RutlandHerald.com - We Are Vermont

ANR should scrap proposal



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Published: June 28, 2009

The Agency of Natural Resources, supported by the Vermont All-Terrain Vehicle Sportsman's Association, proposes a rule expanding ATV access to state land. The proposal should be withdrawn based on ANR's own observation that it may result in "additional staff time being focused on managing the ATV use of public lands; possible demands on law enforcement; additional impact on the trail system could increase maintenance costs."

I agree that this rule will jeopardize public safety and subsequently strain law enforcement by opening new routes for rural burglary and vandalism during a period of increased property crime. VASA can't provide 24-hour patrols across a large network any more than the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers can. It's law enforcement's job and our law enforcement agencies are busy enough right now.

Also, where ATVs go, motorcycles and four-by-four trucks inevitably will follow. High traction tires will grind our trails into rain-eroded ruts. Snow machine impact is limited by snow pack but increased ATV use surely will push state trail maintenance costs beyond VASA's good intentions or revenue anticipated in this proposal. After all, we're having severe trouble just maintaining our paved roads with the tax money we ourselves are paying and are collecting from visitors. Eventual ATV use of town dirt roads increases town road costs, increases accident chances among ATVs and cars, and possibly affects town legal costs.

Finally, this rule promotes fuel consumption at a time when reduced consumption has stabilized the price for essential use. I don't know whether the planet is warming naturally or from emissions but I do know that stable fuel prices benefit all people who budget or drive to work.

The ANR's proposal will strain existing law enforcement resources, foster environmental degradation, and increase costs to small town government and the general public during a time of financial instability.

The ANR should scrap this proposal.

L.H. Dickson

Duxbury








READER COMMENTS


Except that walking has a toll on the land too, yes? It's less than ATVs, but it still damages the land, disrupts wildlife in their natural habitat, and leaves litter behind. Why do you feel it's OK to do YOUR activity -- which adversely impacts the forest, but someone else's is not OK? If that's not hypocrisy, how do you define hypocrisy, then?

Further, how do you get to the trails you wish to hike-- do you walk there, or do you drive a car? (Is it, by chance, an SUV?) Do you drive upon an asphalt road that has destroyed countless miles of natural habitat?

Or do you do the right thing, and only hike in woods that are reachable from your front door so that you don't have to drive to get there?

Actually, I'd love it if you'd answer this latter question. I'm curious. (But I suspect I know the answer. And that's what I call "hypocrisy.")
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-- Posted by mark on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 2:01 pm EST

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No one is restricting anyone's equitable access to public lands, Mark. You can go there the way everyone else does. Like, walking.

All Mr. Dickson says is that we shouldn't allow access to vehicles that are going to destroy that land and ruin it for everyone.

The only hypocrisy is in your mind.
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-- Posted by William Jefferys on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 11:47 am EST

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Or, on the other hand, it should embrace the proposal in the interest of equitable access to ALL on our public lands.

VT likes to pretend it's a "tolerant" place. Obviously, we who live here know that its cultureisn't particularly tolerant. VT's liberal elite is merely "tolerant" of activities and beliefs it already happens to agree with.

But here's a chance for VT's liberal aristocracy to avoid the stink of hypocrisy. Practice what you are so often preaching to the rest of us: tolerance. You don't have to like something to tolerate it, yes?

Or have you been lying to us all along?
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-- Posted by mark on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 11:22 am EST

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