|
|
Eastern
Trail Special Issues and Topics
SHARING THE CORRIDOR?:
ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES (ATVs) - DESTRUCTIVE MENACE OR POSSIBLE TRAIL PARTNERS?
Recently in Maine there has been a very loud and public
debate on the role and impact of All-Terrain Vehicles, or ATVs, on trails
like the Eastern Trail, and on all public and private land.
Is this a huge problem for the Eastern Trail?
Already there have been numerous reports of ATVs being driven on the
Eastern Trail corridor, though they are not legally allowed anywhere on
the utility easement-controlled corridor. And there are numerous reports
of extensive damage caused by ATVs.
The Maine Task Force on All-Terrain Vehicle Operation
was created by Governor Baldacci's Executive Order in May 2003. The final report of that ATV
Task Force was delivered in December 2003 - click
here to view a copy (a 47-page PDF file)
There have already been a lot of news articles on this
subject related to southern Maine and the Eastern Trail corridor.
Check any of these articles:
At one of our ETA Annual Meetings we heard from H. Wayne
Harper from the Responsible Riders Association. Click
here for a description of that group. Wayne is the Environmental,
Health, & Safety Managerfor the Portland Natural Gas Transmission
System.
Also recently a Statewide ATV conference was held in response to the growing ATV
problem. The Sportsman's
Alliance of Maine (SAM) hosted a Statewide ATV conference on March 18,
2003, in Augusta. Click here to read John
Andrew's report on this conference.
Here are some other resources on the Internet to learn
more about the various sides in the ATV debate:
Know of other helpful information and resources related to
ATVs? Let us know!
Call us (207.284.9260) or e-mail the
ETA office |