Hiker has seen ATV damage

Written by Times Argus

Monday, July 27, 2009

Tom King

The recent letter in the Times Argus from Mr. Mason in regard to ATVs being allowed on hiking trails on state land in Vermont is quite incorrect and very misleading.

I have hiked all the trails in Vermont, in Massachusetts and New York, and most of them in the White Mountains. I can tell Mr. Mason that I have seen extensive damage to trails caused by ATVers.

Case in point, Mr. Mason: Take a walk up the Taconic Crest Trail off of Berlin Mountain in Williamstown, Mass., and view for yourself all the damage to the trail. There are huge mud holes, water running down the trails caused by ATVs ruining the run-off diversions, and water holes so deep you cannot cross them.

All of this on trails where ATVs are prohibited. It's a disgrace, and it's not funny. ATV riders are not allowed on trails and need to keep away or suffer the consequences.

That's all there is to it.

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Community Voices

“During the past decade, I have personally had six out of seven elk hunts ruined by the careless intrusions of ATV operators. This epidemic has forced me to abandon one prime hunting area after another, only to encounter the same situation elsewhere. The shameful part of this picture is that the overwhelming majority of these ATV’ers are young and healthy, not decrepit or physically challenged. Maybe these riders would be more respectful of other people's outdoor experience if they knew we could ID them."

- Bill Sustrich, Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Anglers