Major landowers in Maine have been forced by governement environmental agencies to spend thousands of dollars to repair wetlands and pristine streams that were torn up by a few people on ATV's. Power companies who were required to re-seed powerline right of ways. They put up signs, fences and large rocks to keep vehicles off the restored areas only to find the rocks removed and the land tron up again.

A few riders with no respect for others can hurt riding for all of us.

The result in Maine is more laws in effect this year:

"A person may not operate an ATV on the land of another without the landowner's permission. Permission is presumed where ATV trails exist or in areas open to ATVs by landowner policy if the trails or policy is conspicuously posted; except that written permission of the landowner is required on cropland or pastureland or in an orchard."

"Authorize a mud season closure for ATV trails by the State under established guidelines"

"Prohibit snorkel kits and similar kits designed to allow ATV use in deep water, except at sanctioned events or with a landowner's permission"

"Change the maximum allowable ATV sound level to 96 decibels in a 20-inch test, to reflect national standards"

 

Here are a two more parts of the new Maine ATV Laws:

"Add rivers, brooks, streams, great ponds, nonforested wetlands, vernal pools and source water protection areas of public drinking water supplies to the list of areas where ATV operation is prohibited."

"Require mandatory safety and ethics training, or repeat training, for all ATV operators who are convicted of the most serious ATV offenses, such as OUI, driving to endanger and criminal trespass, and ethics training for those who commit less serious ATV offenses; and give the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife the authority to revoke any department license, registration or safety certificate of a person who does not comply;"