HOULTON, Maine — The soggy, wet spring that has plagued many school sports teams also has been affecting the all-terrain vehicle trail system.
The Aroostook Riders ATV Club, which essentially covers the area of Monticello to Weston, has posted that all of its trails are currently off-limits.
That also has an impact on those streets designated as “access roads” that ATVs can use to get from one trail to another. Many streets in Houlton, with the exception of the downtown and North Street business area, are considered access roads. Littleton, Monticello and Hodgdon also have many streets designated as access roads.
Robert Hannigan, trailmaster for the Aroostook Riders ATV Club, stressed, however, that just because there are signs stating a street is an access road doesn’t mean that privilege remains year round.
“People are starting to get antsy and taking their ATVs out and riding on the roads, which are still closed,” he explained. “Access roads are only for riders to use to access an ATV trail. If the trails are closed, than the access roads are as well.”
The trails are currently off limits because of the large amount of rain the area has received this spring.
“We are getting reports of people going onto the trails and they are just tearing things up,” Hannigan said. “Once that rut is made, it stays until someone fixes it.”
He said this spring has been unusual in the amount of consecutive days with rain and little sun to allow for drying out to occur.
According to Hannigan, the state’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife advertises when trails can be open. Traditionally, that date would have been May 15, but this year the date has been pushed back until Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s been an unusual spring, but this is not an unusual problem,” Hannigan said.
He said many of the club’s ATV trails are located on private property that landowners have allowed to be used as riding trails. He said some landowners have already come forward expressing their displeasure with the ruts being caused on their properties.
Maintaining the trails is a costly venture. The Aroostook Riders ATV Club is applying for a grant to help remove large roots from a 170-foot portion of trail off the Henderson Hill Road in Hodgdon. The estimated cost of that project is $26,000.
“Repairing trails gets expensive real fast because many of these trails are located in areas that you can not immediately get equipment into,” he said.
Membership to the Aroostook Riders ATV Club is $20 for a family. For more information on the club visit, https://www.facebook.com/aroostook.riders.atv.club/
