[at-l] Trip Report (off trail) update

[yumitori@montana.com (Ron Martino)]

> My temptation was to demolish the machine. But it was in 2.5 feet of muddy water
> and  five or six feet from the shore. As it turned out the family that owned the
> machine claimed it was "stolen." Who knows? But the mother did call, thanking me
> for  finding the machine, and claiming her little boy had been in tears "because
> his three-wheeler had been taken."

	Well, now. That makes this a felony, doesn't it? Shouldn't the police
(I know, you don't have many in your area) be out looking for whoever
was riding it on the preserve, since they were a thief? What about the
helmet? Did that belong to the 'little boy' as well? If so, then a
certain age/size of the thief is indicated. If not, it's evidence.

	Heck, the whole thing is evidence. The police should take the helmet
and vehicle until the case is solved...

> I  did  call  the  local  game  warden  because  as  Rocky reminded me they have
> jurisdiction over ATVs in Maine. The warden claimed that unless the property was
> posted  for  no  trespassing  no  crime is being committed by ATVs using private
> property. So to keep ATVs from damaging a preserve that we bought to give people
> a  trail  to walk on, we have to keep hikers off.

	Uh huh. So, if I open my land up to hunting, say, I have to allow
/every/ other possible use? I don't think so...

	What about publicly owned lands? Same rules? Can I camp in the middle
of city park in your area because it's open for day use? Build fires?
Hunt? Ride my ATV across the lawns?

> I'm  meeting  with the warden and town officials Wednesday. But I think our next
> step is to try to get the law changed.

	Or clarified. I suspect it's a bogus interpretation.
 
>  The  warden  did  say  I  could sue any ATV user I caught in the act of causing
> damage,  providing  I  was able to identify the specific damage he had caused as
> opposed to all the damage previous ATVs has caused!
> 
> Weary

	Well, you can sue anyone at any time. Big deal.

	Sorry, Bob. It sounds like you really need some officials with enough
guts to actually do their job. What about going to the public? These are
lands the community set aside as a preserve. Could you inspire a letter
campaign to demonstrate local support for enforcement of existing laws?
Make the officials realize it's not just you complaining?

	Ron
-- 

yumitori(AT)montana(DOT)com