HARTFORD – Riders of dirt bikes and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) who have been targets of complaints and local laws against them for years, would finally be allowed to legally ride in public parks under a bill that passed the Judiciary Committee on Monday. It next heads to the Senate.
The bill would allow dirt bike and ATV groups to submit proposals for the use of public lands to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. It was a successful amendment to another bill that would have allowed cities and towns to assess monetary fines against illegal ATV and dirt bike use, without first-time warnings.
Rep. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, offered the successful amendment, noting that the DEEP has had rules on public riding since 2002. “They say that the reason for this is because of the illegal use of DEEP lands and the impact on natural resources,” Sampson said during the brief committee debate. “I think it solves the problem that the bill intends to correct, which is the illegal use of ATVs in our cities and in our parks by setting out a place where people actually can go and do it legally. I also believe there is a potential for positive revenue impact for the state.”