By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Two northern Maine men, including one from Fort Fairfield, were charged April 25 by Maine Forest Service forest rangers in connection with damage done to an ATV trail on private property when one of the motor vehicles they were operating got stuck and needed to be towed out.
“Ryan O’Neal, 29, of Fort Fairfield, and Kyle Sirois, 20, of Fort Kent, have each been charged with operating a passenger vehicle on an ATV trail, a Class E crime punishable by up to six months in jail and a $500 fine,” said MFS Forest Ranger Craig Caron, investigating officer.
MFS forest rangers also often ask for court-ordered restitution for the cost of repairing the damage caused by this type of activity. Both men will appear in July in District Court in Fort Kent.
The incident occurred April 24, when O’Neal and Sirois reportedly got their vehicles, identified as pick-up trucks, stuck along an ATV trail near Van Buren.
“Forest Ranger Craig Caron was on patrol Tuesday when he found truck tracks on an ATV trail in Township 17, Range 3, west of Van Buren,” indicated MFS Sgt. Lance Martin, of the Portage office.
On further investigation, Caron discovered two pick-up trucks that became stuck as they drove down the ATV trail. Martin said Caron interviewed the drivers and determined that they were out “mudding,” or intentionally operating their vehicles on the trail. They had traveled about 150 yards on the trail before getting stuck.
“The land on which Caron discovered the alleged ‘mudders’ is owned by Irving Woodlands Ltd., the state’s largest landowner,” said Martin.
Caron notified officials with Irving Woodlands soon after spotting the two vehicles, who were worried about environmental contamination of a nearby waterway.
“The forest management staff at Irving was very concerned when I notified them about this issue, as there is a stream nearby and they did not want any siltation to enter the water,” Caron said.
Caron later determined that no siltation had in fact reached the stream. Siltation can damage water sources and fish habitats.
Investigation of and enforcement regarding such incidents is part of the responsibility of MFS forest rangers. To report instances of mudding, call the Maine Forest Service at 800-750-9777. For more information about the MFS, visit www.maineforestservice.gov.
Officials wish to remind everyone that ATV trails remain closed until May 15. Once open, trails are accessible to motorized vehicles such as ATVs and dirt bikes but automobiles are not permitted on such recreational routes. Violators will be charged accordingly.
