The rise of illegal off-roading throughout Rhode Island’s managed areas has brought many local residents to a boiling point. As a result, some are urging officials to take immediate action to contain the problem before it causes irreparable damage to the region.
As EcoRI News reports, the use of ATVs and off-road vehicles on state-managed lands such as parks, forests and wildlife refuges is a big issue that cannot be ignored.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management spokesman Evan Lacrosse reiterated that Rhode Island law prohibits the operation of all-terrain vehicles within management areas. LaCross noted that DEM law enforcement has received approximately 1,660 reports of illegal off-roading over the past five years.
Rhode Island residents, however, say nothing can stop the off-roaders. Andy Grover, an experienced hiker who enjoys exploring Rhode Island’s scenic trails, described the growing interest in off-road activities in these protected areas. Grover believes the problem stems from a lack of enforcement.
“That tends to happen when agencies are destroyed,” Grover said. “The General Assembly needs to look at, if they have the manpower, then you can say, ‘Why aren’t you patrolling?’ The forests are being destroyed because of dirt bikes speeding by, coupled with logging activity.”
Off-roading in fragile management areas can cause untold damage to the landscape. Deep ruts left by all-terrain vehicles can cause severe soil erosion and even destroy wildlife habitat. Over time, this could damage the state’s vital ecosystems.
An anonymous source shared two separate satellite images with ecoRI News that illustrate just how common the use of all-terrain vehicles has become throughout the region. The images show the countless off-road trails that impact not only Rhode Island, but neighboring Connecticut as well.
“Local officials are well aware of the activity that occurs along these trails, but due to a lack of regular patrols, there is little they can do about it,” sources wrote in an email to EcoRI News. “A large portion of this activity occurs at night and on weekends, when RI DEM has very few staff members.”
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