A Hudson man has been fined $1,000 for riding a four-passenger ATV on a North Country snowmobile trail not marked for that use.
There were three charges brought by Fish and Game against Jeffrey Rogers, of Hudson, over the September 12th incident in Stewartstown.
Appearing in District Court in Colebrook Thursday, Rogers plead not guilty to charges of operating an off-highway recreational vehicle in a wetland and causing damage to property.
District Judge Paul Desjardins put those charges on hold, saying he wouldn’t act on them for a year. The condition was Roger’s good behavior operating off-highway recreational vehicles.
At that point they could be dismissed.
Rogers plead no contest to the third charge: operating an OHRV without the permission of a landowner.
Desjardins found him guilty and imposed a $1,000 fine.
Leaving the courtroom Rogers had no comment on the disposition of the case.
Fish and Game Conservation officer Christopher Egan said the agency has been watching for illegal operation of ATVs because of the new “Ride the Wilds” trail network.
The network is aimed at attracting more tourists, but much of it crosses private land. Officials are worried that the landowners could close the trails if their land is being churned up.
Egan said snowmobile trails sometimes cross sensitive environmental areas that are protected under a heavy snow cover. But serious damage can occur with warm-weather use.
