LAND USE QUESTIONS

Cataloging what land is open to the public in Maine and what activities are allowed on it will be helpful. But a task force created by the governor last week will do a bigger service if it dispels the perception that a growing amount of land is off-limits to hunters, fishermen and those who enjoy motorized recreation at the expense of those pursuing other types of recreation.

Hunters, snowmobilers and other sportsmen have long complained that they are losing places to enjoy these activities in Maine. At the same time, some lawmakers and residents from rural areas have complained that the state has too protected land. The Governor’s Task Force Regarding the Management of Public Lands and Publicly-held Easements should help address these tensions by cataloging how much public land is available for differing activities.

Although the current task force was sought by the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, which has long worried about a loss of hunting and fishing areas, the group could come to a very different conclusion. The task force is asked to make recommendations to ensure “management decisions continue to be made in a fair manner that considers the interests of diverse recreational users.”

According to the Department of Conservation, 97 percent of the land it manages is open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Although most of the state’s snowmobile and ATV trails are on private land, there are 13,400 miles of snowmobile trails and 4,414 miles of ATV trails on public reserved lands and in state parks. There are 294 miles of hiking trails in these areas.

Maine far surpasses the national norm in drawing visitors for skiing and snowboarding, river rafting, canoeing and kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, camping, hunting and fishing, according to an annual tourism assessment.

The task force should examine whether all these activities are being accommodated on publicly owned lands and easements. If the balance tipped too far toward motorized recreation with not enough places for hiking, canoeing and other activities that don’t require, and often aren’t compatible with, engine-powered movement, they should recommend more trails and land for these activities.

The Department of Conservation in recent years has vastly improved the amount and quality of information that is available about the lands it manages. Its Web site and publications offer detailed descriptions of state parks and public reserved lands, including directions, lists of activities allowed and trail descriptions.

Encouraging other entities that own land that is open to the public, such as the University of Maine and the state’s many land trusts, would be helpful.

An assessment of how much acreage and how many miles of trails are open to the public for a variety of activities will help the state decide it is appropriately managing the land it currently owns and manages. It should also inform decisions about future publicly funded land and easement acquisition.