For many Maine woodland owners, allowing ATV use is a courtesy granted to the public built upon the specific standards that were recommended to the Legislature in 2020 with the Governor’s Task Force on All-Terrain Vehicle Trail Initiatives. The ATV Task Force agreement was a formal pledge to landowners that the trend toward “bigger and heavier” machines would be capped to ensure our trails and private lands could survive. It was a compromise reached after long, difficult negotiations between landowners, the ATV community, conservation groups, and law enforcement.

The current law limiting ATV size to 2000 lbs. was established by the legislature in 2021 based on the unanimous recommendations of the ATV Task Force ensuring a unified and straightforward system.

Two Bills Ignore the ATV Task Force Agreement and Threaten Trail Access

Manufacturers continue to build bigger and bigger machines, and people continue to buy them, hoping to register them for use on trails. Two bills moving through the second session of the 132nd Maine Legislature proposes the lifting of the size restrictions. Proponents of these bills argue that Maine should adjust to the realities of the ATV market and the desires of ATV users.

LD 19 An Act to Change the Definition of “Oversized ATV” in the Laws Governing the Registration of All-Terrain Vehicles - In Opposition To Read our testimony HERE.

This is an ongoing bill that increases the legal registration size for ATVs by nearly 50%, raising the limit from 2,000 pounds to 2,950 pounds. A coalition representing ATV users, woodland owners, and the forest products industry have worked with legislators to develop an amendment to make LD 19 acceptable: See Amendment B of LD 19.

LD 276: An Act to Modernize ATV Classification, Registration, Trail Access and Landowner Protections

UPDATE!

In a significant development, LD 276 has taken a surprise turn for the better. Originally, we opposed the bill because it sought to replace clear, enforceable ATV size limits with a classification system that had no upper limit on size. However, the committee issued a divided report featuring a majority-backed amendment that completely rewrites the bill to close a frustrating registration loophole. This rewrite will make it much harder for buyers of overweight ATVs to obtain registrations through administrative gaps, ensuring only vehicles that meet Maine’s statutory size limits are legally allowed on the trail system.

This shift is a direct result of our members calling and writing their legislators. Because of your actions, the committee moved toward accountability. Maine Woodland Owners now supports LD 276 as amended. The minority report is Ought Not to Pass.

Can’t attend the hearing in person? Submit written testimony electronically or testify over Zoom. Click below: