A decision by Wilton voters last month to take authority for designating ATV trails away from the town’s Select Board has put a spotlight on the challenges many ATV clubs and users face in Maine, particularly after the flooding that hit the state in 2023.

Wilton town officials are trying to reshape the community into a place for recreation, including attracting more ATV users. Draws include Wilson Pond, several parks and the town’s Whistle Stop Trail, an old railroad bed owned by the state that runs about 14 miles long from Jay through Wilton to West Farmington.

The town recently received an ATV grant to turn a piece of town land into a parking area for all-terrain-related vehicles, such as trucks and trailers hauling the machines where access to the trail is nearby.

But in June, Wilton voters took away the Select Board’s authority to designate ATV access routes on roads they oversee. It will now be the voters’ responsibility to make a decision on ATV access on public roads at an annual town meeting.

Bert Poisson of Wilton, who started a new Wilton ATV and Trails Club earlier in July, said the goal should be to create more trails, not rely on road access.

“We have ATV access to get to the downtown area and Whistle Stop Trail. We have a beautiful area and we should invest in it,” Poisson said. “We need to make trails. We do not want to drive on roads.”

The controversy highlights the tensions and challenges faced by ATV clubs and towns dealing with the more than 6,000 miles of recreational trails in Maine. Laws, limited funds, trail rehabilitation needs after storms and flooding, poor ATV user behavior, and access are among the biggest challenges.

Across the state, the challenges have grown as ATV registrations have increased over the last two decades, from around 50,000 a year to as many as 80,000 in recent years.

Members of the Chesterville Ridge Riders ATV Club say they are facing access issues; they cannot get to Wilton from Chesterville.

The club tried to get access on a residential road in Wilton, but many neighbors that live on McCrillis Corner Road opposed the idea, and the Select Board agreed. Wilton residents then took over control of access routes pertaining to any roads at the June annual town meeting. If access is requested for a particular road, it must now go to voters.

“We are currently struggling with landowners allowing us access to utilize their land. Which is why we have asked to use the roads. We know it’s not ideal and it truly is our last avenue to keep our club going,” said Sarah Baker, president of the Chesterville club. “We understand the risk of having ATVs on the roadways with vehicles. It’s an inherited risk we all choose to take.”

The club, like many others, is also challenged in trying to attract and keep members, especially younger residents who can help with trail maintenance and other related work.

“We are also struggling for members,” Baker said. “I can understand why because we don’t have anything to offer. We haven’t given up hope and are pursuing one more avenue before we make a decision as a club.”

Access often relates to ATV user behavior. More and more private property owners have closed their land to ATVs for a variety of reasons, including disrespect for landowners or property.

“That is certainly a piece of the problem, too,” Baker said. “People are lumping all of us together. Many do follow the rules and are respectful. (But) you always have a few that don’t and they are the ones they judge us by.”

Ken Gammon, president of Oxford Hills ATV Trail Blazers Club in the Norway area for nearly 30 years, concurred with Baker.

“One of the biggest problems is ATVers that don’t follow the rules,” he said.

The devastating flooding in the state in 2023 added another challenge for ATVers — a very costly one for some clubs.

Bob Dalot of Jay, president of the Western Maine ATV Club in Jay and Wilton, has in the past used the mixed pavement and gravel Alden Hill Road as trail access to get to Canton. But because the club had to fix so many damaged trails last year due to the flooding, his club is now broke and can’t fix the boardwalk off Alden Hill Road.

The Brettuns Wheelers ATV Club in Livermore is another group facing financial strain because of the flooding two years ago. Club President Ashley Langlin-Hebert said her club spent so much money fixing the washouts and other issues created from flooding, they will not have much left for trail work next year.

“I’ve done my municipal grants last year and this year, so if I max out this year, then it’ll use all our savings,” Langlin-Hebert said. “So we’ll have nothing in the bank account for next year other than what comes in for memberships. Because if you apply for municipal grants you cannot get the regular club grant the same year — double dipping — so I won’t be able to apply for the regular club grant reimbursement until fall 2026. So I’ll have a full year of work with no money.”

Like some others, the Livermore club also needs more volunteers and member involvement, particularly from young ATV riders, Langlin-Hebert said. She estimated the average ATVer’s age as 55 or older.

However, access is not a big issue for the Brettuns Wheelers ATV Club, Langlin-Hebert said.

Other club leaders said the same, highlighting the different challenges various clubs face depending on circumstances.

Doug Dickinson, trailmaster for the Central Maine ATV Club, said he personally feels that access isn’t a problem in the Fairfield area.

“We have a great relationship with the town and feel that too many access roads are not a good idea. The club president and the full board of directors may collectively have other thoughts on the matter,” said Dickinson, who is also the president and founder of the Maine ATV Coalition.

“We have 80 member clubs and our services are available to all 140 clubs in Maine. We established in 2023 and our primary mission is to help the clubs in any way we can,” Dickinson added.

The coalition’s website is www.maineatvcoalition.com and it can also be found on Facebook.

“Every club has a different take on most ideas based on their communities,” Dickinson said, adding the coalition is very education-focused.