New York bans ATVs from 2.6 million acres
November 18, 2004 – The crackdown is official.
The state of New York has banned ATVs from the 2.6 million acres it owns in the Adirondack Forest in the northeast part of the state.
That's an area more than the size of the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
The Adirondack Park Agency approved proposals offered by Erin Crotty, commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, to close 49 roads to ATVs. ATV use will continue to be allowed on five roads from September 1 to December 15 each year by seasonal permit to allow hunters to get to primitive camping sites, for a period not to exceed three years.
The roads are in the Aldrich Pond, Independence River and Black River wild forests unit management areas, as well as the Watson's East Wild Forest.
The five roads open by permit are Jackworks and Maple Hill roads in the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest, and Herkimer Landing, South Shore and Wolf Lake Landing roads in the Black River Wild Forest.
So now, all 54 roads are closed to ATVs, except by special permit.
The proposal was submitted last spring to the Adirondack Park Agency for consideration. The roads were closed in the fall.
The Department of Environmental Conservation is developing an ATV policy for the forest preserve, state forest, and conservation easement lands.
"It is not the policy of DEC to provide riding opportunities on state lands," Crotty stated last spring. "Motor vehicle use, however, provides a means of access to DEC programs such as hunting and fishing. This policy will establish a set of criteria for evaluating the suitability of roads for ATV access in limited circumstances in compliance with existing law."