The Adirondack Council

News Release

For more information: See names and numbers at end of release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Wednesday, May 21, 2003

ALBANY, NY - New York's leading environmental organizations today lauded Senate and Assembly sponsors for their introduction of legislation that would prohibit the use of all terrain vehicles (ATVs) on some of the most delicate, protected forest lands in the state.

The new legislation (A.8480/ S.5073) is sponsored by Assemblyman Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) and Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson).

The bill would prohibit the use of the often destructive off-road vehicles on state-owned land in four especially fragile areas -- the Adirondack Park's Forest Preserve, the Catskill Park's Forest Preserve, the Long Island Central Pine Barrens and Albany Pine Bush Preserve.

"These four areas have already been given special protection under state law, but are still quite vulnerable to abuse by ATVs," said Senator LaValle.

"It's quite clear that all four areas have suffered tremendous damage from the operation of ATVs and local officials need additional assistance in getting them under control," said Assemblyman Englebright.

At a joint press conference with the Legislators, environmental organizations presented a series of photographs from Long Island and upstate New York showing the damage to Pine Barrens and state Forest Preserve lands, including deeply rutted trails and flagrant disregard for signs marking areas off-limits.

The new proposal would:

• Explicitly prohibit the use of ATVs within these areas.
  
  
• Allow police, state environmental officers and other enforcement officers to immediately impound an offender's vehicle.
  
  
• Require a $100 enforcement penalty (along with standard vehicle impoundment fees charged by the enforcing authority and any other applicable penalties) before an impounded vehicle can be returned to its owner. The new penalty would be used for local ATV enforcement costs.

"These machines are literally ripping apart some areas of the Adirondack Forest Preserve," said Adirondack Council Executive Director Brian L. Houseal. "It is hard to believe the extent of the damage to the state land in the Adirondacks. Last May, the Department of Environmental Conservation publicly acknowledged that illegal ATV operation was a problem in the Adirondacks. In fact, it was forced to close some roads to all motor vehicle traffic in the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest, due to severe damage caused by ATVs in the area." Aldrich Pond Wild Forest is in southern St. Lawrence County.

Similar damage was documented in photographs of the Wakely Mountain Wild Forest (central Adirondacks) and the Independence River Wild Forest (western Adirondacks) as well as the pine barrens of eastern Long Island.

The problem of ATV trespass in the Long Island Pine Barrens is so acute that Suffolk County has passed several local laws dealing with illegal ATV operation on public and private land. In Suffolk, the new bill would dedicate the $100-per-impoundment enforcement penalty to help local governments enforce the law on these state lands.

"The Pine Barrens is Long Island's last refuge from noise pollution," said William C. Cooke, Director of Government Relations for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "The people of Long Island need a place where they can relax and get away from the maddening drumbeat of civilization and the internal combustion engine."

"ATVs represent perhaps the greatest threat to our woodlands of anything facing our parks and preserves," said Long Island Pine Barrens Society Executive Director Dick Amper.

"ATVs can cause extensive damage to ecologically sensitive areas," said David J. Miller, Executive Director of Audubon New York. "Today's legislative proposals will put critical safeguards in place so that bird and wildlife habitat is protected for future generations to enjoy."

State and ATV industry officials estimated that roughly 250,000 ATVs are currently being operated in the state. The exact number is not known as only about half are registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

This legislation would only apply to the state owned portions of the Adirondack Park, Catskill Park, Long Island Central Pine Barrens and Albany Pine Bush Preserve, which account for only 9% of the land in the state. ATV operation would continue, as it is currently allowed by law, on the other 91% of the land.

"While they are fun to operate, the public use of all-terrain vehicles and all motor vehicles on the trails and lands of the Forest Preserve violates the State Land Master Plan, State regulations and the spirit of the State Constitution, which requires the Forest Preserve to be forever kept as wild forest lands," said David Gibson, Executive Director for the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks. "The environmental and property damage caused by many of these machines is very serious and well documented. This legislation explicitly recognizes these facts, while preserving the necessary flexibility for ATV use by qualified persons with disabilities and by law enforcement agencies."

"This legislation is long overdue," said The Adirondack Council's Houseal. "ATVs are inappropriate for use on the Forest Preserve and violators need to be prepared to have their vehicle impounded and pay hefty fees to get them back for breaking this law."

For more information:
Senator LaValle, Jean Segall, 631-696-6900
Assemblyman Englebright, 518-455-4804
Adirondack Council, John F. Sheehan 518-432-1770 work; 518-441-1340 cell
Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, David H. Gibson, 518-377-1452
Audubon New York, David J. Miller, 518-869-9731 work
Citizens Campaign for the Environment, William C. Cooke, 518-434-8171 work
Long Island Pine Barrens Society, Richard Amper, 631-369-3300