Landowners back bill to limit publicizing private trails use

AUGUSTA – Just because a trail is advertised in a national hiking guidebook doesn’t mean landowners have given permission for its use, several landowners told legislators Tuesday.

The property owners were on hand to support a bill that would require publishers to specify whether land is public or private.

The bill, LD 1519, was brought on behalf of Rick Denico, a Vassalboro resident who offers use of his land to the public with written permission, but who was shocked to learn that a trail to a communications tower on his property was cited by the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Mountain Guide with no mention of the permission requirement.

Denico suggested during Tuesday’s public hearing that the state keep a list of private landowners who don’t want their properties cited in guidebooks, as a resource for publishers.

Clayton Lake Woodlands owner Bill Sylvester and the Maine Forest Products Council lent their support to the bill, citing similar problems on other properties.

“This is not about ‘No trespassing,'” Denico said, adding that he welcomes respectful visitors who hike, hunt and snowmobile. “Just don’t point the way so we get inundated and get harassment out of the thing.”