IN THE NEWS

CONSERVATION TRUST CONTINUES TO ADDRESS SNOWMOBILE ISSUES

December 29, 2004


Meredith, NH--In addition to its work of conserving key parcels of land in the Lakes Region, the Lakes Region Conservation Trust is continuing to work with the New Hampshire State Department of Resources and Economic Development to establish snowmobile access on the Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area without charge to the state. As was the case with Red Hill, the Trust's research and experiences in this, our first year of fully operating the Castle, will be the basis for future management decisions regarding snowmobile and other access issues.

At this point, the Trust is dealing with 2 matters: insurance coverage and common courtesy towards landowners-which would include face-to-face off-season contact and the clear understanding that business matters are not to be negotiated in public. The Trust has requested and received the insurance material it had requested from DRED and is reviewing it with its underwriters; we requested similar information from a local snowmobile club some time ago and have not yet received a reply. For better or for worse, the issue of liability is a lot more complicated these days than it was ten or twenty years ago-and it's not an issue that can be resolved with a letter to a newspaper. Trust members can remember volunteering to clear snowmobile trails after the ice storm of '91-working with chain saws, cutting down trees that were bent down under tremendous pressure-miles and miles of widow-makers, not only on Trust land but on land of others as well. These days, that kind of work couldn't be done with volunteers without training, documentation, and appropriate liability coverage.

Ten years ago, we were likely to know every snowmobiler on our land by sight; they were all local people. Today, these trails are promoted for and used by thousands of people from all over the country passing over, not public roads, but private property. Fortunately, the state statutes are helpful in this regard, but when it comes to insurance coverage, the devil is in the details, or the possible lack thereof. The volume of traffic is greater, the potential exposure is higher, and thus the burden of due diligence on the landowner is significantly larger. The Trust is addressing that burden fully and completely, as any responsible landowner would. And, like any landowner, we appreciate the understanding and the cooperation of the responsible snowmobiling community.

It's important, at least from our standpoint, that the truth be told. Persons have stated in the press that they have contacted us even though they have not done so. A number of individuals and organizations who were never donors to the Castle campaign are now apparently claiming that they were. Others have publicly misrepresented statements the Trust made during the Castle campaign. Inaccurate information has been posted regarding LRCT policy (our website, www.lrct.org, is the most reliable source for accurate information regarding our property); the total length of trails at the Castle (it's about 40 miles); and the decision to discontinue horseback riding at the Castle (which was made by the previous owners before LRCT took title). Others have suggested that the Trust continue to keep the Castle snack bar open in the winter-an operation that was not economically viable from November through April for years. There is an enormous difference between talking the talk about property management and walking the walk-just as there's an enormous difference between gossip and truth. The truth is that the Trust is a conservation landowner that has enjoyed annual summer planning meetings with representatives from local snowmobile clubs in the past-and neither press releases nor website postings are a substitute for face-to-face dialogue. In our experience, neither the time (December) nor the forum (inaccurate statements in the press) being used now are conducive to constructive relations with us or with any other landowner.

Snowmobiling is a family sport that has long since established itself on the New Hampshire scene, but it faces several challenges in the future. First among these is suburbanization: New Hampshire is among the fastest-growing states in the Union and its open land is being subdivided at an alarming rate. Second is climate change: you don't have to be much over 40 years of age to remember when a white Thanksgiving was pretty much the rule around here. And the third is landowner relations. In Massachusetts (where many of the inaccurate statements we've seen have apparently originated) property rights may be viewed differently, but here in New Hampshire we have a long and proud tradition of private property rights. Most local snowmobilers understand (as hunters, hikers, and fishermen have known for years) that there is no substitute for personal, off-season contact with a landowner, not to establish the sportsperson's agenda (it's pretty clear: we all desire access) but to understand and respond to the landowner's agenda. For a homeowner, the agenda may be about privacy and liability; for a farmer, it's likely to be about animals, fences, and hayfields; for the nurseryman or orchardist, it's greenhouses and young plantings; for the timber manager, it's freedom from interference with forest management practices; for the conservation landowner it's wildlife species habitat, clean water resources, and balanced public access for multiple uses and experiences. Understanding and working with these dynamics are the keys to a mutually successful relationship. Lowered emissions levels, reduced noise, and the good work of many snowmobile clubs are all positive signs from the snowmobiling community; here's hoping that in the New Year the give-and-take of responsible communication with landowners is added to the list.