ATV riders must show trails are in public interest

ATV riders who want to expand their trail network onto state lands must first prove their form of recreation is compatible with traditional uses enjoyed by many and will have minimal impact on the environmental integrity of the land.

The Agency of Natural Resources has proposed rules that would allow the agency secretary to designate all-terrain vehicle trails on state land. Written public comment will be received until June 22.

The issues with vehicles such as ATVs are that they are hard on the environment and have a footprint that goes far beyond their physical size or even the trails they are ridden on.

ATVs can tear up or compact soft earth, stream beds and river banks; the noise of an ATV engine can be heard for miles from established trails; and the speed and power of motorized vehicles are generally at odds with the interest of people who take to the woods on foot.

These are not reasons to ban ATVs entirely from our state parks and forests, and there may be places -- on or along abandoned roads, for instance -- that could be well-suited for trails, but they are likely to be the rare exceptions.

Creating a system for establishing trails is aimed, by its nature, at accommodating ATV riders. The state instead should treat any request to access state land on a case-by-case basis that puts the burden of proof on the ATV riders that what they seek is truly in the public interest.

Issues include protecting the environment, including wildlife habitat, stream banks and wetlands; how ATVs might affect the use of the area by others; the cost of trail construction and maintenance; cost of policing the trails and punishment of violators.

The idea of raising money for enforcement by the wardens of the Fish and Wildlife Department through fees on ATVs sounds reasonable on paper. Also, the legislative session that just ended showed that in times of tight finances, no pool of dedicated money is safe from raids.

Economic realities and the history of funding for the department's already overtaxed enforcement division raise grave doubts that the state will be able to devote the necessary resources to protect state lands over the long term.

The promise of volunteers to help build, maintain and police trails is laudable and welcome, but should the volunteers fall short, the cost must be borne by the state's taxpayers.

The fact that only about 16,000 of the estimated 40,000 to 50,000 ATVs in Vermont are registered raises questions about revenue compared to actual use of the trails. The numbers also raise the question of just how many ATV owners are willing to accept the responsibility of riding on public land when they can't be bothered to take the first step of registering their vehicles.

Excluding ATVs from state lands does not exclude people, just a specific activity. The burden remains on ATV riders to continually prove that their form of recreation poses no threat to the environment and will have little impact on others who seek out nature on state lands.

Source: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090617/OPINION/906170303/1006

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