Big day. Well, if you care about all things wild in Vermont. Because the Agency of Natural Resources will be holding a public hearing tonight in Montpelier (Pavilion Auditorium, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.) to take testimony regarding its plans to allow all-terrain-vehicles (ATVs) access to state-owned land.
Proponents of the letting these gas-guzzling, carbon-emitting and otherwise just noisy and obnoxious machines onto Vermont’s public lands are trying to soft-pedal these new rules, claiming that the newly proposed ATV trails will just be “short connectors” to already existing off-road-vehicle trails on private lands.
Yeah right. If you’ve bothered to follow snowmobile or ATV issues in Vermont, you know that when you give these renegades an inch they take a mile – literally.
Make no mistake, the ANR’s proposed rule to allow ATV access to public lands – no matter how short the original connector trails are – is a huge change in public policy that will almost certainly lead to more and more ATV access to state lands, including our publicly-owned forests. The organized ATV groups – like VASA – don’t hide the fact that they want to ride practically anywhere they can put it in four-wheel drive and rip it up.
The irony in the ANR’s proposed new rule is that ATV proponents are admitting that these new trails are necessary partly due to the current illegal riding by ATVers. Just read these words by VASA’s Danny Hale, as told to John Dillon of Vermont Public Radio:
Unfortunately there’s a fair amount of illegal use already taking place on state land. And what we’re trying to accomplish with a managed trail system is give people a chance to recreate where it’s legal, so that’s going to take a large number of the illegal riders right out of the picture.
Got that? In case you don’t, let me explain: The ATV riders are riding illegally on the public’s land now so, instead of enforcing the laws banning it, the state should change the laws to make it legal.
I’m guessing you’ve got to be around a lot of burned hydrocarbons to come up with that argument.
Unfortunately (and predictably), mainstream environmental groups like the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) aren’t showing a lot of teeth when it comes to fighting back against this proposed ATV land grab. The Vermont Press Bureau, for example, writes in this morning’s papers that, according to the VNRC’s Jamey Fidel, the group “isn’t necessarily opposed” to the first new connector trail being proposed in Island Pond.
Why – oh why – is it so hard from groups like VNRC to take a firm stand? But that’s another story for another time I suppose.
To the group’s credit, VNRC does document the very real and acknowledged problems with ATV riding: pollution, noise, flora and fauna damage, water run-off issues, interference with non-motorized forms of recreation and even rider safety. But with a laundry lists of problems like this, VNRC ought to be flying the “ban ATVs flag” as high as they can.
But, have no fear, the Horse Loggers for Peace (and quiet) will there – at tonight’s hearing that is. And you won’t have any trouble figuring out where we stand on this issue. It should be fun. Join us if you can.
Below are some great links to resources from groups who aren’t afraid to speak up and act out:
You and your group should probably move into the middle of the sahara desert and plant some pretty little trees in a place where nobody but yourselves care. While your group is gone, you will find that a lot of problems will simply disappear, because the selfish enviromental quacks will be gone.
Hey Bill, I would say that with the 4 to 1 vote done by the people it may be a little more appropriate if you folks move to the Sahara Desert and then you can ride you selfish fat asses all around with out any one complaining about the noise, smell and just rude behavior shown by 75% of you ATV assholes:)
So why not look at building specific area’s for people to use ATVs and recreational Quad Bikes etc?
In the UK, more tracks and leisure area’s built for these machine are popping up each and every day – and what’s more is, they charge a small fee for the guys to use the land.
If the government had their head screwed firmly onto their shoulders, they would step on the pedal and do something which would encourage new and young riders towards special events and places where they could also get help and advice on not only the machines, but safety too.
Older and disabled people deserve to get out into the coutryside on a motorized vehicle in a civil manner. The bluewater nastiness and lies just creates hate between groups of people that just want to get along.
Bluewater needs to stir things up so they can raise funds to pay their hate stirrers. People like the author of this hit piece are so full of hate that it must be harmful to their health.
Grow up and share the outdoors.
Older and disabled people deserve to get out into the countryside on a motorized vehicle in a civil manner. The bluewater nastiness and lies just creates hate between groups of people that just want to get along.
Bluewater needs to stir things up so they can raise funds to pay their hate stirrers. People like the author of this hit piece are so full of hate that it must be harmful to their health.
Grow up and share the outdoors.