes at a time when most other states and the federal government are either banning ATVs outright, or attempting to greatly restrict their use. Why would Vermont go in the opposite direction?

MILTON — Steve Carlin’s Can-Am Outlander all-terrain vehicle bounced over rocks and ground through deep ruts at 10 miles an hour, climbing a steep, stony logging road below Georgia Mountain.

The ATV emerged at the edge of a high hill pasture, and Carlin looked west toward Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.

“Does it get any better than this?” he asked, waving a hand at the panoramic view.

Regarding Friday's ATV story: It is my understanding that these vehicles -- along with lawn mowers, leaf blowers and other small engines -- emit the most pollutants.

There may be some reason for the use of the various power tools that pollute so much, but we lived well for many years without them. The ATVs, however, are just a toy that disturb the peace of those who hike and camp, all the while polluting in a big way.

I bought a Vermont-made battery powered lawn mower to avoid being a polluter and a noise maker. Let's outlaw ATVs!

Source: http://www.reformer.com/letters/ci_12483979

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources has drafted new rules that would allow all-terrain vehicle users limited access to trails on state lands, and some environmentalists are upset about it.

A public hearing on the proposed rule has been set for 7 p.m. June 15 at the Pavilion Auditorium in Montpelier.

Warren Coleman, the agency's top lawyer, said Friday the process was kicked off when the Vermont All-Terrain Vehicle Sportsman's Association, or VASA, asked for permission to use ATVs on an existing trail through a state wildlife management area in Essex County.

BENNINGTON — Restoration work will begin at Sucker Pond in early June after the Bennington Select Board granted approval for the project.

Sediment buildup caused by ATV and off-road vehicle use around the pond, formerly known as Lake Hancock, could lead to serious water quality concerns, including algae blooms and loss of water clarity, according to Josh Gorman, with the Agency of Natural Resources' Water Quality Division.

Gorman appeared before the Select Board twice, along with representatives of the U.S. Forest Service and the Bennington County Conservation District, seeking permission to complete a restoration project. The project aims to restore vegetation in the heavily impacted areas around the lake. Gorman said when completed, the project will have reduced sediment and phosphorous inputs to the lake and provide safe low-impact access to the shoreline.

BENNINGTON — Jeffrey R. Kinney, 46, of East Main Street, was found guilty by a jury Wednesday in Bennington District Court of a felony DUI and attempting to elude police.

The verdict was Kinney's 10th DUI conviction. Being convicted of more than three times represents a felony.

Deputy State's Attorney Michael Munson said Kinney's nine prior DUI convictions were withheld from the jury because it would have been considered prejudicial. He said that in separate proceedings, not involving a jury, the state proved he had multiple prior DUI convictions.

WOODFORD — The federal government prosecuted a New Hampshire man and three others last week for damaging Green Mountain National Forest trails in Woodford.

Andrew Hannah, 37, of New Ipswich, N.H., appeared in federal court on Nov. 4 after he was caught illegally driving on a snowmobile trail in August. He was apprehended after his motor vehicle got stuck.

In an agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office and the forest service, Hannah agreed to pay the service a portion of the more than $1,000 needed to repair the "extensive damage" he caused. Manchester District Ranger Alex Sienkiewicz said vandals should expect to pay for their damage.