Staff Writer
Despite a stretch of unusually warm and dry weather the Caribou ATV Club and the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department are reminding ATV riders that trails around the Caribou area remain closed, as do most trails across AroostookCounty.
Caribou Parks and Recreation Superintendent Kathy Mazzuchelli stated that the frost is still not out of the ground and there are still considerable amounts of snow in wooded areas despite the warm temps. “This is a particularly difficult time of the year and that has been compounded by warm, dry weather,” said Mazzuchelli. “It is always a tough call, but from a management standpoint our job is to protect private property which is why all projects wait until they are sure agricultural areas are ready to allow riders,” she added.
Agreeing with Mazzuchelli, Ben Zetterman, Caribou ATV club president stated, “Nearly 80 percent of the Caribou system crosses private property and most of it is farmland. We appreciate that local landowners afford us the opportunity to recreate on their land so we work hard to ensure riders realize that riding is a privilege, not a right,”
According to Mazzuchelli, for some riders, mudding is fun, but it is also environmentally destructive.
“Some riders don’t care to ride through mud holes and start to go around them and eventually we end up with a 40-foot wide area with ruts and a very unhappy landowner,” said Mazzuchelli.
Riders are advised to contact the Caribou ATV Club or the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department for updated trail information.
Information is also available on Facebook via the Club or Parks and Rec Department.
