This article really pisses me off! This is the perfect example of how you can abuse your privileges on a trail. I say to hell with letting Off-Road Vehicles tear up our trails. The writer of the article is right, even those of us who like taking care of trails are responsible for policing those trails.

Citing environmental damage and safety worries, state officials have banned off-road vehicles from Savoy Mountain State Forest. That leaves miles of Berkshire trails in Beartown, October Mountain, Pittsfield and Tolland state forests open to dirt bikers and ATV riders.

But judging by the condition of many trails this spring, it may be time for the state to pull the plug on ORV’s on Berkshire public lands altogether.

Simply put, many “multi-use” trails – which are intended for uses such as hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, as well as motorcycling and ATV riding – have been butchered. Although legal ORV usage in state forests (other than Savoy) began on May 1, it’s obvious that riders have been using the trails during winter and spring. The trails are particularly vulnerable in the wet spring season.

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