NH: 7200 Acres eyed for Multi-Use Trails
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:06 am7,200 acres eyed for ATVs
By ANNE SAUNDERS
CONCORD — The Executive Council agreed yesterday to appraise 7,200 acres near Jericho Lake in Berlin for possible development of trails for all-terrain vehicles.
Resources and Economic Development Commissioner Sean O'Kane said his department was asked to investigate the possible purchase of the land by Berlin city officials, who believe ATV trails would help them attract tourism money.
"If it's done right, this could be the kind of use where people spend more than a day here," Berlin City Manager Patrick MacQueen said in a phone interview yesterday. He said the area already benefits during the winter from having many miles of snowmobile trails.
"We view the possibility for ATV use in a very similar manner," he said.
ATV use on public lands continues to be controversial, however, and O'Kane said what's being considered in Berlin are multiple use trails and not an "ATV park."
The state is mandated to build new ATV trails as part of legislation that raised registration fees in 2002.
Two executive councilors said they had received complaints from residents who said they were denied information when they asked state officials about the proposal.
Andrew Walters of Fitzwilliam said he had called the state Trails Bureau and was unable to get information about plans for the land. Walters, who opposes ATV trails on public lands, said he followed up that call by requesting information under the Right-To-Know Law. He said he's still waiting for that information, including a rough estimate of the value of the land, the cost to build trails and where the money would come from to pay for it.
O'Kane said his department has been unable to discuss the proposal because of ongoing negotiations with the owner.
The land around Jericho Lake that abuts Head Pond is owned by T.R. Dillon Logging Inc.
Councilor Peter Spaulding, R-Hopkinton, said Dillon recently bought most of the town of Success and is about to clear-cut the land, but he was told by state officials the company planned to cut only half of the standing timber in the town.
Councilor Ray Burton, R-Bath, said he was supporting the request and noted that Dillon supplied most of the wood for the paper mills in Berlin, which provide 600 jobs.
He also noted the state sells licenses to off-road vehicles and snowmobilers and has an obligation to provide some place for those people to ride their machines.
O'Kane said the trails would be designed to allow a variety of uses such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hiking, as well as ATV riding. Public input would be required before any specific plan for use is developed, he said.
Executive councilors agreed to pay $2,900 to SED Valuation LLC of Bow to get the land appraised, a requirement before the state can start discussions about a possible purchase price.
http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_ ... icle=49550
By ANNE SAUNDERS
CONCORD — The Executive Council agreed yesterday to appraise 7,200 acres near Jericho Lake in Berlin for possible development of trails for all-terrain vehicles.
Resources and Economic Development Commissioner Sean O'Kane said his department was asked to investigate the possible purchase of the land by Berlin city officials, who believe ATV trails would help them attract tourism money.
"If it's done right, this could be the kind of use where people spend more than a day here," Berlin City Manager Patrick MacQueen said in a phone interview yesterday. He said the area already benefits during the winter from having many miles of snowmobile trails.
"We view the possibility for ATV use in a very similar manner," he said.
ATV use on public lands continues to be controversial, however, and O'Kane said what's being considered in Berlin are multiple use trails and not an "ATV park."
The state is mandated to build new ATV trails as part of legislation that raised registration fees in 2002.
Two executive councilors said they had received complaints from residents who said they were denied information when they asked state officials about the proposal.
Andrew Walters of Fitzwilliam said he had called the state Trails Bureau and was unable to get information about plans for the land. Walters, who opposes ATV trails on public lands, said he followed up that call by requesting information under the Right-To-Know Law. He said he's still waiting for that information, including a rough estimate of the value of the land, the cost to build trails and where the money would come from to pay for it.
O'Kane said his department has been unable to discuss the proposal because of ongoing negotiations with the owner.
The land around Jericho Lake that abuts Head Pond is owned by T.R. Dillon Logging Inc.
Councilor Peter Spaulding, R-Hopkinton, said Dillon recently bought most of the town of Success and is about to clear-cut the land, but he was told by state officials the company planned to cut only half of the standing timber in the town.
Councilor Ray Burton, R-Bath, said he was supporting the request and noted that Dillon supplied most of the wood for the paper mills in Berlin, which provide 600 jobs.
He also noted the state sells licenses to off-road vehicles and snowmobilers and has an obligation to provide some place for those people to ride their machines.
O'Kane said the trails would be designed to allow a variety of uses such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hiking, as well as ATV riding. Public input would be required before any specific plan for use is developed, he said.
Executive councilors agreed to pay $2,900 to SED Valuation LLC of Bow to get the land appraised, a requirement before the state can start discussions about a possible purchase price.
http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_ ... icle=49550
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