here we go again. Driveshaft Hill!!

[92 Green YJ]

Hey guys, for a while it seemed everything was goin great on Driveshaft hill after the clean up, but we may have been wrong. Ryan and myself were out there today, we ran into some guys up from CT, and it was a pretty good day. then when we were out at the trail head loading a NASTY ZJ up onto the trailer and shootin the breeze, the person who lives next to the trail at that end (back end of section 2 beyond driveshaft hill) happened to be drvining home and he pulled off and showed us a flyer that he had received that day when he was out on his ATV. Apprently several other wheelers were given the same flyer. Unfortunatly he didnt want to give up his copy so i cant quote it directly, but it basically quotes :

Smithfield Ordinance Article 4
Section 13-65
and Section 13-66
( i tried to find this online but was unable too, perhaps someone else can dig up thse sections and post them)
Below that it said something to the affect of:

We are tired of motorized vehicles destroying our hiking trails and dumping garbage on this beutiful land. (note: there was alot more info in here, but this is what i remember) Please stop using this land or it will be closed. you have been asked nicely. (that last line was a direct quote)

And at the bottom it named the Smithfield Conservation Comission and the Smithfield Land trust as being responsible for the flyer. Now, interestingly enough, the landowner mentioned the clean up that we did, and the guy handing these flyers out basically said, "Well that was real nice of you and all, but we didn't ask you to do that." The landowners living near the trail are pissed about this flyer. not as pissed as me and Ryan, but they aint happy. Also, we have spoken to the police officer who was with us on the clean up and he informed us that they dont have the power to shut down the trail. So this may just be an attempt to scare us off. I am not sure. Ryan and I are going to head over to the town hall tomorow and try to get some more info straight from the hippos mouths and find out what the hell the deal is.

Also, a land trust meeting is scheduled on may 6th. How bout we get a contingent together and go in there to speak our piece? I think these people need to hear our side.

alksoi this is on the land use forum on NEOW

[sidriptide]

this may be the "down side" to doing a big public clean-up.... they probably didnt even care until they saw the write-up in the paper... at least we have you guys out there to take this seriously... you're doing a great job promoting the positive image guys!!!

mike

[92 Green YJ]

Originally Posted by sidriptide

this may be the "down side" to doing a big public clean-up.... they probably didnt even care until they saw the write-up in the paper... at least we have you guys out there to take this seriously... you're doing a great job promoting the positive image guys!!!

mike

I never did see the article. got a link by any chance??

[sidriptide]

i was under the impression that the providence journal was to have a write-up on the event.... we dont get the journal out here so i never saw it

mike

[Eagle]

If you paid attention to where most of the quads and ATVs were riding while we were cleaning, they don't stay within the right-of-way, they take smaller branch trails that go through the woods on both sides of the main right-of-way. Officer Bob told me that much of the land flanking the R.O.W. is Conservation Trust land. They are probably reacting to the quad hooligans riding where they ain't supposed to be.

Seems to me that Step 1 would be to get a copy of the ordinance referred to and see what it says. If, in fact, it provides no basis for closing down the R.O.W. that we use, I think a polite letter to the Conservation Commission would be in order, pointing out that we (the 4-wheel groups) travel only in the right-of-way which we have repeatedly been informed is open to the public for all modes of travel, that we do not stray onto abutting lands be they private residences or Conservation tracts, and that we respecfully take issue with being indiscriminately lumped together with quad and ATV riders who do NOT respect private land boundaries.

Personally, I think I'd recommend against attending their meeting. I have a feeling it would degenerate into a pissing contest very quickly, because it sounds like they have already made up their minds and are not likely to be persuaded by the appearance of a bunch of "vandals" in their midst. But I think it would be good to get the letter in the chairperson's hands before the meeting, with a request that it be read aloud to the membership. If you can research the statute/ordinance before then, the letter could include mention of the fact that (assuming this to be correct) the ordinance does not apply to the public R.O.W. we use. (Officer Bob told me that the "roadway" along the easterly fringe of the R.O.W. is, in fact, a "paper street" and cannot be blocked. However, I doubt the "paper street" R.O.W. extends anywhere near the full width of the power line R.O.W. so you need to be careful which R.O.W. you're talking about or reading about.)