First person: I want to ride on my own land

by Paul Stannard

Attention: ATV and off-road motorcycle owners. This issue affects us all.

I am a resident of Rhode Island with a second home in Sandgate, Vermont, that has been in my family for almost 50 years. It rests on 165 acres on the side of a mountain. To say it is secluded is an understatement. Heck, you can’t even get to my home without winding 1.2 miles up the dirt driveway.

On occasion, maybe two weekends per month tops, I ride my motorcycles on my land. That’s right, my land. Did I mention I owned it? Furthermore, I don’t ride at night and I don’t ride early in the morning.

Interestingly, a few years ago, I started receiving letters from a neighbor who lives about a mile or two away. He was complaining about the noise coming from my property. The letters all started the same way, with some type of friendly opening, but were all closed with some sort of line indicating that if we could not come to some "agreement" that he would be forced to initiate some sort of legal action.

And all of the letters (which I have kept) were conveniently written on the letterhead of his law firm.

The lawyer also happens to be on the Town Council, so he forced through a special ordinance restricting the use of ATVs and motorcycles in the town. What he didn’t realize was that the people in the small rural town depend upon, use, and enjoy ATVs and motorcycles.

And through a petition, the townspeople demanded a town meeting to discuss the matter. While this situation started as a rift between neighbors, it quickly escalated into a matter that was ultimately—at least for the time being—settled by the aforementioned townspeople.

In Sandgate’s tiny town hall, the citizenry voted the proposal down by an incredibly large margin.

I have spent countless hours and dollars fighting for the right to use my land the way I choose. And, for now, the battle is over. My neighbor’s comment at the conclusion of the town meeting was, "I guess the people have spoken."

And he could not be more correct in his assumption.

Yes, the people had indeed spoken. But there will be more land-use and related battles to come in the future—I can guarantee it.

The moral of my story is this: Your rights as an ATV rider or motorcyclist are in constant jeopardy. As you can plainly see, there are those who would go so far as to limit their use on your own private land. Yes, your own land.

Be smart, be aware and become involved with groups like the ATVA and the AMA in your area, and work hard to present the best possible appearance for yourself and your fellow riders.

Your right to ride could depend on it.