I don't get it. It seems the politicians in a good portion of our states want to
stop us from riding our atv's on public, state, fed, and our own land. It is
becoming worse fast. We have got to do something, or very soon we will
get up one morning and be unable to ride anywhere legally. The fish
and game officials, town police, are all out to make up criminals. Here, in
the state of Maine, our governor has put the kiss of death on the atv
industry, by requiring written permission to be on anothers land. violation
can result in loss of hunting and fishing priviledges, as well as fines and
possible confiscation. If I can't ride in Maine where in the US can I ride. We
are the second most undeveloped state only Alaska is more remote. Our
manufacturers are going to feel the heat soon as atv sales plummet..
Some fine manufactures may go out of the atv business.. We have to get
some kind of national protection, or each of the states will eat us up one
at a time.....[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

 

due to the high fuel prices, poor economy, and these laws polaris i know is taking a hit they just basically fired 60 middle management from their factories and they have been laying off a bunch of people. my one really good buddy that works there told me tonight that if he wanted to he could take the rest of the week off and get full unemployment but he didn't cause he said there is plenty of unemployment to come. it was long overdue for polaris to cut the fat away but all these layoffs are starting to scare me.

 

While I agree the sport is threatened by overzealous politicians - let me ask you this. You state that "Here, in
the state of Maine, our governor has put the kiss of death on the atv
industry, by requiring written permission to be on anothers land. violation
can result in loss of hunting and fishing priviledges, as well as fines and
possible confiscation." I don't get this. Why in the world would you be on someone else's land without permission? Why do you think that's "ok"? I understand that Maine is different from many states in the area of undeveloped land and you could probably ride for many miles without bothering anyone - but if the land is not yours and you don't have permission to ride on it - then you shouldn't be there. THIS is exactly what gives the politicians the firepower they need to try and kill the sport.

 

I agree 100%!

 

Well I guess things are different in different states on how we ride. Most of Maine land is
privately owned, and most of it is wooded with miles of unused old skidder trails, and
logging roads. The feds forbid us to ride in our National forest. The state forbids us to
ride within the state parks system. And more we get pressure from Out of state groups
which want to make the upper part of Maine a national park. All that sounds good but
its funded by Peta, and other groups which want to stop all Atving, hunting in our
second most remote state. Taking into account other people from other states do not
realize approx 50 percent of the upper part of Maine is leased to logging companies.
They forbid atvs within their boundaries. I am no kid and am not interested in some
of the bull that most of you atvers talk about, racing to see who is fastest, wheelies,etc
which tells of most of your immaturity.. In Maine there are few atv clubs, but we will
have to get more going, so we can at least benefit like the snowmobilers. I ruin no
ones land, nor am I interested in going fast....

 

But once again, what right do you have to be on someone else's land? I can't fish in my neighbor's pond unless I get permission so why should it be ok for me to drive my ATV on his land? Ownership of land gives the OWNER the right to approve or disapprove how his land is used.

As I see it, Maine just formalized a process that seems to be ignored by a segment of your state's population.

 

edit
Sorry - replied to the wrong thread.