Eliot received the below question from Bruce Bourgoine via the campaign website. Please see the question and answer below:
THE QUESTION
Looking at conservation of both land and energy, how do you envision prioritizing the promotion and any funding support of non-motorized outdoor pursuits and motorized outdoor activities?
ELIOT’S ANSWER
Bruce,
I believe that the key is responsible use, not the distinction between motorized and non-motorized use. We have to have mixed use overall.
Both forms of recreation are important and have long traditions for many people in Maine. There are places where snowmobiles and ATVs are key recreational pursuits, and, particularly in the case of snowmobiles, major tourist attractions. Under the Land for Maine’s Future program, we have rails to trails, which include some ATV trails on former railroad beds.
We also should have — and do have — plenty of locations where motorized vehicles are prohibited. The same is true for bodies of water: some have outright prohibitions on all motorized watercraft; others have limits on horsepower; while still others prohibit personal watercraft.
(As far as energy conservation is concerned, when we succeed with my objective of making electricity more plentiful and considerably less expensive in Maine (see http://www.cutler2010.com/issues/energy), then perhaps we will have electric-powered snowmobies and ATV vehicles. Then we’ll have solved the entire dilemma — or at least most of it!)
Maine’s great outdoors and largely unspoiled natural environment are a major competitive advantage for Maine. The most important thing is to hold people accountable for responsible use, and to spread what funding there is as equitably as possible, while protecting what is special about Maine.
Best regards,
Eliot
Tags: ATVs, snowmobiles, snowmobiling