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P.S.A. from the NH Fish & Game..Stay on the trail.

15K views 112 replies 27 participants last post by  SkisNH 
#1 ·
January 10, 2020


CONTACT:
Captain Michael Eastman: (603) 271-3129
Jay Martin: (603) 271-3211
January 10, 2020


CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Law Enforcement Division is reminding snowmobilers to stay on established and marked trails during the 2020 season. The issues associated with off-trail riding have become an increasing problem, and there are now a growing number of complaints originating from landowners, especially in Coos County, directly related to snowmobilers riding off trail.


Most of New Hampshire’s almost 7,000 miles of snowmobile trails traverse private property that owners have willingly allowed access to for snowmobiling. The public’s use of private land remains a privilege, and it has been a long-standing tradition in the Granite State for landowners to allow others to use their property for recreational pursuits. Snowmobilers are responsible for caring for the lands that they enjoy in order to protect this privilege.


Taking a sled off the posted trail has a number of consequences. As snowmobiles delve into deeper powder, they damage the tops of small trees and kill others through excessive bark damage. This type of damage directly decreases future timber values for property owners.


Snowmobiling off trail in the wintering habitat of moose and deer causes increased stress for animals during the time of the year when they are most vulnerable. This increase in anxiety, and subsequent energy consumption, can have fatal consequences.


The marked increase in off-trail riding has led to costly and time-consuming rescues for New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers responding to snowmobile emergencies in remote locations far from legal trails. “We would like to eliminate this conduct before landowners close off all of their lands including legal trails, as well as to protect the wildlife resources and the riders themselves,” said NH Fish and Game Captain Michael Eastman, who oversees snowmobile and off-highway recreational vehicle enforcement and education. “It is essential that riders show consideration for private property and landowner wishes; no respect equals no trails.”


Snowmobilers may only ride on trails that are designated and signed as a snowmobile trail. Although many new snowmobiles are marketed toward, and capable of, operating in deep powder and off-trail, if it is not a signed trail, operators in New Hampshire must have written landowner permission to ride there.

As always, Fish and Game Conservation Officers will be patrolling and enforcing this law as well as speed limits. “We want to preserve the resource and ensure everyone’s safety while they are riding this season,” said Eastman.


To learn more about New Hampshire’s snowmobile regulations and to become familiar with this season’s new laws and fines visit https://wildlife.state.nh.us/ohrv/index.html.


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#2 ·
I am wondering if we are going to get to the point of making sleds over 137 non-legal for use in NH to abate this problem. In Quebec, they've were able to close the Mont-Tremblant National Park to general snowmobile use. It is now accessible ONLY by 4-stroke machines that have paid the daily fee and the speed limit is 35 MPH and you MUST stay on the marked trail. Yellowstone Park, out west is under similar restrictions (I think).

What do you think?
 
#15 ·
bruins55 .... I understand you feel you are not the problem with your long track and getting permission to ride private land. Great. Unfortunately, hundreds of other people are not doing the right thing and it is hurting the thousands who just want to trail ride legally. Any activity that is undermining trails and access is bad. For example: people were fed up with loud pipes and they were getting trails closed. The answer was to fine people for non-oem pipes. That may not be the BEST answer (because you can buy aftermarket cans that are just as quiet as OEM) but it solved the problem. We have an off trail problem in NH. They don't have an off trail problem in the Rocky Mountains. If I wanted to go 'off trail' I think I would either go to or visit Utah or Montana to enjoy that aspect of the sport. Either that or enter a bunch of hill-climb events in New England.
 
#23 ·
I agree with you 100 percent on the can thing..but I have seen plenty of shorter tracked sleds coming out of logging roads that are off trail...I also agree that some people on these long tracked sleds cause trails to become less than ideal but they would do the same on any sled...some people are just stupid.
 
#17 ·
What is your solution then?
This whole Country is based on rules and regulations get real.

Idiots cannot help themselves. Something has to be done . I don't give a shit if it helps stop the problem of off trail riding and keeps trails from getting closed.
Take that 155 to Maine and stay outta NH then.
 
#20 ·
I wouldn’t say they don’t care there is a thread up right now in Maine section about a road and land getting closed because off trail riders parking where the shouldn’t and riding where they shouldn’t. It’s a problem everywhere in New England. It’s not a track length issue or lug height or studs or whatever other stupid reason was given it’s a complete lack of respect for other people’s property plain and simple.
 
#28 ·
So what is this saying stay on trail or stay home :rofl:

I love the argument though. Please do not ride your sled in 5 feet of snow off the trail but you can ride your ATVs and ruin land during the summer. Oh you can also ride your ATV on roads and create all kinds of noise and commotion in neighborhoods. Nothing sounds better than a 2 stroke 4 wheeler ripping up and down a public road.

The argument is so dumb no matter what side of the argument you are on.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Offtrail is not going to just go away, I think the clubs are going to be the ones that get stuck with it and will be forced to step up and figure out what to do, even if they don’t want to or keep facing closures.

Increased registration for offtrail type sleds for land management?

Dedicated large tracts of land for offtrail where the extra registration monies would go for “fixing broken tree tops”?

Why is it overlooked in Maine? Do their tree tops not break”

My post wasn’t intended to create banter, but rather questions.
 
#32 ·
Maine has way more land in the middle of nowhere that no one cares about. For the most part all the complaints you hear about "offtrail riding" are in congested areas where some trail rider blasted off the trail and ripped around someones field in front of their house that might be a tree farm or something. Theres no problems with driving into the middle of nowhere and riding a mountain, you wont hear complaints from anyone about that. Maine has alot more of those areas compared to NH.
 
#31 ·
Just do what they did with skimming...slap a MASSIVE fine on it. The fine for a can is peanuts to most. I think there's been a significant drop in skimming due to the harsh cost of being caught.

You're never going to resolve all of the problems, there's no perfect answer. Short track, long track, doesn't matter...if people want to go off trail they will. It's not just logging roads. People see the massive fields and think it's a great idea to go just play in powder without thinking of the repercussions. Everyone's just beating a dead horse all over again. Ride as much as your can and ride legally...the sport will be diminishing over time. It's not just trail closures, the volunteers do a ton of work and get frustrated over the hard work put in a destroyed by the few that can't obey. People can tolerate minor fines and play dumb, if you want something to have an impact, make it material enough for people to reconsider (monetarily, and give them the opportunity to appeal if it was truly an honest mistake or misunderstanding...I'm not talking impound sleds like I've heard in the past).
 
#33 ·
Another issue I was discussing this last weekend is a property owner on the VT side up near Pittsburg had his logging equipment parked. Supposedly a F+G reported it was leaking oil. State came in ans slapped a big fine on him.

He shut down all of his property immediately after.
 
#41 ·
Well it seems that way to me. Year after year there are complaints on HCS about offtrail riding in NH and ME and every time its a complaint in a built up area with direct trail access. Nothing gets done about it, it just happens again and again but people on here seem to just call out longtrack sleds as a whole and im callin you out saying your totally wrong.

As far as the reg #s go i have no idea but if you got the info post it up for us to see
 
#42 ·
QUOTED FROM ARTICLE: The issues associated with off-trail riding have become an increasing problem, and there are now a growing number of complaints originating from landowners, especially in Coos County, directly related to snowmobilers riding off trail. This is not a "built up area"
 
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