Motor vehicles may be banned from Hall Pond

PARIS — The state is considering a bill that would prohibit recreational vehicles from using Hall Pond.

The bill, "An Act to Improve the Water Quality of Hall Pond in Paris,"was introduced to the legislature last week, and was designed to help protect the drinking water of the Hebron Water Company.

"It bans motorboats, it bans personal watercraft, it bans snowmobiles and ATVs," said the bills sponsor, Senator David Hastings (R-13) of Fryeburg. "It's a pristine water source."

The pond is located on Halls Pond Road, off of Route 119. Most of the frontage on the pond is owned by Hebron Academy, which is the largest customer of the Hebron Water Company, according to Hastings.

If approved, the bill would prevent the operation of motorboats or jet skis on the pond, as well as snowmobiles and ATVs.

Mark Stearns of the Xtra Mile ATV Club (XMAC), says that he doesn't see the bill as a problem for local ATV users.

"I don't see it as that big of a deal," said Stearns. "It needs to be protected. ... From the club's perspective, it wouldn't be a bad thing. There isn't any trail over there."

Hastings says that the pond is already protected by local laws, but questions whether they really provide the pond with any protection.

"The town of Paris apparently has already adopted an ordinance which purports to ban any internal combustion engine on the pond," said Hastings. "The question is, 'can a local town do that?' Any pond over 10 acres is a great pond, and the pond itself is owned by the state."

Bob Meyers, the executive director of the Maine Snowmobile Association, said that the organization was reserving judgment on the legislation until it had done more research.

"It's on my list at this point," said Meyers. "... I really can't say if we would support or oppose."

Meyers says that snowmobile use on frozen ponds or lakes can be a sensitive issue.

"Officially, we don't have any trails over frozen ponds or lakes," said Meyers. "Unofficially ... it's just kind of the nature of the beast."

While many of Maine's waterways are protected from motorboats and personal watercrafts, the ban on snowmobile and ATV usage is unusual, and may even set a precedent for future snowmobile restrictions.

Both Meyers and Hastings say that they are unaware of any other legislation that specifically bans snowmobiles from using waterways.

"I'm not aware of any," said Meyers. "I live down in Bath, and right across the river is Nequasett Lake, and there are not any restrictions there."

"I don't know of any of the ponds in Maine where ATVs and snowmobiles are banned," said Hastings.

Maine's existing snowmobile laws prohibit the operation of snowmobiles on any inland water body "that is free of ice and snow." The statute makes no mention of frozen waterways.

The bill was introduced once before, in 2005. After passing from the Inland Fish and Wildlife Committee on an 8-3 vote, it faltered after Senator Bruce Bryant led Senate Democrats in a vote against the bill.

"I'm hoping that they're willing to take a new look at it now," said Hastings, who said that he has heard of no local opposition to the bill.

Violating the law would result in a fine of between $100 and $500. Multiple violations could result in charges of a Class E crime.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife last week.

The committee will schedule a public hearing on the bill, after which members will vote on whether to send it to the legislature for approval.