Your help is needed to support the Agency of Natural Resources’ recent action to repeal a Douglas administration rule allowing ATVs onto state lands in Vermont. The Agency of Natural Resources is now moving forward with this repeal. The ANR needs to hear from you that they are doing the right thing. They are accepting comments at an upcoming public hearing and through written comments.

 

Please send your written comments to the Agency of Natural Resources and attend the public hearing! Here are the details:

 

Public Hearing – Tuesday April 26, 7:00 PM at St. Leos Hall, 109 South Main Street, Waterbury

 

 

 

or 

 

Jon Groveman

Agency of Natural Resources 

103 South Main Street, Center Building 

Waterbury, Vermont 05671-0301

 

 

Last year the Agency of Natural Resources moved ahead with a controversial rule allowing ATVs on state lands despite clear opposition to the plan from Vermonters and a key legislative committee. In written comments, Vermonters opposed opening state lands by a margin of four to one and the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, in a bi-partisan 7-0 vote, said the ANR did not have the authority to issue the rule. The Agency of Natural Resources is now repealing that rule, which we hope will allow for a more comprehensive opportunity to address ATV policy in Vermont.  Click here for more information on the rule from ANR. 

 

 

ATV advocates, ANR, recreational interests, citizens, and environmentalists in 2004 developed a comprehensive list of recommendations for Governor Douglas to improve ATV policy in Vermont. Click here for the report.

 

As part of its work, the ATV Collaborative recommended raising registration fees to $55 a year to pay for, in part, adequate enforcement, and an illegal trespass fund to pay for property damage. The Collaborative also recommended increasing penalties, which currently do not deter illegal activity. 

 

Opening up public lands to ATVs was by far the most controversial and unsettled aspect of the Collaborative Report. A better approach to addressing ATV recreation in Vermont is to address enforcement, environmental damage, and funding mechanisms to deal with illegal activity, while examining whether state lands can accommodate increased activity. 

 

ANR’s long-standing position has been that the state should understand whether public lands can accommodate the environmental impacts of ATV’s before opening up state lands to trails.  In 2000, an ANR ATV Committee, representing diverse professionals in the agency, commissioned a scientific study on the environmental impacts of ATVs. After reviewing the study, the ATV Committee concluded, “there is no environmental good news here.” When the rule was established last year, there was no environmental assessment as suggested by ANR. Such an evaluation is a necessary first step before contemplating opening state lands to ATV’s.  

 

Please support the ANR in repealing last year’s rule and tell the ANR that a proper environmental assessment is needed in addition to addressing ATV policy in a more comprehensive fashion.

 

If you have any questions, please contact VNRC’s Jamey Fidel at 802-223-2328 ext 117 or email jfidel@vnrc.org.