Fight for trail access heats up between hikers, ATVers
Published Tuesday November 17th, 2009
FREDERICTON - The fight for access to the sylvan trails of New Brunswick is heating up.
The New Brunswick Trails Council said Monday it wants the provincial government to immediately issue a moratorium on applications by all-terrain vehicle users to access more trail sections designated for walkers and hikers.
Poul Jorgensen, spokesman for the trails council, said in an interview the organization wants the moratorium in place until a comprehensive trail strategy can be agreed upon by all parties, likely in the spring.
"What we've asked for in the meantime, until this is complete, is don't turn over any more non-motorized trails to ATVs," Jorgensen said.
"That's all we're asking for. I don't think that's too much to ask."
But Daniel Boucher, president of the New Brunswick ATV Federation, said it is too much to ask and he is accusing the trails council of being unreasonable and unco-operative.
"It can be worked out if they (the trails council) wants to come to the table and be open-minded," Boucher said. "But saying one group can't apply for access, that's not a game we want to play."
Boucher said the ATV riders are looking for access to more remote trails that usually are not well used by hikers and walkers.
He acknowledged that rogue riders, non-members of the federation, have caused damage on some trails but he objects to all riders being punished for the actions of a few.
Jorgensen said that while a strategy is being worked out, the motorized groups are trying to grab more of the trails for their use.
He said that in the past few months, five sections of non-motorized trails have been opened to motorized vehicles. He said that means they are lost to walkers and hikers.
"They say, 'Oh yes, they're for multi- use. We can all share.' But the reality is you cannot share. The line I always use is would you put an ATV on a sidewalk. That's what is happening."
Jorgensen said one of the latest applications would see the Riverside Albert Trail Blazers ATV Club receive access to sections of the Dobson Trail.
The Dobson Trail is a 58.3-kilometre footpath that starts on Pine Glen Road in Riverview and continues through Albert County's Caledonia Highlands to the eastern boundary of Fundy National Park. The trail was scouted out in 1959 by Dr. Art Dobson and celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.
"Illegal trail usage by all terrain vehicles has already damaged nine kilometres of trail in the Dobson Trail and adjoining Fundy footpath," Brian Clark, president of the trails council, said in a statement.
"It addition to the significant and often irreversible damage to a sensitive ecosystem, hikers and walkers are often forced off their own trail by the aggressive drivers of these powerful machines."
Clark said the New Brunswick All Terrain Vehicle Federation has about 8,800 members throughout the province and there are about 39,000 registered ATVs in New Brunswick. Every registered ATV pays $25 for the development and maintenance of trails to a trust fund that provides about $975,000 annually for maintenance.
"The damage to the Dobson Trail and the Fundy Footpath is estimated at about $90,000," he said.
"In light of the continuous damage to all trails, will the ATV federation use some of these funds to repair the damage caused by these rogue ATVers?"
Clashes between trail users are nothing new in New Brunswick. Across the province, concrete blocks that restrict some trails to walkers have been pulled away by trucks or ATVs. ATVers complain of big four-wheel-drive trucks destroying their trails. Hikers complain about ATVs on walking trails. Snowmobilers complain that off-road vehicles wreck their groomed winter trails.
Starting this winter, ATVers will have to buy mandatory trail passes to travel on sanctioned ATV federation trails.
That means they'll have to join a club. Club membership is widely seen as the most effective way to educate those who don't know any better that there are places suited to ATVs and others that are not.
- with files from Canadaeast News Service
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Comments (11)
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What about all the unregistered ones? There is never a licence plate on ATV's in my community. And they only time they wear helmets is when they are somewhere they aren't supposed to be - to hide their identity.
It's time we had a much higher tax on these instruments of distruction. If you are a farmer or woodlot owner...then you shouldn't have to pay the tax....but others should have to pay...then this can pay for all the damage these idiots do to trails, private woodlots, and roads.
I am not an ATV user, but I do know that in my rural community they are going to use the trail whther its designated or not, so the best hope of having a trail is coming to an arrangement. Perhaps the ATV clubs can supply a sort of neighborhood watch type affair and help manitain speeds, and multi use.
We can all get along if we try....
At one point it was even suggested parallel trail systems be created ... one for walkers, one for bikers, one for horses, one for ATV'ers in the summer ... one for walkers, one for skiers, one for horses, one for snowmobilers in the winter ...
Can you imagine the impact that would have on the environment?
One day we will learn to share, and when we do, NB will be a better place for it.
So sad to see the same story 14 - 15 years later.
Exactly how are the ATVs damaging the trails? Do they stir up some mud maybe? or maybe make some ruts? or maybe move some rocks? or maybe leave some tire tracks? I can't see why this is a big issue for walkers.
It's funny that the NBTC doesn't complain when Irving puts a logging road down the trail, like has been done in several areas of the Blackwood lake area. Or could it be that these complainers never actually hike outside of Riverview?
Hikers, birders, etc want... quiet! They want to hear the sounds of nature - breeezes soughing through the poplars and pines, bird song, squirrels getting their knickers in knots over intruders, porcupines lumbering through the underbrush. It is quite simply peaceful and relaxing.
What these two groups have in common ... is understanding the lure of the unknown, exploring areas they haven't seen before.
The two groups have their differences BUT... a bit of understanding, a bit of compromise, a bit of intelligence and it can be worked out.
Before you people start screaming about the illegal ATV activity in your region, can I ask this one question: Did you call the cops? Bitching on a CBC forum won't solve your problem. Reporting it to the authorities might. There are RCMP officers, Wardens, off road enforcement officers all paid to remove the idiots off the trails, private propery and roads. If they know where the trouble is, they will go there.
One more point, when I register my ATV each year, $25 goes to trail development.
When you buy your Reeboks, a 6 year old in Indonesia makes 40 cents a day.
(Not you, Bruins Fan. THEM!)
atving is not going away.when there are atvs registered to aproximately 1 in every 3 households in our province,its impossible not to realize that atvers are a huge part of new brunswicks population.we are relatives,neighbours,teachers,doctors,police,etc etc.we try on a daily basis to promote safe,legal atv practices.sure some people will not join the legal,safe movement in the sport and hopefully instead of you ranting on this forum,you will pick up your phone and call someone that can actually do something about these"cowboys"as you call them.
1 thing that seems to be agreed upon by all user groups is that its time to sit down at a table and come to some sort of agreement.will it make everyone happy,absolutely not,but we cant just keep banging our heads over this over and over cause its getting us nowhere.
trails should be everyones,not just walkers!