OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE LEGISLATION UPDATE - March 25, 2010

Illegal riding is destroying forests and parks all over Massachusetts. Bill S.2257 gives enforcement officers the tools they need to stop illegal and destructive riding on public and private lands and provides funding for the development of public trails in appropriate places. 

Please contact your state Representative and ask him or her to speak to House Ways & Means Chairman Charles Murphy in support of S.2257! Find your state Representative here. If you know your Representative's name, call the House switchboard 617-722-2000.  Find your Representative's email address. (Courtesy MassAudubon - Thank you Jen Ryan for keeping us up to date)

Thanks for helping stop all illegal activity in MA forests and Parks.

BTW: To report illegal or suspicious activity in forests and parks call Park Watch 1-866-PK-Watch. Be discret, keep safe.

Senate Bill No. 2257

Laws and Regulations

All motoized vehicles must be registered

Registration plates must be displayed on the back of the vehicle

Pickup trucks or SUVs are prohibited from all trails at all times

ORV use is permitted only on designated ORV trails - All other state parks, reservations and forests are closed to ORV use at all times

ORV use is permitted only during the riding season - no earlier than May 1 and ending no later than the last Sunday in November each year

No one under the age of 14 may ride on state land without adult supervision

Report illegal or dangerous OHV/ORV activity to:
State Environmental Police 1-800-632-8075 or call Park Watch 866-PK-WATCH

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Friends Network Position on Off-Highway Vehicles: Stop illegal use. Find sustainable places for OHV riding.

The Friends Network recognizes that off-road/highway vehicle (ORV/OHV) use is a popular sport and it's legal on certain lands. However, inadequate law enforcement, insufficient signage, absence of maps, conflicting and unclear rules facilitate trespass, often unintentional, into prohibited areas. As a consequence, irreparable damage to sensitive areas and species is increasing in our forests and parklands.

We support better enforcement of regulations already on the books. See: Recreation Vehicle Safety Laws and Regulations as they pertain to Massachusetts Forests and Parks.

We support new legislation that will help stop illegal riding and will help provide sustainable trails.

We believe citizens can work together and with state officials to find a solution that everyone can live with.

Riding On State Land is Only Permitted Here:

Beartown State Forest (Lee, Great Barrington and Monterey)

October Mountain State Forest (Lee, Lenox, Washington and Becket)

Pittsfield State Forest (Pittsfield, Lanesboro and Hancock)

Freetown-Fall River State Forest (Freetown and Fall River)

F. Gilbert Hills, Wrentham and Franklin State ForestsI

It is illegal to ride an OHV on state lands other than these. Report illegal use everytime you see it.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION—HELP WRITE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE OHV MANAGEMENT PLAN.

The Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network believes in bringing people together to find solutions to problems affecting MA forests and parks. We know legislation alone cannot solve the problems surrounding the OHV issue—that will take both sides working together. Therefore, we are organizing a working group to develop the Citizens' Recommendations for a Statewide Off-Highway Vehicle Management Plan. The current draft of the "Recommendations" is based on input collected over the past three years from MA stakeholders and public officials, and from what seems to work in other states. We are inviting legislators, enforcement officers, state officials and stakeholders to work with us, providing all agree to two principles:

(1) We need to stop Illegal OHV riding
(2) We need to find sustainable riding areas for OHV's

If you agree to those two principles and would like to be involved in developing the Citizen's Recommendations for an OHV Management Plan, please contact friend@networkingfriends.net.

Illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in Massachusetts

Illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in state forests is of primary concern to friends groups across the state. Destruction to wildlife habitat, trail erosion, noise pollution, and dangerous encounters with other forest user groups caused by motorized vehicles is increasing. People who report illegal OHV riding are often frustrated by the lack of enforcement of state laws which are supposed to protect our natural resources and recreational areas. Friends Network has researched the problem, held meetings with various state and local officials, environmentalists and OHV riders to come up with solutions for ending illegal OHV use. The list of suggestions is here in the Friends Network OHV Initiative.

Friends groups were represented on the DCR OHV Enforcement Working Group. We did our best to highlight the need for enforcement in the recommendations. You can read about the group here.

DCR Off-Highway Vehicle Education and Enforcement Working Group Final Recommendations for Legislative Action March, 7, 2008

Press Release March 31, 2008—DCR'S OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE WORKING GROUP ISSUES ENFORCEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

What to do about Illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use?

REPORT EVERY OCCURRANCE OF ILLEGAL OHV ACTIVITY!!

If you want to remain anonymous that is okay! Make sure to record who and when you called, the name of the responding officer and what action was taken. Tell us what happened: email Friends Network.

Be safe. Do not let OHV riders see you call.

1. Call local police. Keep the number with you at all times.

2. Call local land manager or land management office.

3. Call the Environmental Police - (508) 366-6537 or (508) 366-6420 - Environmental Police Officers are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations regarding hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, and ATV's. Inland officers also investigate cases of illegal waste disposal, wetlands violations, and assist in search and rescue efforts. Inland officers pay particular attention to state forests, parks, wildlife management areas, boat access sites and heavily-used public waterways such as major rivers and great ponds.

4. Call Park Rangers every time! 1-866-PK-WATCH (866-759-2824) DCR Rangers answer the hotline 24/7. The dispatcher will contact the appropriate agency AND keep a record of every call, which will help in enforcement planning.

Massachusetts allows OHV riding in six forests only. At one time the state allowed OHV riding in nine forests, but irresponsible riding caused their closure. It is in the best interests of all for OHV riders to ride only on designated trails. To find out how to stay safe and legal in MA click here.

The Friends Network OHV Initiative
The Friends Network has a developed a grassroots initiative to help stop illegal riding in Massachusetts' forests. We need your participation. To view the OHV Initiative click here.

Free OHV Noise Demonstration
To highlight sound disturbance, this file includes a realistic portrayal of a bike in action and a constant sound of the same quality for use as a constant decibel demo. Full demo for a public meeting requires a laptop, speakers (could be Bose type, medium size—self-amplified for convenience) a decibel meter in the A mode, and this:
Real OHV sound. (takes a few seconds for the OHV to come into range)

This is a continuous tone